Knight Ridder
October 4

Uzbekistan welterweight Mohammad Abdullaev, his country's most famous athlete, made a promise before he returned to fight in America last year.

Abdullaev, 28, a gold medalist at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, swore to the president of Uzbekistan that he wouldn't come home again until he had won a world boxing title.

"I can't go home without a championship belt," Abdullaev said Thursday through an interpreter. "I promised, and I am bound by honor to keep my promise." Since Sydney, Abdullaev has become one of the hottest professional welterweight prospects in the world, going undefeated in nine bouts and knocking out seven of his opponents along the way.

He will fight Saturday night at Cobo Hall on an eight-bout card called Duke Out in D-Town on Showtime television. Abdullaev's opponent will be Juan Antonio Lopez (18-2-1, 13 knockouts) of Dallas. A victory over Lopez would put Abdullaev a step farther toward his quest.

"I love to be here," said Abdullaev, who beat highly ranked American Ricardo Williams for the gold in the 139-pound division at Sydney. "Detroit has a great boxing tradition.

Abdullaev, who went 288-12 as an amateur, is in for a tough fight against Lopez, a four-time Dallas regional Golden Gloves champion.

Lopez, 27, a power puncher, is also fighting for special reasons.

"I've dedicated my career to my late father, Ismael, who supported me," said Lopez, the International Boxing Association Americas junior welterweight champion. "Before he passed away, I promised him I'd win a world title. I intend to keep my promise."

In his most recent bout, Abdullaev defeated Jose Aponte on a third-round KO in August at Atlantic City, N.J. He is not taking Lopez lightly.

"I've got to be respectful of each fighter," said Abdullaev, who was born in the Uzbekistan capital of Tashkent. "I never give anything but a serious fight. I can be strong and also patient. I might let the fly come into my parlor."

Big Ruslan Chagaev, a heavyweight from Uzbekistan, will fight in the other co-main event. Chagaev (5-0, four KO's) will face Rob Calloway (41-3, 31 KOs) of St. Joseph, Mo. Chagaev, 23, is the 2000 super-heavyweight amateur world champion. He also has the distinction of being only one of a handful of boxers to beat the legendary Cuban fighter Felix Savon, defeating him at the 1997 amateur world championships at 201 pounds.

A big puncher with either hand, Chagaev has mirrored the style of former heavyweight champ Mike Tyson.

"I love Tyson's walk-up style," said Chagaev, who tried wrestling and playing basketball before turning to boxing. "I think I've got a very pleasing style."

Calloway, 33, who played basketball himself at Missouri Western University, is a seasoned veteran who isn't worried by Chagaev's size and record.

"I've always been an aggressive athlete, whether boxing, playing football or basketball," said Calloway, who owns a health club. "They all look big and tough, but I move well and punch hard. I will win the bout in the later rounds."

During his youth, Calloway spent much of his time on the run. His father was a convicted bank robber who escaped from prison twice.

In June, Calloway came from behind to win an 11th-round TKO over Otis Tisdale for the World Boxing Federation Americas heavyweight championship in St. Joseph.

"Tisdale was the favorite," Calloway said. "He talked a lot of trash before the fight, but I knocked him out in front of 4,000 hometown fans."

The Cobo card is a promotion of Millennium Events Inc. in association with All World International Network.

"This is the first of many more big boxing shows to come to Detroit," said local attorney Jerome P. Barney, chairman of All World. "We have the casinos, the arenas and the history of boxing in Detroit. We should and will have more Showtime events like this one."

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