Hardly a Rematch Made in Heaven

Is this really necessary?

Are there really people out there clamoring for Evander Holyfield-John Ruiz II, tonight’s rematch at the Mandalay Bay Events Center?

Wasn’t Holyfield-Ruiz I bad enough?

The 38-year-old Holyfield is clamoring for this fight because he wants to continue a career that should clearly be at an end by cashing one last big paycheck for a third match against Mike Tyson.

The 29-year-old Ruiz, of Puerto Rican stock, has been clamoring for it because he wants to become the first Latino heavyweight champion by taking Holyfield’s World Boxing Assn. crown.

And promoter Don King is eagerly looking forward to tonight’s fight as a springboard for a card planned for Bejing, China, on June 30. King is rubbing his hands at the thought of a billion potential suckers who have not yet heard his sales pitch.

THE VIEW FROM HOLYFIELD’S CORNER

King has labeled tonight’s fight “The Final Word,” and if it really were, if Holyfield would take his anticipated victory and ride off into the sunset, it might be worth plunking down $44.95 to watch the pay-per-view SET telecast and bid Holyfield a fond farewell.

But unfortunately, that’s not the case.

A four-time heavyweight champion, two-time conqueror of Tyson, central figure in most of the big heavyweight fights of the ‘90s, Holyfield (37-4-1, 25 knockouts) has much to celebrate and be celebrated for.

The Boxing Writers Assn. was misguided in selecting Roy Jones as the fighter of the last decade. It was clearly Holyfield.

But this is a new decade, a new time.

One of the announcers for Holyfield-Ruiz I said the audience shuffled out of the Paris Las Vegas hotel last August in stunned silence after it was announced that Holyfield had won a decision.

The stunning thing that night was not the decision, but how dramatically Holyfield’s skills had deteriorated, how many punches he missed, how hard he had to struggle to beat a fighter who wouldn’t have belonged in the ring with him a few years earlier.

It was reminiscent of Muhammad Ali losing to Leon Spinks at the end of Ali’s career and then coming back to eke out a decision in the rematch over Spinks, who would not have been a worthy sparring partner a few years earlier.

“I know a lot of people think I should have blown him out,” said Holyfield of his first match against Ruiz. “When people look at the situation in the wrong way, they rob him of his credibility.”

That’s petty theft at best.

“Ruiz should have gotten credit for fighting a great fight,” Holyfield said. “That was last year. But this is my year. This is going to be a great year. It is probably the year I will retire, but it is also a year I will do great things in the game of boxing. I will fight three times this year and I will knock out all of my opponents. This year, I will be sensational.”

Against whom? No one wants to see Holyfield try for a third time to beat Lennox Lewis.

A third Holyfield-Tyson fight would be intriguing in a ghoulish sort of way, considering the second fight ended with a chewed-up piece of Holyfield’s ear on the canvas.

But for Holyfield-Tyson III to happen, Tyson-King must first be resolved. Tyson can’t get past his belief that King, his former promoter, stole money from him.

“There is no way I can fight for King,” Tyson says.

THE VIEW FROM RUIZ’S CORNER

Ruiz, who was born in Methuen, Mass., carries his Puerto Rican heritage with pride.

“To become not only the heavyweight champion, but the first Latino champion would be a huge honor,” Ruiz said. “I can’t believe that, with all the Latino champions we have had, there has not been one among the heavyweights.”

If prodded, Ruiz will buy into the argument, questionable though it may be, that he beat Holyfield last time. But Ruiz needs no prodding to talk about the moral victory he feels he won.

“I deserve to be with these guys,” he said. “Everybody thought I was a B fighter. Everybody thought Holyfield was an A fighter and I wouldn’t last a round. I proved I belonged.”

Ruiz rationalizes his loss by saying he didn’t prove his worth in the eyes of the judges.

“I think they thought, ‘Who is John Ruiz?’ and what was I doing in the ring fighting a legend?” he said. “That’s what won the fight for him.

“But I think this time, the judges will be looking at two fighters in the ring, not just one. People know who I am and, because of that, the odds are much more in my favor.”

Ruiz knows that even a victory tonight won’t quiet the doubters.

“I know that if I win, people will say, ‘Oh Holyfield was too old. He should have retired before he took this fight,’ ” he said. “But if I beat him, I would do him a favor. People want to see Holyfield out of the game. They are tired of hearing the same name over and over. They want to see some new guys, some new faces.”

What does Ruiz have to do win?

“Throw more jabs and combinations than I did the last time,” he said. “And keep him on his toes, keep him wondering where the punches are coming from. The last time, I was too close and I couldn’t get my punches off.”

Sounds good, but any thought that Ruiz has a grip on reality is shattered by listening to his answer when he is asked if he, in any way, resembles another Massachusetts fighter named Rocky Marciano.

“I haven’t reached that level yet, but this fight will put me close,” he said.

Close yes, but only because Marciano has been dead for 32 years.

ALSO ON THE CARD

In the semi-main event, International Boxing Federation bantamweight champion Tim Austin (21-0-1, 19) puts his title up against Jesus Perez (20-0-2, 11).

Welterweight Miguel Angel Gonzalez (44-2-1, 34) fights Manuel Gomez (17-10, 15) in a 10-round match. And in a 10-round women’s bout, Christy Martin (41-2-2, 31) goes against Jeanne Martinez (13-4-2, 4).

QUICK JAB

Fernando Vargas, in his first appearance since losing to Felix Trinidad in December, will fight Wilfredo Rivera on May 5 at El Paso, Texas.