Columnist Dean Juipe: Steele sees boxing on the decline in Nevada

Dean Juipe

Thursday, Jan. 29, 2004 | 10:06 a.m.

Dean Juipe's column appears Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. His boxing notebook appears Thursday. Reach him at juipe@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4084.

Surveying a gymnasium that was bustling with activity and stretched to its capacity, former world-class referee Richard Steele wondered aloud on a couple of pertinent topics: What will happen to these fighters when Nevada Partners closes its gym April 1, and why is it that hardly any of these men and women who are training actually have fights scheduled within Las Vegas?

"This is supposed to be the boxing capital of the world, but we're going to lose that title at this rate," Steele said this week at Nevada Partners, where he has run the gym since its inception more than 10 years ago. "Everyone in here right now is an up-and-coming fighter who's looking for work.

"There are so few cards in Las Vegas anymore that these fighters, if they can get a fight anywhere, will have to go to Utah or Arizona or California."

Steele is feeling the effects of a downturn of sorts for the sport in Las Vegas, as not only is his gym about to close but his promotional company has been unable to find a local casino willing to host regular boxing cards.

"I've had offers to do cards out of state, but that's not what I want to do," he said. "What we need is another Showboat or Silver Slipper, a place where local fighters can learn their trade and be seen on regularly scheduled shows.

"The way it is now, there's no way to build up the fighters we have. It seems like most of them can't get a fight here unless it's one they're probably going to lose.

"It's a shame. Look at this, I've got a stack of correspondence from people who want to move here and either fight or train fighters and I have to tell them to forget it.

"They ask, 'How can I get some work out there?' and I have to tell them there is no work."

Despite these troubles, Steele said "I'm not giving up" and mentioned that among those fighters working out at his gym is a heavyweight who he feels could become a future world champion. The fighter, Ernest Mazyck, is 1-0 as an amateur and is expected to turn pro after about 10 amateur bouts.

"I think he's the next great heavyweight," Steele said, reinvigorated by the thought of grooming a potential star even as he worried about Las Vegas accommodating Mazyck as he learns his craft.

Also scheduled: Adam Carrera, 12-1, vs. Philip Payne, 13-9-1, eight rounds, super bantamweights; George Walton, 13-2, vs. Alberto Mercedes, 11-5-1, six rounds, middleweights; Avelino Chavez, 9-0, vs. Marlo Cortez, 2-2-1, six rounds, junior welterweights; Cornelius Lock, 10-1-1, vs. Roberto Chacon, 11-3-1, six rounds, super bantamweights; and Dewey Cooper, 9-0-2, vs. Rodney Moore, 5-8, four rounds, cruiserweights. First bell is 7 p.m.

"The gym will stay as it is for many years to come," Tapia said. "It's open for business as usual (and) my intention is to buy my partner out.

"James wants out of the business. I offered him $100,000 two months ago and I have offered to match his best offer.

"I don't want to sell this place. I'm making good money here. If we sell, I'd have to try and buy another place, and why would I want to go through all of that when I already have this?"

There is a For Sale sign on the gym and the acknowledged asking price is $595,000. Tapia said he and Pollins owe $250,000 on an outstanding bank loan.

"James is waiting for a better offer, but I doubt if he's going to get one," Tapia said.

Pollins and Tapia have been partners at the gym for five years and initially met via their mutual real-estate connections.

"If we were losing money here, I'd be willing to sell," Tapia said. "But we're not, and I'm going to keep the place open."

"No, we're not getting anything," said Alan Wartski, who promotes heavyweight contender Jameel McCline.

McCline was to have fought James Toney but the bout was scuttled when Toney injured his left Achilles' tendon and needed surgery late last week. The fight is not being rescheduled and Wartski is attempting to place McCline in a replacement fight of lesser magnitude, possibly on the Joel Casamayor vs. Diego Corrales card March 6 at the Foxwoods casino in Connecticut.

"I don't really want to talk about the finances, but, in essence, because there isn't going to be a (McCline vs. Toney) fight, we aren't going to be paid," Wartski said. "It's just over."

The Nevada State Athletic Commission has approved Greg Gulli for a promoter's license. Gulli, who put on a card at Sam's Town last year, told the NSAC he expects to enter into a contract to put on regular cards at the Reno Hilton. ... Promoter Cedric Kushner has a Feb. 21 card at the City Center Pavilion in Reno in which heavyweights Jovo Pudar, 21-1, and Taurus Skykes, 20-1-1, will headline. Michael Grant, 38-3, vs. Charles Hatcher, 15-5, tops the undercard and features Grant, a former heavyweight contender, looking to re-establish himself. ... Kushner also has a March 27 card at Caesars Tahoe in which heavyweight Anthony Thompson will headline.

Heavyweight Joe Mesi, 28-0, will have the featured undercard spot on the March 13 show at Mandalay Bay that headlines Shane Mosley vs. Winky Wright. No opponent yet for Mesi. ... Undisputed junior welterweight champ Kostya Tszyu said during a conference call that the shoulder injury that caused him to pull out of a Feb. 7 fight in Moscow with Sharmba Mitchell has been resolved by surgery. "I think it's very bad luck," he said of the fight being indefinitely postponed. "I think I will go ahead and start with Sharmba (when I'm ready to fight), which should be in about six or nine months."