Thursday, June 10, 1999 | 9:28 a.m.
Boxing has four legitimate world champions who are in the midst of enjoying long reigns.
The man with the lengthiest hold on a specific title is IBF welterweight champ Felix Trinidad, who won the belt in June of 1993 and has had 16 title fights.
Next in line is WBA super middleweight champ Frankie Liles, who claimed that crown in August of 1994 and has participated in eight title fights.
IBF middleweight champ Bernard Hopkins (December of 1994, 10 fights) and WBC junior flyweight champ Saman Sorjaturong (July of 1995, 11 fights) follow in terms of seniority.
It's heady company, even if three of the four -- or all but Trinidad -- labor with a certain measure of anonymity.
Liles, a Las Vegas resident, will attempt to do something constructive and add to his legacy Saturday in Wilmington, Mass., when the Showtime cable network televises his mandatory defense against Byron Mitchell. It will be Liles' first fight since defeating Andrei Schkalikov back on April 3, 1998, with the long layoff due in part to surgery on his right shoulder.
"Actually, I've been training since January so I'm ready to fight," Liles said before departing for Massachusetts. "I've trained hard, as if it's the most important fight of my career."
It is, in a sense.
Liles is 32-1 with 19 knockouts but is 34 years old and itching for a major fight. Easily the biggest win of his career was a decision victory over Michael Nunn five years ago, and Liles is so intent on positioning himself for another significant fight that he's considering moving up in weight if it means getting a shot at Roy Jones.
"It's in the back of my mind," Liles admitted of looking beyond Mitchell. He said Jones is a possibility, as is Hopkins in the event the middleweight champ chooses to vacate his title and move up in weight.
Yet he knows better than to look past Mitchell, even if he is fairly unknown.
"I definitely don't underestimate him," Liles said. "He has the WBA's No. 1 ranking behind him, so he can't be that much of a fluke."
Mitchell, 19-0 with 15 knockouts against very inferior competition, moved into the WBA's mandatory position thanks to maneuvering by promoter Don King. Despite not losing, France's Bruno Girard was dropped from No. 1 to No. 2 at the urging -- or influence -- of the promoter.
King, obviously, handles Mitchell.
And he used to handle Liles, who is a free agent of sorts in that he's not aligned with any specific promoter.
"I know Don King's not putting Mitchell in there just as a favor to me," Liles said. King won a purse bid to promote this fight card, which also includes a 12-round heavyweight bout between John Ruiz (34-3) and Fernely Feliz (16-1).
"One thing about fighting for a title, everyone gets up for it," Liles said. "Mitchell might be thinking this is a once-in-a-lifetime shot, so I look for him to give me a tough bout. I'll be sharp -- my eyes will be sharp -- and I plan on having a flawless fight."
Trainer Kenny Adams said Liles looks better than ever to him.
"Not only does his shoulder not seem to be a problem, he seems even stronger to me," Adams said before leading Liles through his daily workout at the Top Rank Gym. "I can tell his jab is stronger and that's a big weapon for him.
"It's been a good camp with no setbacks and Frankie, as always, has been a pleasure to work with."
Liles, who is lanky at 6-foot-2 and has a reach advantage over most of his opponents, was 285-14 as an amateur and lost to Jones in the 1988 Olympic Box-Offs. His only professional loss came in 1992 to Tim Littles, and he avenged that setback with a KO-3 in a 1996 rematch.
It's hard to pinpoint Mitchell's claim to fame, as there is not a single recognizable name on his ring resume. While he has won all 19 of his fights and five straight by knockout, the wins have been coming well down on King undercards.
Liles agrees that Mitchell could be the perfect opponent, especially given the uncertainty of coming off shoulder surgery.
"The therapy and everything has made me stronger," he said. "I had a torn tendon but now there are three anchors screwed into it for support. It doesn't seem to be a problem at all, but this will be a good test."
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