Despite the Hype, Holyfield Is Only Kidding Himself

By STEVE SPRINGER

Aug. 12, 2000 12 AM PT

LAS VEGAS —

It is a match between a has-been and a never-was in a title fight that shouldn’t be.

How’s that sound for excitement?

Understandably, there isn’t much for tonight’s World Boxing Assn. heavyweight title match between Evander Holyfield (36-3-1, 25 knockouts) and John Ruiz (36-3, 27) at the Paris Las Vegas Casino Resort. The fight will be shown delayed on Showtime cable network beginning at 10 p.m.

It’s true that if Holyfield, a 4-1 favorite, is victorious tonight as expected, he will become the first to win the heavyweight title a fourth time. He and Muhammad Ali are the only three-time heavyweight titleholders.

But in his heart of hearts, Holyfield knows full well he doesn’t deserve to put on a belt that was taken away from Lennox Lewis, the man who officially beat him once and, unofficially, twice.

Most boxing experts agree that Lewis was robbed of a decision in his first meeting with Holyfield. Instead, the result was a controversial draw.

It was so controversial that an investigation was launched to look into the judges’ verdicts, an investigation that failed to turn up evidence of anything worse than incompetence in the March 1999 fight.

After Lewis beat Holyfield in the rematch last November, Lewis became the undisputed champion.

But that didn’t last long. Undisputed titles rarely do in boxing these days.

When Lewis refused to fight Ruiz, the WBA’s No. 1 contender, he was stripped of that title because of an agreement Lewis had signed with promoter Don King to fight the WBA’s mandatory challenger.

Lewis, derisively referring to Ruiz as “John Louise,” instead fought Michael Grant, knocking him out in the second round.

So Holyfield, 37, found a fourth title opportunity tossed his way. His only hurdle is Ruiz, best known for being knocked out by David Tua in 19 seconds.

Holyfield insists there will be no taint to this title.

“When you don’t follow rules and regulations,” he said, “then you lose your title. I follow the rules and regulations. I feel I should be the champion now.”

Ruiz has similar feelings.

“I wanted to fight Michael Grant,” he said. “He decides to fight Lennox Lewis and that leaves me out there. Lennox Lewis is totally avoiding me. What am I supposed to do?”

That’s the same line Ruiz uses when the subject of Tua comes up. And it always does. Whoever the interviewer, whatever the circumstances, however many other questions about his chances of becoming boxing’s first Hispanic heavyweight champion, Ruiz knows The Question is coming:

What happened against Tua?

“It doesn’t bother me to be asked,” he said. “You guys ask me about it once in awhile when I do interviews. But I think about it all the time.

“At that point in my career, I was not into it mentally like I should have been. I lost my focus. Things happen in boxing and I got through it and I’m still fighting. Most people would have quit after that, but that’s not my style. I’m here to prove a point to myself and the world. Anything can happen.”

Brave talk. But is Holyfield refusing to buy it and taking Ruiz too lightly? Or rather, too heavily? Holyfield weighed in Thursday at 221 pounds, his highest fighting weight ever. Ruiz came in at 224, the lightest he has been since 1997.

Ruiz’s devastating knockout by Tua came in March 1996. Since then, Ruiz has beaten 11 straight opponents, the last six by knockout. But other than former heavyweight champion Tony Tucker, considered long past his prime, only the most knowledgeable fans would show a glint of recognition at the names of the other opponents.

Anybody out there ever heard of Yuri Yelistratov, Fernely Feliz or Gregory Pickrom?

I thought so.

Ruiz said he has never watched a tape of the Tua fight.

“I don’t have to,” he said. “It always burns in the back of my mind.”

Which is where tonight’s fight against Holyfield also figures to burn in the days and months ahead.

IN ALL FAIRNESS

While Holyfield’s record fourth title belt should come, if it indeed comes, with an asterisk beside it, he can also point the finger with justification at the man he’s being compared to.

Ali gained his third title only because he first lost to Leon Spinks, an inexperienced journeyman who beat an old, out-of-shape Ali. Ali then came back to beat Spinks for his third championship.

THIS PAGE IS HISTORY

Tonight’s card, in desperate need of additional appeal, instead suffered another blow when WBA welterweight champion James Page dropped out of his semi-main event against Andrew “Six Heads” Lewis.

Page claimed he wasn’t formally notified of the bout until nine days ago. He also wanted a new purse bid, unhappy with the $112,000 he was scheduled to receive.

He could now lose his title.

King, insisting until late in the week that Page would show up, said, “He’s just gone incognito for a minute.”

The minute’s up and Page is still a no-show.

QUICK JABS

Former junior lightweight champion Genaro Hernandez has agreed to become Mia St. John’s trainer. . . . Also on tonight’s Holyfield-Ruiz card, Christy Martin (39-2-2, 30) takes on Diana Lewis (9-1-1, 9) in a 10-round women’s bout. And Rosendo Alvarez (27-1-1, 17) and Beibis Mendoza (25-0, 22) battle for the vacant WBA light flyweight championship. . . . On Thursday night at the Arrowhead Pond, super-bantamweights Israel Vasquez (26-2, 19) and Javier Varguez (42-22-1, 32) face off in the 10-round main event. First bell is at 7:30. . . . For the price of a $3 admission ticket to Los Alamitos Race Course tonight, fans can also see four four-round bouts involving preliminary fighters. The boxing starts at 7.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Tale of the Tape

HOLYFIELD RUIZ

36-3-1: Record: 36-3

25: Knockouts: 27

37: Age: 28

221: Weight: 224

6-2 1/2: Height: 6-2

77 1/2: Reach: 77 1/2

44: Chest (normal): 44

45 1/2: Chest (expanded): 45 1/2

15 1/2: Biceps: 15 1/2