Columnist Dean Juipe: Botha has nothing to lose against Tyson

Dean Juipe's boxing notebook appears Thursday. His sports column appears Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Reach him at 259-4084 or [email protected].

Once again this week, Mike Tyson brushed off Frans Botha.

During a conference call, he said he expected Botha to "die" after facing a battery of punches in the opening round. The figurative inference is that Tyson expects Botha to wilt and not offer much of a challenge.

"I thank God every day for the chance to fight him," Botha said. "No matter what Tyson thinks, I've got nothing to lose.

"If I do lose, people will say 'Ah, I told you so.' If I win, imagine what everyone is going to say. I'll become the biggest thing in boxing."

Botha, wrapping up his training at the Monte Carlo in preparation for the Jan. 16 fight at the MGM, said his conditioning gives him an edge over the former champion. While he took Wednesday off, Botha has run 150 miles and sparred 99 rounds in the past two months.

"He hasn't been training that long and I've been training the whole year," Botha said. "I think that's where I have the advantage. I don't know about him, but I'm right where I want to be."

With Tyson's camp sending mixed signals -- will he try to broaden his attack or will he come out slugging? -- Botha said it's best to take history into account.

"He always comes out very fast and is trying to make it a short night," he said. "I'm going to be prepared to catch him right away or have him run into something.

"Once he gets hit, he'll go back to what he does best, which is fighting. I really believe the things they're talking about having him do, like moving side to side, are worthless."

Of course, Tyson's "die" comment could be designed simply to intimidate Botha. It's a ploy that has occasionally worked in the past for Tyson, as proven by the inept performances turned in by the likes of Bruce Seldon and Frank Bruno during 1996 fights in Las Vegas.

"Mike's always had an intimidation factor," Botha said. "Guys like Seldon lost before they got into the ring. But it's the opponent that counts and I'm more inclined to fight him like Holyfield did and try to push him around."

Botha has watched the Tyson vs. Holyfield fights closely and it has influenced his strategy.

"Tyson wants you up close so he can pick his shots," Botha said. "When does he get hurt? When you counter. You've got to get him back on his heels and tie him up when you have to. That's the way Holyfield hurt him and I might do the same thing."

While Botha (39-1) acknowledges he's in for a tough fight, he fancies himself defeating Tyson (45-3) and basking in the glory.

"If I knock him out, he can still make money," he said. "But he knows all eyes are on him, and I know he has an easier style for me to handle than someone like Holyfield.

"Mike does tire in the later rounds and I think that's where he's vulnerable. The public still sees him as the baddest man out there, but that will only make my victory that much bigger for me."

* NEW FRONTIER CARD: America Presents, which is promoting the Tyson-Botha card, also has a card Saturday at the New Frontier and in the featured position is an undefeated cruiserweight from Cuba, Ramon Garbey.

He's 12-0 with 10 knockouts and will take on former WBO champ Leeonzer Barber, who is 20-2 with 12 KOs.

"If he has that fire under him, no cruiserweight will beat him," Garbey's promoter, Dan Goossen, said. "I think we're going to start seeing the Cubans rise to the top in pro boxing like they have in the amateurs. I know we're looking to put Garbey in a title fight immediately."

Goossen attempted to arrange a Garbey vs. Arthur Williams fight for the latter's IBF title. If that fight could have been made, it would have gone on the Tyson-Botha undercard.

"I thought with Arthur being from Las Vegas, it would have made a good local attraction," Goossen said. "I had discussions with (Williams' promoter) Murad Muhammad about it, but we couldn't get together. I actually think they were a little hesitant to face Garbey."

Also on the New Frontier card: Santiago Samiego, 26-3-1, vs. Aaron Mitchell, 13-1-1, 10 rounds, junior middleweights; Carlos Hernandez, 26-2-1, vs. Ernesto Martinez, 10-4-1, eight rounds, lightweights; Augie Sanchez, 18-1, vs. Carlos Cantu, 17-1, six rounds, featherweights; Felip Campa, 2-0-1, vs. Ricardo Aguirre, 0-1-1, four rounds, super bantamweights; James Armah, 6-0, vs. Rodrigo Aranda, 5-1-1, six rounds, junior lightweights; and Danny Perez, 14-1, vs. Eric Mitchell, 12-3-1, eight rounds, welterweights.

For Sanchez, it's the Las Vegan's first fight since being released from his contract by Top Rank.

"Boxing is a business," he said Wednesday. "It all comes down to that. There's no emotion.

"For me, this is a step I have to take if I want to go as far as I can go."

Sanchez changed trainers in October and is now with Pat Barry.

"So far, so good," Sanchez said. "I've worked with Pat before and now I'm learning new and different things I can use in the ring."

Barry predicted "you're going to see a big improvement with Augie."

First bell Saturday is 4:30 p.m. and tickets are $25 and $15.

* QUICK HITS: A pair of world champions who live here, Frank Liles and Johnny Tapia, have signed contracts for upcoming fights although the opponents and sites are still to be determined. Liles, the WBA super middleweight champ, will fight March 27 and Tapia, the WBA bantamweight champ, will fight April 17. Showtime will televise each card. ... Showtime will also have the Bernard Hopkins vs. Robert Allen rematch Feb. 6 at a site yet to be determined. They fought Aug. 28 at the Las Vegas Hilton and the bout was declared a no-contest after a fourth-round mishap that sent Hopkins -- the IBF middleweight champ -- through the ropes.

... Another Las Vegan, heavyweight Jimmy Thunder, is stepping in for David Izon and will face Andrew Golota Jan. 30 in Atlantic City. HBO televises. ... HBO has a fight this Saturday that should be over in a flash, as light heavyweight champ Roy Jones is mismatched with a 39-year-old policeman from New York, Rick Frazier. ... The Tyson-Botha undercard lost some luster when WBC featherweight champ Luisito Espinoza had to pull out due to illness. He was to have faced No. 1 contender Cesar Soto. Instead, a Goyo Vargas vs. Ben Tackie lightweight bout will take its place. ... In the year-ending amateur rankings by USA Boxing, Jason Ingwaldson of Las Vegas is listed No. 4 at 132 pounds. ... Former heavyweight contender Tony Tubbs is a suspect in a Wednesday beating and robbery in a Cincinnati suburb.

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