Columnist Dean Juipe: Tyson’s opponent promises to raise his game

Dean Juipe

Thursday, July 15, 2004 | 9:30 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.

Danny Williams blames himself for a lackluster boxing career, yet he intends to do something about it.

"I've been undermotivated," he said this week from New York, where he's training for a July 30 fight against Mike Tyson in Louisville. "I've never fought at the highest level, but I'm going to raise my game to the occasion."

The occasion is significant, as Williams well knows. He could defeat Tyson and become a star, or he could lose and slip back into oblivion.

"By any means necessary, I will win this fight," he said. "I believe I have the power to knock him out (and) I'm going to outbox him because of my height.

"I am looking for a war and I'm looking to box him as well."

Williams is 31-3 with 26 knockouts but a three-time loser in the past couple of years because of a questionable chin. As he admitted (in Wednesday's Sun), he was selected for this fight by Tyson's handlers because they expect him to be knocked out by the former heavyweight champion.

Tyson is 50-4 with 45 KOs but has not fought in 18 months. He's training in Phoenix and apparently doing well in spite of reportedly being hampered by back spasms.

"Tyson only knows one way to fight," Williams said, aware that Tyson will come after him from the opening bell. "It's an effective way to fight, but it's only one way."

He feels if he can stay busy and keep moving, he could wear Tyson out.

Their pay-per-view fight came as a godsend to Williams, an Englishman who was pushed into the sport at the age of 8 by his father.

"I felt like it was Christmas and my birthday at the same time," he said of receiving the news that he would have the role as Tyson's opponent.

Trained by Dwight Yard, Williams is utilizing journeyman Sherman Williams as a sparring partner and will gain the services of an additional sparring partner, Clifford Etienne, next week. Etienne lost by first-round knockout to Tyson in Tyson's most recent fight, Feb. 22, 2003 in Memphis.

Williams has also been in contact with fellow Englishman Frank Bruno, who twice lost to Tyson by knockout. He said Bruno has advised him on how to recognize and avoid Tyson's "telegraphed" punches.

"Camp's going great," Williams reiterated, feeling as if his skills and devotion to his craft are peaking at just the right time.

BOXERS OR BRIEFS: Chris Kennedy, a super middleweight who is also a budding policeman, will become the first former member of the UNLV club boxing team to turn pro. He hopes to fight on a July 24 card at the Flamingo in Laughlin. ... HBO announced a Sept. 11 card in Puerto Rico that will feature two main events, including a junior welterweight showdown between Miguel Cotto and Kelson Pinto. Cotto is 20-0 and Pinto is 21-0, plus he owns two wins over Cotto from their amateur days. "I guess you can say I have his number," Pinto said, knowing he'll have to prove that theory again. ... Las Vegas resident Steve Forbes will fight World Boxing Association junior lightweight champion Yodsanan Nantachai as part of the August 7 card in Connecticut that features Acelino Freitas vs. Diego Corrales in the main event. Forbes, 27, is 24-2 with seven KOs and is a f ormer International Boxing Federation world champion. Nantachai, 29, is 42-2-1 with 35 KOs.

In the aftermath of the closure of the Golden Gloves gym, veteran trainer Doc Broadus has opened his home to youngsters looking to learn about the sport. "I'm trying to get a building," he said Wednesday. "I can get all the equipment we need, but I need to get a building first." Broadus said he currently has six youngsters training at his house. ... No fewer than four Las Vegas-based heavyweights are training for upcoming fights, including: David Defiagbon vs. Oleg Maskaev July 23 at a site yet to be determined; Hasim Rahman vs. Wayne Llewelyn July 28 at Glen Burnie, Md.; Samuel Peter vs. Jovo Pudar August 5 at Hollywood, Fla.; and Duncan Dokiwari vs. an opponent to be determined Aug. 20 at Anaheim.