Rocky Juarez was wronged as an Olympic boxer five years ago androbbed of an opportunity while preparing for his bout Saturday atAllstate Arena.
But the 25-year-old from Houston has made sure he won't bestripped of his determination.
Juarez had to settle for a silver medal at the 2000 Olympics inSydney after controversial judging.
Russian judge Stanislav Kirsanov was suspended for four yearsafterward for failing to penalize Kazakstan's Bekzat Sattarkhanov forconstantly holding during the gold-medal match. Some believe theRussian mob played a role.
Sattarkhanov then died in a car accident on Dec. 31, 2000.
Juarez, the World Boxing Council's top-ranked featherweight, washoping to redeem himself Saturday against WBC champ Injin Chi. ButChi injured himself training, so Juarez will battle No. 2 contenderHumberto Soto as a co-main event on HBO with Fernando Vargas' junior-middleweight bout against Javier Castillejo. The Juarez-Soto bout isbeing billed as an interim championship match.
"I think of [the Olympic disappointment] often but not every day,"Juarez said Wednesday before throwing out the first pitch at U.S.Cellular Field. "The Olympics was the past and definitely a greatexperience [that] gave me a jump start in my professional career.
"It hurt me real bad at the time, but it hasn't made me fight anydifferently or even more aggressively to keep fights from being closebecause I always give 110 percent anyway. I just figured that it justwasn't meant to be.
"While [the interim title] is not really what I was expecting tobe fighting for, it's the next best thing. It's a steppingstone inthe right direction. So it's a fight I can't slip during."
Soto also will be looking at a victory as a launching pad. Thewinner is guaranteed a shot at Chi.
"Soto is a very dangerous fighter that not too many people knowabout," Juarez said. "But we had tapes on him. He's a Mexican-stylefighter who is always in front of you, coming at you. He's not arunner.
"If I can beat him on the outside, I'll stay on the outside. If Ihave to fight him on the inside, then so be it."
So far, 5,000 tickets have been sold.
"[Chi's withdrawal] was a letdown knowing that that was my shot ata title," Juarez said. "But I was more upset that I hadn't beenactive in quite some time [almost six months], and I just wanted toget back in the ring and fight after training for some time.
"So I'm just happy that now I'm fighting still on HBO and still inChicago, which has [the second-highest population of Latinos]. I'mdefinitely looking forward to it."
NOTE: Chicago heavyweight Giuseppi Kidd remained in a coma for theeighth day at Mount Sinai Hospital after undergoing brain surgeryAug. 9. He had passed out after absorbing hard shots to the headwhile sparring for a bout that was scheduled for last Saturday.Doctors performed a tracheotomy Wednesday and inserted a feedingtube, according to Kidd's sister Carmela Brown.
"He's still going in and out of his coma," she said. "The doctorssay he is not yet responding to their commands, but we relatives andfriends see movements when we talk or sing to him or touch him. Hejust needs more time and prayer.
George [Hernandez, Kidd's trainer] came over with some fightersand sang a song they sang in the gym. [Kidd] tried to move hisshoulders during the singing, and that sent George running out of theroom crying. Slowly but surely, we see my brother pulling through."
the juarez file
Name: Ricardo "Rocky" Juarez
Age: 25
Height: 5-4
Weight: 127 (featherweight)
Record: 23-0, 16 KOs
Rank: 1 by World Boxing Council
Hometown: Houston
Highlight: Silver medal in 2000 Sydney Olympics (above)
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