It's huge for Page, who was stripped of the WBA title for not fighting the Guyana southpaw last August. The winner suddenly is in line for a big payday in the restructured welterweight division. The welterweights are in the betting fight, though the temptation is to put a few pesos on Espadas, which was the bookmakers' intent in making the line so high. Page, a former champion who has beaten much tougher, who once used Lewis as a sparring partner, can not understand it, but that's what happens when you don't fight for 19 months and your two fights before that were clunkers, though winning clunkers. Page was talking to Lewis, two seats down on the dais, during much of today's ritual final press conference.
Talk is cheap, but the stakes are high.
Felix Trinidad Jr. has left the welterweights, soon to be joined by Oscar de la Hoya. Ike Quartey, if he is ever found, probably would have to move to 154 pounds, too. Mosley is looking around looking for worthy opponents. The winner of Saturday night's fight could be very worthy. Angel DeJesus, his trainer from Gleason's in Brooklyn and Joe Grier's gym in Paterson, N.J., said it's because nobody will fight Six Heads.