Columnist Dean Juipe: Ruelas has bounced back from dismal '95

DEAN JUIPEis a Las Vegas Sun sportswriter. His office phone number is 259-4084. He can be reached on the Internet at [email protected]

En route across the border to Juarez for a promotional function, Rafael Ruelas paused to take a call on his cellular phone.

While some fighters would object to a busy if not hectic schedule the week of a major fight, Ruelas seemed to welcome the attention.

If reporters wanted to talk, he wanted to talk.

After all, it wasn't that long ago he appeared headed for oblivion -- which is a place that makes even the dusty trappings of Juarez look good.

"I'm aware some people thought I was finished," Ruelas said, reflecting on his 0-2 record in 1995 when he was crushed by Oscar De La Hoya in two rounds and then an upset decision loser to the moderately talented George Scott.

Ruelas, obviously, has rebounded. He's 9-0 since '95 although that winning streak and his career are definitely in danger Saturday when he steps into the ring with Kostya Tszyu in El Paso.

The winner will advance to face Miguel Angel Gonzalez for the vacant WBC junior welterweight championship later this year. Tszyu is a slight betting favorite in Las Vegas.

"I know all that," Ruelas said. "I know he's a good fighter and a strong puncher. You have to be those things to have been a world champion like he once was.

"But I was once a world champion myself, so I welcome the challenge."

Ruelas, 27, is 52-3 with 42 knockouts in a professional career that dates from 1989 and includes 11 appearances in Las Vegas.

Tszyu, 28, is 20-1-1 with 16 KOs and still is bouncing back from a surprising loss last year to Vince Phillips.

"He was a very highly regarded fighter," Ruelas said of Tszyu. "People thought he would fight and maybe beat De La Hoya.

"The loss confirmed he's beatable. But even if he hadn't lost, I'd still be confident fighting him because I'm confident in myself."

He admits his confidence "descended for a little bit" after his '95 setbacks, when many boxing fans wrote him off as a victim of too many tough wars. At the time, he appeared to be a young man at the end of a wonderful run that had carried him from the streets of Mexico to the limelight of Caesars Palace.

Now here he is again, bolstered by victories over mid-range opponents like Livingston Bramble, Jaime Balboa, Mike Griffith and Rodney Wilson, and set to face an equally big hitter in a bout on pay per view.

"I feel good. I feel strong," he said. "This is an elimination fight for the title, so I couldn't expect anyone easy.

"It should be an exciting fight for the crowd. We're both good punchers and he likes to fight and I like to fight."

That's the appeal. If the participants hold true to form, this is a fight that shouldn't reach its 12-round limit.

(Ruelas and Tszyu will take part in an Internet chat line today from 5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. The key word is CBS Sportsline or AOL Live.)

Tyson decision

The New Jersey Athletic Control Board will give its decision on licensing Mike Tyson on Friday. The ex-champ, of course, had his license revoked in Nevada last year and was expected to reapply first in Nevada. But, instead, he took his appeal to New Jersey.

That didn't sit too well with the Nevada State Athletic Commission. For a brief while the NSAC was holding out hope New Jersey would come to its senses and defer to Nevada.

But NSAC executive director Marc Ratner said Wednesday there no longer is reason to believe New Jersey will defer.

"I don't think they will," he said. "We haven't had any communication with them."

Almost everyone expects New Jersey to license Tyson, although, as Ratner says, "there obviously is some pressure on them" in light of the possible repercussions as well as Tyson swearing in front of the control board during his appeal.

Regardless, Tyson would have to appear before the NSAC before he would be relicensed here.

"Positively," Ratner said. "Whatever happens Friday has no bearing on how Nevada will approach him."

For what it's worth, longtime Tyson ally Jose Sulaiman wishes Tyson had taken his case to Nevada.

"We are worried that there could be a huge problem between state commissions, as Nevada is the one that should analyze the situation first," the WBC president said from Mexico City.

"If this is not handled right by the New Jersey commission, the efforts to unify the state commissions in the most important country for boxing in the world could be seriously damaged."

Charlie's card

Fans of women's boxing will be saturated with five bouts on Saturday's monthly fight card at Arizona Charlie's. There is only one fight with men and that's the junior lightweight main event between Roberto Villareal and Sergio Macias.

Villareal, 21-12-1, has lost nine of his last 12 bouts, including his last two.

Macias, 12-7, has won his last two fights but had lost five of his previous eight.

Here is the schedule for the women's fights: Suzanne Riccio-Major, 6-4-1, vs. Leona Brown, 5-0, eight rounds, bantamweights; Sonya Emery, 4-3, vs. Jayla Ortiz, 3-2-2, six rounds, bantamweights; Karina Hernandez, 5-2-1, vs. Brenda Burnside, 3-4-1, six rounds, bantamweights; Trina Ortegon, 4-1, vs. Brenda Drexel, 1-2, four rounds, middleweights; and Suzy Taylor, 0-1, vs. Pat Minton, pro debut, four rounds, junior middleweights. First bell is 7 p.m.

Around the ring

To be licensed in Nevada, 47-year-old Roberto Duran had to submit to 10 medical tests and as of Wednesday he had passed nine. The results of the 10th, an MRI, were not yet available. Duran headlines Aug. 28 at the Las Vegas Hilton when he takes on WBA middleweight champ William Joppy. ... The NSAC has selected the officials for that bout and Joe Cortez of Las Vegas will referee, with Duane Ford of Las Vegas, Cesar Ramos of Puerto Rico and Derrick Milham of Australia serving as judges. ... The NSAC also assigned officials for the Aug. 29 main event at the Las Vegas Hilton that has IBF middleweight champ Bernard Hopkins defending against Robert Allen. Reno's Mills Lane will referee and the judges will be Bill Graham of Las Vegas, Glen Hamada of Washington and Mike Glienna of Illinois. ... Bam Promotions has announced its Aug. 21 card at The Orleans and its main event was juggled when headliner Merqui Sosa indicated he wanted to fight at 168 pounds and not 175. As a result, Chris Omar Johnson, 21-1-1, has been brought in to face Kenny Whack, 16-4-1, in the light heavyweight main, with Sosa, 32-7-2, dropping down to face Cecil McKenzie, 8-5-1, at super middle. Initially, Sosa was to have fought Whack.

With Evander Holyfield willing to settle for a payday in the range of $3 million, his fight with mandatory IBF challenger Vaughn Bean is signed and on for Sept. 19 in Holyfield's hometown of Atlanta. "I have confidence the people will support this," Holyfield said of taking the financial risk upon himself for a fight of only limited appeal. The IBF/WBA champ is 34-3 and is a 10-1 favorite in Las Vegas over Bean, who is 29-1 against undistinguished competition. Holyfield's purse will be dictated by the attendance that night in the Georgia Dome. ... Diego Corrales, the 22-0 junior lightweight who trains here, will face Rafael Morfin, 32-6-1, Saturday in Los Angeles. ... Al Williams, 16-1-1, is the new opponent for Ed Mahone, 18-0-1, in the semi-main event Aug. 22 at the Tropicana. Williams was signed to replace Cody Koch, who died under still mysterious circumstances July 26 in Michigan. ... Boxers and those interested in investing in boxers may want to look into a new Internet site developed by local talent scout John Black. Calling it an "unprecedented opportunity" for both sides, Black's Ringstar Registry is up and running ([email protected]) and promises to allow fighters to "maximize their leverage and career options." Black's local phone number is 454-0886.

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