No One’s Fooled by Holyfield and Ruiz

There is a heavyweight title fight tonight.

That’s right, tonight. Anybody out there aware of that? Anybody care?

All the talk, interest and anticipation are focused on a possible Lennox Lewis-Mike Tyson heavyweight championship match April 6, but Evander Holyfield and John Ruiz have quietly been preparing for tonight’s fight for the World Boxing Assn. heavyweight crown.

There isn’t enough interest in this match to put it on pay-per-view. It’ll be shown live on HBO, beginning at 7:30.

There isn’t even enough interest to hold it at a major site.

It will be staged in a 4,500-seat bingo hall at the Foxwoods Casino in Ledyard, Conn.

It was said of basketball superstar Larry Bird that he made everybody around him better.

After the Boston Celtics obtained journeyman Joe Kleine, it was said that, for Bird, Kleine would be the ultimate test.

It was a test Bird failed.

It has been said of promoter Don King that, with his smoke and mirrors, he can make any fight seem bigger and better than it actually is.

For King, Ruiz-Holyfield III is the ultimate test. It is a test King appears to have failed.

Why?

It’s perceived as a match between a has-been and a never-was.

Their previous two matches produced moments better suited for the WWF than championship boxing. Ruiz lost a decision in August of last year, then won a decision in March.

Holyfield hasn’t impressed in the four years since he fought Michael Moorer.

Many consider Ruiz, 29, an unworthy titleholder, since he got it by beating up a 38-year-old who should be enjoying retirement.

The best heavyweight in the world, Lewis, isn’t fighting. Neither is Tyson nor Wladimir Klitschko, generally considered the most deserving contenders.

King’s plan to jazz up the match, taking it to China, fell through when Ruiz injured his neck, forcing a postponement. And hopes of rescheduling in China ended with the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

In these tough economic times, boxing fans are more conservative, less likely to spend cash to watch a couple of stiffs. The best King can hope for these days is that a sucker is born every five minutes.

All that said, tonight’s winner could be looking at a huge payday down the road.

If Ruiz wins again, and then Lewis successfully defends his International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Council titles against Tyson, an undisputed championship might be attractive to Lewis.

Especially if all he has to do is beat Ruiz.

If Holyfield wins tonight, there would be no interest in a third fight against Lewis.

But there would be a big buzz about a third match against Tyson, even if Tyson loses to Lewis.

So there’s a lot riding on tonight, even if few will be watching.

This Close

At his charity dinner this week for his foundation, Oscar De La Hoya said his proposed match against Fernando Vargas on May 4 is “this close” to being finalized, holding two fingers about an inch apart.

Asked how much money “this close” meant, two of those involved in the negotiations later said, at least a million dollars.

Vargas, offered a $5-million guarantee, wants something closer to a third of the $20-million pot. Promoter Bob Arum, representing the WBC 154-pound champion, is more interested in who is going to guarantee the money.

“They want to come along for a free ride,” said Arum of Main Events, Vargas’ promotional organization.

Behind the scenes, there is no hyperbole, only serious discussions. By May, it will be nearly two years since De La Hoya last fought a big-name opponent. Arum needs to consummate this deal to activate his new contract with De La Hoya.

And Vargas, who has never made more than $2 million for a fight, certainly doesn’t want to lose out on a check maybe three times as big. So it’s no surprise that they are “this close.”

Not Seen Enough

De La Hoya’s fights are always in the spotlight, whether they be in the ring or in a courtroom, but perhaps not enough attention is paid to his charitable side.

His foundation in East Los Angeles supports the Oscar De La Hoya Youth Center, where as many as 9,000 kids learn about everything from fitness training to computers. The foundation also awards scholarships to inner-city kids.

Today from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., De La Hoya will be distributing holiday gifts to underprivileged families at Stevenson Middle School, 725 S. Indiana St., Los Angeles.