Chavez Leaves King, Signs Six-Fight Deal With Arum

Julio Cesar Chavez, the Mexican junior-welterweight world champion, signed a six-fight contract with Las Vegas promoter Bob Arum Thursday night.

Chavez’s Los Angeles lawyer, Leon Pizante, said the 18-month deal was worth about $15 million and would begin May 1. Chavez, who had been unhappy fighting for New York promoter Don King, walked out of a King news conference last week in Atlantic City, N.J., because, he explained later, he felt King was ignoring him.

King was unavailable for comment Thursday night.

Pizante and Alberto Gonzales, Chavez’s American manager, said King’s contract with Chavez was abrogated when King was unable to provide Chavez with a rich rematch with Meldrick Taylor in early 1991. Taylor, beaten by Chavez last spring, has signed to fight welterweight champion Aaron Davis instead.

Chavez, from Culiacan, defeated Ahn Kyung-Duk Saturday in an title fight at Atlantic City. His record is 73-0, but U.S. record keepers list him at 72-1.

Boxing Notes

Bill Cayton, Mike Tyson’s estranged manager, says he will try to block Tyson’s proposed fight with Razor Ruddock next spring.

Don King, Tyson’s promoter, said last Sunday, after the former heavyweight champion had knocked out Alex Stewart in one round, that Tyson would next meet the high-rated Ruddock, probably in April.

But Cayton said Wednesday that he would take steps to prevent the fight, because Tyson could make far more money fighting Ruddock by first regaining the championship. Cayton also said King agreed to the Ruddock fight primarily to avoid a lawsuit by Ruddock’s promoter.

“This is a typical Don King move,” Cayton said. “He’s doing this because it’s in his best interests, not Mike’s. He has a troublesome lawsuit pending in Edmonton (filed by Murad Muhammad, Ruddock’s promoter), and this fight would cancel out the suit.

“It’s a foolish, unnecessary fight. Mike would make triple the money fighting Ruddock after he’s won the title back. Also, even though I believe Mike would beat Ruddock, it is a high-risk fight for him, because Ruddock is the second-best heavyweight in the world.”

Cayton was Tyson’s co-manager with Jim Jacobs until Jacobs’ death in 1988. Cayton and Tyson had a falling out shortly afterward, and Tyson has been advised by King ever since. Cayton’s managerial contract with Tyson does not expire until Feb. 12, 1992.

Many in boxing wonder why King isn’t advising Tyson to sit tight until after the Evander Holyfield-George Foreman title fight April 19, then sign to fight the winner for the championship, or at least take a low-risk fight or two.

King said he fears Holyfield or Foreman would duck Tyson after their fight.

“We have no guarantee Holyfield’s people will want him to fight Mike at any time,” King said Thursday.