On February 18, 1995, De La Hoya
fought John Molina, the International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior lightweight
champion. De La Hoya won the fight, but struggled with Molina's tough
style. "I thought I was invincible," De La Hoya admitted in the
Philadelphia Daily News. "I thought I knew all I had to know." The fight
made De La Hoya realize that he needed a more experienced trainer than
his father's friend, Robert Alcazar.
Article 8 of 10, Article ID: 9502230911 -Published on August 25, 1995,
Miami Herald, The (FL)
Vazquez's Goal: Give, and Take
Wilfredo Vazquez is part of boxing's old guard, trying not only to
maintain his stature among the sport's elite but to uphold the tradition
he has helped establish -- in and out of the ring.At 34, he is still
considered one of the best little men in boxing. Ranked No. 2 by the
World Boxing Association, Vazquez (42-7-3) could earn a title shot
against WBA featherweight champion Eloy Rojas this year.He will fight a
10-round tuneup bout against Pablo Valenzuela (21-6-3) Saturday at Miami
Jai Alai ...
1995 -Tyson release agreed
MIKE TYSON, the former heavyweight boxing champion jailed for rape, is
set to regain his freedom on March 25, writes Charles Laurence in New
York.
The Indiana prison authorities yesterday confirmed the release date,
exactly three years after the disgraced boxer was jailed for a six-year
term.
But a final court action could bring the release date forward by a few
days. Tyson's defence lawyers have filed a motion before Judge Patricia
Gifford, who presided over his trial in 1992, for a reconsideration of
sentence.
Until recently, the former champion, now 28, seemed set to stay in jail
until May because he had lost "good time credit" for threatening a guard
soon after he arrived in the Indiana Youth Centre.
But full remission has now been reinstated, so he may serve the minimum
three years of the sentence of 10 years, with four suspended. "After
careful consideration, we have decided to give back his good time
credit, and the official release date stands at March 25," said Ms Pam
Paterson, a Department of Corrections spokesman.
Youngest world heavyweight champion in history
Tyson was the youngest world heavyweight champion in history, dominating
the ring and stirring new interest in the sport with a style of
unprecedented power and aggression.
His out-of-camp exploits attracted as much attention, from his boyhood
thuggery in Brooklyn and street fights in Harlem, to his spending on
cars and his unhappy, violence-prone marriage to the actress Robin
Givens.
He was jailed for the rape of Miss Desiree Washington, a 20 year-old
contestant in the Miss Black America beauty pageant.
The Mike Tyson who will emerge from prison has become something of a
mystery. He is reported to have spent time catching up on school
studies, and to have converted to Islam. He has used the prison gym to
keep fit, but has not been allowed to practise boxing.
Prison interviews have variously reported a calmer, more philosophical
Tyson, and an angry, wounded Tyson ready for revenge.His return to the
ring is considered certain. With much of his fortune gone, he will need
paydays, and he is more than young enough to resume his career and set
his sights on the current champion, George Foreman, 46.
Tyson has suggested that he still trusts Mr Don King, the promoter who
took over his career after he gained the championship, and he expected
to resume his career with him. But yesterday Mr King said it was
premature to discuss Tyson's return to the ring.
Feb 15 1995
MIKE TYSON will be released on March 25. Already there are plans for a
London fight in May or June, when Frank Bruno challenges Oliver McCall
or Larry Holmes for Tyson's old World Boxing Council heavyweight belt.
It will be another step in his efforts to resurrect a boxing career
which, in effect, came to an end during the early hours of July 19,
1991, when he found himself alone with a Miss Black America beauty
contestant named Desiree Washington in Room 606 of the Canterbury Hotel
in Indianapolis.
On February 10, 1992, Tyson, who had become the youngest heavyweight
champion in history at the age of 20, and who was then just 25 years
old, was found guilty of rape and two counts of deviate conduct. Tyson
was sentenced to six years at the Indiana Youth Correction Facility.
As the judge passed sentence, Tyson slumped, moaning "Oh, man." His
promoter, Don King, and his friend, John Horne, shook their heads as the
beaten boxer, who had looked remorseless throughout the 17-day trial,
was led away.
He was the remarkable saviour of a tarnished sport yson turned professional in June 1985 under the guidance of veteran
boxing guru Cus D'Amato, who worked closely with Jim Jacobs and Bill
Cayton. In November 1986, he knocked out Canada's Trevor Berbick to win
the WBC heavyweight title. It was his 28th fight and the 26th stoppage.
He was the remarkable saviour of a tarnished sport but as he sought to
unify the title there were clear danger signs that Tyson was losing
control of his chaotic life: there was a dreadful marriage, accusations
that he molested a woman, suggestions that he attempted suicide, and a
managerial split after the deaths of D'Amato and Jacobs.
When Tyson travelled to Japan to meet James 'Buster' Douglas - a safe
defence before a $60 million showdown with Evander Holyfield - in
February 1990, the once-destructive boxer looked sad and weary. His mad
lifestyle had drained his ambition, he was out of shape and was knocked
out in round 10.
It was the start of the end. Tyson returned to stop reliable losers
Henry Tillman and Alex Stewart in round one, but he looked jaded. The
man who destroyed Michael Spinks in one round, knocked out Larry Holmes
in four and left Bruno a wreck after five rounds looked gone for ever.
In 1991 Tyson fought twice, beating Canada's Donovan Ruddock, first by
stoppage and then on points in boxing's capital city, Las Vegas. The
last fight with Ruddock was just three weeks before Desiree Washington
agreed to meet Tyson on July 19.
A lot has changed since Tyson swapped his designer clothes for dull
prison garbEven before the allegations of rape started to make damning headlines,
the American fight public was growing restless with their former idol.
Tyson, his entourage and King, who at the time was struggling to
re-establish himself as heavyweight boxing's top promoter, had few
friends.
A lot has changed since Tyson swapped his designer clothes for dull
prison garb when he was sentenced on March 26, 1992. King is back. "When
Mike gets out he is going to be active, he will fight everywhere to
prove that he is the people's champion," he said.
Life in prison for Tyson was never easy, according to the many lurid
accounts but nevertheless the former reform-schoolboy appears to have
survived intact. "He has been a model prisoner," said Christian DeBruyn,
of the Indiana Department of Correction Commission. An early incident
put back Tyson's release date to May 9 but recent exemplary behaviour
now means he will walk free on March 25, still protesting his innocence.
Since Tyson lost the unified title to Douglas in February, 1990, nine
other men have held different versions of sport's richest prize. Douglas
was knocked out in October, 1990, by Holyfield but at the time Tyson was
unable to get close enough for a title challenge. In November, 1992,
with Tyson safely tucked away in prison, Holyfield, who made three awful
defences - two against old-timers Larry Holmes and George Foreman and
one against self-confessed drug addict Bert Cooper - was beaten by
Riddick Bowe, a boyhood friend of Tyson.
Lennox Lewis failed to impress the Americans
The title remained unified for less than six weeks and in December 1992
Bowe dumped the WBC belt in a rubbish bin during a ceremony at a London
hotel. Britain's Lennox Lewis was given the championship and made three
defences but failed to impress the Americans. Last September was knocked
out by Tyson's former sparring partner, Oliver McCall. In April, McCall
defends for the first time when he meets Holmes.
Meanwhile, Bowe ate himself out of shape and made two successful
defences against terrible opposition. First, Mike Dokes was blitzed,
then the International Boxing Federation refused to sanction his fight
against journeyman Jesse Ferguson. Finally, Bowe met Holyfield for the
second time in November 1993, when Holyfield regained the title.
Last April Holyfield, who suffered a mild heart attack, was outpointed
by former World Boxing Organisation champion Michael Moorer in a dull
affair in Las Vegas. Last November Moorer made what was supposed to be
an easy defence, but was knocked stone cold by Foreman who 20 years
earlier had received the same treatment from Muhammad Ali.
Moorer's old title - he gave the WBO belt because, as he said, "it was
holding up my career" - was won by Tommy Morrison, the fighting white
man whose limitations were always known but were often conveniently
ignored. Morrison outpointed Foreman in the summer of 1993 but in
November, 1993, was knocked out in one round by flabby Michael X Bentt.
Bentt's spurious claim to world title glory was exposed in early 1994
when Herbie Hide, the former British champion, knocked him out at
Millwall's new stadium. Next month Hide makes his first defence, against
Bowe in Las Vegas.
There are plenty of options for Tyson and a lot of willing fighters are
lining up for a payday. The four ruling bodies are also keen to secure a
piece of the money Tyson will generate when and if he ever recaptures
any of his former titles. It remains to be seen what the new Tyson has.
The man who lost just one of his 42 fights appears as determined as ever
to win the world heavyweight title.
Jan 25 1995 -Boxing: Threat to Foreman's WBA title-By Steve Bunce
GEORGE Foreman, the overweight outsider who knocked out Michael Moorer
to become world heavyweight champion, will be stripped of the World
Boxing Association version if he fights Germany's Axel Schulz in New
Orleans on April 22.
Ironically, the WBA refused Moorer permission to face Foreman, who was
inactive for nearly 18 months prior to their fight last November, but a
Las Vegas court overturned the decision. Foreman, 46, made history by
becoming the oldest heavyweight champion when he won the WBA and
International Boxing Federation belts nearly 20 years after losing the
undisputed championship.
At the time Foreman knew he would have to meet No 1 contender and former
champion Tony Tucker within 60 days of his lucrative encounter against
Moorer. However, he agreed terms with Schulz and now the WBA want to
know what he is doing before taking his title away. Money is clearly the
problem as Tucker has the style to beat the old master and ruin
Foreman's retirement showdown with Mike Tyson; Schulz is the sensible
choice, not the credible choice.
Meanwhile, Nigel Benn has split with trainer Jimmy Tibbs and started
preparation in Tenerife for his World Boxing Council super-middleweight
title defence against American Gerald McClellan at the London Arena, on
Feb 25, under the guidance of Kevin Sanders.
Also, Crawford Ashley, from Leeds, the current British light-heavyweight
champion, is poised to meet WBA champion Virgil Hill on the same bill as
Benn-McClellan.
