Friday, March 28, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.
In his day, Michael Spinks may have been able to handle Michael Moorer. And in his day, Joe Frazier almost certainly would have handled the man who is the current IBF heavyweight champion.
But it's not Spinks or Frazier who will be in with Moorer Saturday night at the Las Vegas Hilton, it's the man they train, the unheralded Vaughn Bean.
Perhaps by association with the former heavyweight champs who train him, Bean is counting on being ready for Moorer despite having fought only four men with winning records. Largely on the strength of those around him, Bean has risen to No. 5 in the IBF rankings and into this title fight with a 27-0 record achieved at the expense of opponents who were a cumulative 109-247-3.
"There's a lot of talk about Vaughn Bean not being ready, not having this, not having that," Moorer said at Thursday's press conference. "But I'm not listening to any of it. I've prepared as if it'll be a tough fight, an exciting fight."
Moorer remains a --600 favorite in the Hilton sports book, with Bean a +400.
Their fight tops a 12-bout card scheduled to begin at 3:15 p.m. The main event is slated for 7 p.m.
With promoter Don King claiming the card will be a sellout by Saturday afternoon, Prime Cable has lifted its blackout. The card can be seen on the Showtime cable network, or, for nonsubscribers, is available for $19.95 on a pay-per-view basis.
Moorer, who is receiving in excess of $3 million for his second IBF title defense, is only a slim favorite in the sports book for two reasons: Spinks and Frazier.
"I think this will be a tougher and more competitive fight than people expect," Hilton sports book director Art Manteris said. He has seen the numbers change on the fight in large part due to many bettors' belief that Spinks and Frazier may have a positive impact on Bean.
"We'll see," Frazier said. "It's up to Shake 'N Bake now."
Bean, or "Shake 'N Bake" to those around him, appears to be approaching the fight on an even keel. He may not have been in this position before, but he comes across as steady and perceptive.
"I'm not just glad to be here," he said. "I'm here for a purpose. I'm going to get the job done."
The "job" he faces is a significant one, as Moorer comes in with a 38-1 record and a wealth of championship experience. The 29-year-old New Yorker has been a WBO light heavyweight champ, a WBO heavyweight champ and now an IBF heavyweight champ. While some of his WBO title fights may not have been extreme tests, Moorer has 16 world-title fights under his belt since 1988.
His biggest wins have come against Ramzi Hassan, Bert Cooper, Evander Holyfield, Axel Schulz and, most recently, Frans Botha. Moorer's only loss was to George Foreman in 1994.
Conversely, the 23-year-old Bean has never fought anyone with better than a 7-4 record. Nor has he been paid anything like the $500,000 he's getting for this one.
"We've got a lot of high hopes for him," said Bean's manager, Butch Lewis. "He's come a long way. I know people question who he's been fighting, but the point is, he got here.
"I think he'll win this fight and answer everyone's questions."
Hilton notes
Moorer purchased $25,000 worth of tickets that will be distributed to the disadvantaged in Las Vegas. ... Bean trained eight weeks in Las Vegas for the fight, while Moorer trained in California. ... The Hilton has added a 1,200-space parking garage that should alleviate at least some of the parking difficulties Saturday night. ... Also taking in Thursday's typically tedious King press conference were Felix Trinidad and Terry Norris, who will fight at the Hilton in June. They're up as virtual co-favorites in the Hilton sports book, with Trinidad a --130 and Norris a --110. ... Another fight apparently headed for the Hilton this summer, Danny Romero vs. Johnny Tapia, may be signed as early as this weekend. The Hilton book has Romero at --130 and Tapia at --110. ... Also on Saturday's card: Julio Cesar Chavez, 98-2-1, vs. Tony Martin, 34-5-1, 10 rounds, 145 pounds; Ricardo Lopez, 44-0, vs. Mongol Charoen, 17-1, 12 rounds for Lopez's WBC strawweight title; Alex Sanchez, 24-1, vs. Victor Burgos, 16-7-1, 12 rounds for Sanchez's WBO strawweight title; Laurent Boudouani, 34-2, vs. Carl Daniels, 38-2, 12 rounds for Boudouani's WBA junior middleweight title; Jerry Ballard, 17-1, vs. Lyle McDowell, 18-4-1, 10 rounds, heavyweights; Julio Cesar Green, 19-2, vs. Bernice Barber, 14-5-2, 10 rounds, middleweights; Juan Negron, 24-2, vs. Enrique Sanchez, 10-6-1, 10 rounds, welterweights; plus two women's bouts and two bouts -- featuring 16-5 super middleweight Carlos Cruz and 1-0 heavyweight Nate Jones -- that were still lacking opponents. ... Among those being paid well this week are Chavez ($600,000) and Lopez ($75,000 plus a Rolex watch). ... Assuming Lopez and Alex Sanchez win, they'll be paired on the Trinidad-Norris card in June.
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