Friends come to blows

Dean Juipe

Thursday, April 8, 2004 | 9:18 a.m.

Gym buddies who fight at the same weight and have sparred a few times rarely meet in a fight of any consequence.

But when Jesse Feliciano and Muhammad Abdullaev square off Saturday night at Mandalay Bay, more than simple bragging rights will be at stake.

There's a minor title involved, yet there is something else as well: A win allows Feliciano to replace Abdullaev as a recognized and legitimate world title contender, just as a win by Abdullaev places him back on a potential track to greatness.

Feliciano vs. Abdullaev, a 12-round fight at 140 pounds, is part of the Cory Spinks vs. Zab Judah card being promoted by Don King. It's also a fight between a Las Vegas resident of 18 years and one who has lived here for the past three, as well as one between two guys who both train at Tocco's Gym.

"It's just another fight -- except that everything's on the line," Feliciano said Wednesday, attempting to place the bout's significance in perspective. "If I win, I'm going to step into his shoes."

Feliciano is 12-1-2 with seven knockouts and is coming off a Feb. 27 eight-round draw in Chicago with the undefeated Al Gonzalez.

Abdullaev, a native of Uzbekistan, is 13-1 with 10 KOs.

"We're kind of friends, but you can't think about that during a fight," Abdullaev said through a translator. "We've sparred as part of training, but we've never fought seriously."

The most recent of what apparently has been four sparring sessions between the two was earlier this year, although there remains some doubt about who prevailed.

"I know it was good experience for me each time we've sparred and I think we've been pretty even," Feliciano said, while Kenny Adams, who trains Abdullaev recalls that "Muhammad has always got the best of him."

Feliciano, 21, is a native of Los Angeles who moved to Las Vegas with his family at the age of 3. He's a former Western High School student who graduated from Horizon North, and a fighter who has appeared locally at the Orleans.

Abdullaev, 30, is an Olympic gold medalist with terrific credentials who was placed in Las Vegas to work with Adams. But he's comfortable here and now calls the place home.

"I asked my promoter (Peter Kohl) to get me on a card here," Abdullaev said. "Las Vegas feels like home to me and I wanted to fight here again."

This will be Abdullaev's sixth fight in Southern Nevada but his first in two years.

"He's rejuvenated and looking good," Adams said of his man. "He knows this can be like a coming-out party for him. He knows there's no time to wait.

"He has to win this fight and look good doing it. Hell, he's got to win and be impressive or he won't have a future in the sport, no doubt about it."

Adams said he has been working with Abdullaev to box more and slug less, while the fighter says the change isn't that dramatic.

"I'm not changing too much," he said. "What I am trying to do is not just throw a punch and wait. I'm looking to throw some punches and generate more energy."

Out of respect for one another, Feliciano has altered his training schedule to work out at Tocco's at night and allow Abdullaev to have the gym during the day.

The fight is one Feliciano has contemplated for a while, although one he didn't expect to arrive this soon.

"I've always wanted to fight him and I thought I would, but I didn't think it would be this year," he said. "I wanted to fight him next year, but I'm in my prime.

"I can handle it."

The dream-come-true scenario includes the opportunity to walk into an arena with thousands of cheering fans, although Feliciano vs. Gonzalez in Chicago attracted 3,500 to an auditorium there.

"Yeah," Feliciano said, when asked if he'd have butterflies. "This is a place where I've always wanted to fight. When I came here for the Roy Jones and John Ruiz press conference (last year), I said to myself 'One day this is going to be me.'

"Well, here I am."