Thursday, May 8, 2003 | 9:40 a.m.
Dean Juipe's column appears Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. His boxing notebook appears Thursday. Reach him at [email protected] or (702) 259-4084.
Kirk Johnson may not have looked good in losing by 10th-round disqualification to John Ruiz in his previous title try, but that doesn't keep Lennox Lewis from having a healthy respect for his June 21 opponent.
"He's been around a long time and I think he's well deserving of a shot," Lewis said during a conference call. "He's very dangerous."
Lewis, 40-2-1, and Johnson, 34-1-1, will fight at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on an HBO-televised card that will also feature heavyweight contender Vitali Klitschko against Cedric Boswell. The latter fight, which is all but finalized, adds to Klitschko's exposure and, in theory, prepares him to fight Lewis later this year.
"There is not too much left for me to do," Lewis said, his career winding down at age 37. "I have basically achieved my goals.
"I think there's a couple more fights in me. I'm the king right now and people are excited to see me.
"I feel I still have a good year (left to fight)."
Lewis' World Boxing Council heavyweight title may or may not be on the line for the fight with Johnson. Thus far, the WBC has failed to sanction the bout due to its uncertainty concerning Johnson, who was disqualified for repeatedly throwing low blows in his fight with Ruiz July 27 at Mandalay Bay.
But Lewis wanted this fight, as opposed to one with Klitschko or International Boxing Federation champion Chris Byrd.
"I can't fight everybody at once ... I have to go one at a time," Lewis said. "(Johnson) is a more exciting fighter than Byrd. He's a knockout puncher. I believe this fight is the more exciting fight."
Each was on a conference call Wednesday.
"Maybe this is my peak time right now," Mitchell said of his lengthy career, which has been rejuvenated with wins against Vince Phillips and Carlos Vilches. Those victories have him ranked No. 7 by the WBC and No. 2 by the IBF and the World Boxing Association.
Presumably, Mitchell is being positioned for a second shot at undisputed 140-pound champion Kostya Tszyu, who won their earlier fight -- Feb. 3, 2001, in Las Vegas -- by seventh-round knockout.
Not coincidentally, Tackie is coming off a decision loss to Tszyu, May 18 in Las Vegas.
"I actually think he made Tszyu look like a world beater," Mitchell said, obviously not impressed with Tackie's showing against the champion. "He didn't move or have any defense. He did what Ben Tackie does."
Tackie lost by 12, 10 and 10 points on the judges' cards and never varied his attack or threatened Tszyu.
Tackie seemed indifferent to Mitchell's criticism, but did say the only way to rebound is by beating a decent fighter.
"If you want to be a champion, you've got to fight hard guys," he said.
If Tackie's comments were underwhelming, so too were those from Lacy. "I want to make sure I'm 'on' when I step into the ring," he said, emphasizing his conditioning and training camp as essential elements of his game plan.
Oshana at least said he was ready for a fight.
"Lacy better not be looking past me," he said. "I'm ready to go to war for 12 rounds."
A fight featuring WBA junior lightweight champ Acelina Freitas has been announced for Aug. 9, although no site yet. Freitas, 33-0, will take on Jorge Rodrigo Barrios, 39-1-1. ... Jorge Arce, who retained his WBC junior flyweight title Saturday at Mandalay Bay, nearly lost it on the scales. At Friday's weigh-in, Arce stripped down but came in over the 108-pound limit. Two hours later he returned and came in at 107 pounds, only to collapse and require medical assistance. His fight the following night with Melchor Cob-Castro was stopped after the sixth round due to an unintentional head butt a round earlier. Arce was ahead on the judges' cards and improved to 34-3-1 despite the difficult weekend. (HBO will replay the card, including Oscar De La Hoya's victory against Yory Boy Campas, Saturday at 9 p.m.). ... The Henderson Boys & Girls Club at 401 Drake St. wi ll host the Western Regional Junior Olympic Boxing Tournament on Saturday and Sunday. Fifty bouts are scheduled featuring competitors between the ages of 12 and 16.
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