After a one week hiatus, ESPN2's Tuesday Night Fight's
returns with a heavyweight matchup featuring veteran
contender Frans Botha, 42-3-1, with 27 KOs, taking on
David Bostice, 25-3-1, with 13 KOs in Las Vegas.
While Bostice has been nothing more than a fringe
contender at best, hovering on the 'Heavyweight
Explosion' circuit, Botha, the erstwhile 'White
Buffalo', has been on the world class scene throughout
the better part of the mid-90s heading into the new
millennium.
It's been a long road to respectability for Botha, a
South African who was once viewed as nothing more than
just another 'white-hopeless' who had feasted on a
collection dead bodies, 'has-beens' and
'never-weres'. But with some surprisingly good moments
against the likes of Michael Moorer and Mike Tyson, he
has at least changed his perception, from a novelty,
to a respectable heavyweight.
"That's what I see," said Botha, as he was resting
after his training session had ended on Friday. "In
the beginning I was overweight and didn't take my
boxing seriously. Things came too easy for me. But
people have seen that this is a tough guy. I come to
fight and now I think people are beginning to
appreciate me more now that they've seen that I'm
serious. They know when they see me, they're going to
see a good fight."
Botha took a big step in upping his reputation with a
hard-fought loss to Michael Moorer back in Nov. 1996
(when he was stopped in the 12th-round by the then IBF
heavyweight champion), then in January of 1999, he
would thoroughly out-box Tyson for almost five full
rounds before catching a hellacious right hand that
ended Botha's upset bid. It's a fraction of time that
Botha regrets, but would love to revisit again.
"This time I'll do even better," said Botha, of his
dream of facing off with Tyson again. "I lost focus
and I paid dearly for it, there was no way I could
lose that fight."
With that surprising performance, Botha was able to
parlay that fight into a pay-per-view showcase against
the perennially over-hyped Shannon Briggs. And while
the end result was a controversial draw, in the minds
and eyes of the public court, Botha was the clear
winner.
Last summer Botha got another title crack
against Lennox Lewis and was blown out in two quick
rounds. So far, it's been the only time he's hasn't
been competitive in a big fight.
So now Botha has to rebuild his reputation, and Team
Botha has a simple plan: fight early and often, while
the heavyweight picture clears up.
"Me and Sterling McPherson (Botha's manager) talked
about it," explained Botha. "We're going to keep
doing what we're doing (which is to fight often). This
situation may drag on out for a long time in my
division, so we're going to keep fighting and stay
active."
According to his trainer Abel Sanchez, a busy 'White
Buffalo' is a better Botha.
"I think if he stays busy and we're planning on
fighting at least once a month or at least every six
weeks," said Sanchez, best known for his past work
with Terry Norris and Miguel Angel Gonzalez. "He
keeps winning and everything clears out maybe someone
will give him a shot. All we need is the opportunity.
Now he realizes the mistakes he made in the past. By
staying busy, we'll be able to capitalize on it."
The division has been thrown into a malaise with Hasim
Rahman's upset of Lewis in April, which didn't
completely shock Botha.
"If you read about what Lennox said prior to the
fight, 'I'm going to knock him out in the early
rounds', that clearly showed he wasn't dedicated,"
stated Botha. "I mean, he trained in Las Vegas and
South Africa is altitude, the same as Big Bear.
Clearly, you're not doing your homework."
It was assumed that Botha would be preparing for a
summer battle of extinct species with 'the Black
Rhino', but plans for that showdown were scrapped when
Cliff Etienne was upset by Fres Oquendo. But Botha
believes that fight isn't completely out of the
picture.
"I was very disappointed," admitted Botha. "But all
it takes is a couple of fights for 'the Black Rhino'
again and we can get it on."
Speaking of endangered species, Botha is one, being a
dying breed of world class white heavyweights, this
point isn't lost on him.
"It's strange, I think I'm probably the only guy out
there," said Botha, on the dearth of Caucasian big
men. "I think it's because there's more interest in
other sports like baseball and football and stuff like
that. Boxing is a very hard sport, a hard career and
you've got to have heart and dedication to be
successful."
Sanchez, believes the perception of the white
heavyweight could be his fighter's greatest weapon.
"Frans made a comment to another reporter that, 'I
look at myself on tape and I say, I can beat that
guy,' and that's exactly it," said Sanchez, of guys
expecting an easy time with Botha. "The guy is crafty
and once he gets into shape and his eye's are sharp
with his feet moving the way they should, he's a hard
guy to beat. He may not be the hardest puncher, may
not be the prettiest boxer, but he gets the job done."
Sanchez points out that only the likes of Moorer,
Tyson and Lewis have downed Botha.
Botha, promises not to overlook Bostice, the way some
have overlooked him.
"I really don't know much about Bostice," admitted
Botha. "But I learned and it clearly showed in the
Rahman-Lewis fight that you don't underestimate
anybody. You train hard because a victory over you is
putting them a step up and yourself 10 steps down."
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