Giachetti preparing Tyson for Holyfield

      Richie Giachetti likes to talk as much as the next guy, but the veteran trainer also understands the value of silence.
      Although Giachetti will talk at length about the May 3 rematch at the MGM Grand Garden between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield for Holyfield's International Boxing Federation heavyweight championship, he won't give a glimpse of what to expect in the ring.
      "I'm going to let Holyfield and his people do all the talking," said Giachetti, who was brought in to train Tyson after Holyfield scored a 10th-round TKO in their first meeting in November.
      "People in boxing know my reputation, and know what I'm capable of. But I'm not going to reveal what we're working on. I'll let everybody guess. We'll see how many experts there really are. Everybody's been telling me how we should fight him. Now, let's see who's right and who's wrong."
      He took over as Tyson's chief trainer from Jay Bright, who was roundly criticized as being overmatched. The same hasn't been said of Giachetti, one of boxing's sharpest minds and Larry Holmes' longtime trainer.
      Giachetti has worked with Tyson before. He was preparing Tyson for his scheduled 1991 fight against Holyfield when it was postponed by a Tyson injury. It was later canceled when Tyson was convicted of rape.
      Giachetti said he discounts Tyson's loss to Holyfield, because Tyson was not prepared.
      "The No. 1 thing in my mind is, Holyfield just borrowed the title," Giachetti said. "Mike beat himself. Look over the tape of the fight closely, like I have, and you'll see a lot of little things that added up. If Holyfield outright beat him, I'd say it. But a lot of things went wrong that night.
      "I'm not making excuses, and I know Mike don't want no excuses. But the simple truth of this is that the man didn't defeat Mike Tyson as much as Mike Tyson defeated Mike Tyson."
      Giachetti said he is content to let Holyfield's trainers, Don Turner and Tommy Brooks, do the talking.
      Immediately after the fight, Turner said the game plan was to be aggressive against Tyson and not let him intimidate Holyfield. Giachetti dismisses such talk.
      "Turner and Brooks, they're running around talking about this plan they had and that plan they had," Giachetti said. "They didn't give the fighter a plan. The fighter adapted to what was going on. It was like (Muhammad) Ali in Zaire when he fought (George) Foreman. The ropes were loose because it was so hot. It's not like somebody forgot to tighten them, but the conditions created that, and Ali took advantage of it and came up with the rope-a-dope.
      "That's what you had in this fight. Turner and Brooks didn't do nothing. There was no plan. Give Holyfield the credit. He's a veteran fighter, and he adapted. But I'll tell you this: the world hasn't seen anything near the best of Mike. He's going to be a lot better fighter (on May 3) than he was, I promise you that. His best is still yet to come."
      -- BLOOD FEUD -- The second time around, Donald Curry says, will be different. The one-time undisputed welterweight champion, whose name often came up in discussions of boxing's best pound-for-pound fighters, is back.
      After piling up an estimated $5 million in purses "not knowing what the hell I was doing," Curry says he is wiser and more motivated.
      The former champion will make his second comeback fight Wednesday at the Aladdin against Emmett Linton.
      It is not just another fight. Linton is a promising junior middleweight whose first professional manager was Curry.
      The two had a falling out, however, prompting Curry to plead with promoter Bob Arum to match the two. Arum, recognizing a good sell, did so.
      And the 35-year-old Curry says the 26-year-old Linton is not ready.
      "I took Emmett in like he was my first-born baby and let him freely into my house," Curry says. "I gave him my time, my money, my personal energies. But he started doing some crazy things, and we had an argument that turned into a brawl.
      "Remember, I was his manager and his trainer. I know what his weaknesses are. He knows I know. There are things about Emmett that only he and I know. And I'm going to capitalize on those Wednesday night."
      Curry said his goal is to win the welterweight, junior middleweight and middleweight world championships. He was knocked out four times in his last 13 fights before coming back Feb. 20 for a victory over Gary Jones.
      He discounts the losses, insisting he didn't understand the business.
      "I turned pro when I was 18, and I was with guys who had limited experience at this game," Curry said. "We made some mistakes together. I was frustrated with the people who were around me and frustrated by what was going on.
      "All of the fights I lost, I lost because I had an emotional letdown. I was in a lot of fights that didn't mean anything to me, and I let that get me, and it cost me. But I was never really hurt, and I've never been injured. I feel great. My body feels good, and now I have the understanding of the business to go along with the ability to take care of things in the ring."
      -- HAGLER FAN -- Raul Marquez said his goal since childhood has been to become a world champion. He gets the opportunity Saturday when he fights Anthony Stephens for the vacant International Boxing Federation championship in the main event of a Tropicana card.
      The 25-0 Marquez is studying film of former middleweight champion Marvelous Marvin Hagler to prepare. Marquez and Hagler are left-handed.
      "He was like an encyclopedia about boxing, and you learn so much just by watching him," Marquez said. "The thing about me is, I never want to get satisfied. I always want to get better and in my mind, there is nobody better to try to learn from than Hagler."
      The veteran Stephens is 28-7-2, but is dangerous and had budding superstar Felix Trinidad on the canvas in a 1993 fight. Stephens has fought better competition than Marquez, but Marquez said that won't deter him.
      He said he will try to cut off the ring and not give Stephens punching room.
      "I feel he will try to box me, but I'm going to establish the jab and put pressure on him for three minutes of every round," Marquez said. "That worked pretty well for (Hagler), and I don't see why it won't work well for me."
     
      Boxing notes are published Sunday. Submissions may be called in at 383-0354 or faxed at 383-4676.