HBO Card, Other Notes
Paul Dalrymple
By Norm Frauenheim, The Arizona Republic
June 7, 1999
Suspicions about the Lennox Lewis-Evander Holyfield draw and an FBI raid of
Don King's offices are fueling the conspiracy theories and paranoia that are
as much a part of boxing these days as blood and bruises.
A result was a bizarre shuffle Saturday night that ironically proved to be a
major boost for Scottsdale-based cruiserweight Vassily Jirov, who won the
International Boxing Federation title with a crushing body assault of Arthur
Williams.
Jirov's victory, a seventh-round technical knockout before Roy Jones Jr.'s
decision over Reggie Johnson, was added to the Home Box Office telecast
before the card at Biloxi, Miss., began.
Jirov, a native of Kazakstan and an Olympic gold medalist, got unexpected TV
time, because IBF junior-lightweight champion Roberto Garcia of Oxnard,
Calif., withdrew from a bout with Derrick Gainer of Pensacola, Fla. Garcia's
manager, Scott Woodworth, said the IBF did not assign impartial judges. A
question in the Lewis-Holyfield draw is appointment of judges by various
ruling bodies, called boxing's "crime families" by some pundits.
The issue was paramount in Woodworth's thinking when he said the
IBF-appointed judges were from the South, as is Gainer, a Jones stablemate.
As a Westerner, Garcia faced an unfair risk, Woodworth argued.
"Robert is an undefeated champion," Woodworth said. "This is what is wrong
with boxing."
Woodworth also mentioned concerns about last week's raid of King's offices.
Agents are expected to turn over King's records to a federal grand jury that
is investigating the IBF for a whole laundry list of allegations.
The IBF, in fact, tried to accommodate Woodworth. But it was too little, too
late. Hours before opening the bell, William Ray of Florida was replaced as
judge by Al Munoz, a longtime Phoenix referee. Garcia still withdrew as
Gainer was left to beat an unknown stand-in before the television lights
were illuminated on the unbeaten Jirov (21-0, 19 KOs).
Briefly ...
Jirov, on how he took the IBF title from the Las Vegas-based Williams:
"Nobody could take those liver shots."
Jones' dominance of the respected Johnson in a unification of the
light-heavyweight title strengthened his claim on being the best, regardless
of weight. This corner's top five, pound-for-pound: 1. Jones, 2. Felix
Trinidad, 3. Oscar De La Hoya, 4. Shane Mosley, 5. Ike Quartey.
Talk about Jones against a smaller heavyweight has an added element with
last week's news that his attorney, Fred Levin, is negotiating for a George
Foreman-Mike Tyson bout. Levin says Jones always has wanted to fight Tyson
or Holyfield. From his ringside seat Saturday night, Holyfield said of
Jones: "He's good. Can't nobody touch him. He's not for me."
In promoting Michael Carbajal's comeback bout on July 2 versus Oscar Calzada
at the Tucson Convention Center, Ruben Castillo is back at the scene of two
tough fights. In January 1980, Castillo was knocked out by Hall of Famer
Alexis Arguello. Three months later, Castillo returned to Tucson and lost a
hard-fought decision to the late Salvador Sanchez.
Strange news from De La Hoya's camp: He fired advisor Mike Hernandez when he
discovered the Los Angeles auto dealer was taking 10 percent of his purses
as a management fee. Then trainer Roberto Alcazar tells a Puerto Rico
newspaper that De La Hoya wants $30 million instead of $15 million for a
Trinidad fight that Bob Arum said was a done deal. Who's in charge here?
And Floyd Mayweather Sr. on why his son, junior-lightweight Floyd Jr., will
never be surrounded by a De La Hoya-sized crowd: "Floyd don't have no
entourage, no retinue. Retinue is just another way of saying you're going to
be broke." Includes information from other media sources.