STILL LOOKING FOR LOVE

The renewal of interest in the lighter weight classes doesn't seem to have extended as far south as the bantamweights. 

Take Tim Austin. He is undefeated and in the opinion of knowledgeable critics he is one of the best fighters in the world, certainly the best of the bantam champions. But outside the hardcore boxing community, Austin's name isn't all that well known despite his five-and-a-half-year reign as International Boxing Federation champion. On 15 February, at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Austin makes his 10th defence of the title when he faces his mandatory challenger, Rafael Marquez, a heavy-fisted Mexican whose brother is the featherweight contender, Juan Manuel Marquez. 

The fight (to be televised on the Home Box Office network in the States) is two months before Austin's 32nd birthday and it is, on paper, one of the toughest fights of his career. A tough fight, but, unfortunately, not what you could really call a big fight. So far, those have eluded Austin. A match with Paulie Ayala has long been mooted but promotional difficulties (Austin is with Don King, Ayala with Bob Arum) made it difficult to make. A fight between Austin and Thailand's Veeraphol, the World Boxing Council champion, would be an intriguing battle of champions that won't happen. 

Veeraphol is a superstar in Thailand and although he has made title defences in Japan and France it would take so much money to bring him to America for a fight with the dangerous Austin that it would not be economically viable. But what Austin can do is cement his legacy in the 8st 6lbs (118lbs) division by meeting all comers. Which is what he has been doing and what he will do again when he faces Marquez.

The bout is one of the most intriguing of the early-2003 schedule. Marquez is 27 and has stopped 26 opponents in a record of 28 wins and three defeats. The problem here is that all three of Marquez's losses came inside the distance, the last one in November 2000 against compatriot Genaro Garcia. He was dropped by a right hand, got to one knee and simply misjudged the count. But the point is that he got dropped by a fighter who is not considered a serious banger. But the upside is that Marquez can punch himself. 

And Austin's chin might not be rock-solid: he was dropped by a journeyman-type Mexican, Sergio Aguila, and, in his only bout of 2002, he had a shaky moment before coming through to stop another Mexican, the southpaw Adan Vargas. So, either Marquez or Austin could go out. In Austin's favour are experience at top level, speed and the southpaw stance. Marquez is younger and looks bigger and stronger, but he's slower. 

The Mexican was an impressive knockout winner over the southpaw Mark "Too Sharp" Johnson, a former superb flyweight champ, last February, but in a previous meeting with Johnson it was all Marquez could do to eke out a split decision win. Johnson had two points deducted for holding behind the head in that fight, which gave Marquez his narrow margin of victory. In the rematch, it has to be said that Johnson looked a burned-out fighter at 30. 

Austin, meanwhile, had plenty of trouble with Adan Vargas last July. 
Although he won in the 10th, and was dominating the fight on the scorecards, Austin suffered a cut over the right eye and was definitely rocked by a left hand in the seventh Ñ which was the only round that the Mexican won unanimously on the scorecards. But Austin has that true-champ quality of fighting his way through a crisis and rallying so strongly that the other man is never allowed more than a temporary advantage. 

We saw this when Austin won the title in a courageous victory over Mbulelo Botile. Austin suffered a broken jaw but kept going and nailed the South African in the eighth. The champ is product of Cincinnati, the city in Ohio that produced great fighters such as Ezzard Charles and Aaron "The Hawk" Pryor, although Timmy is getting a bit old for his "Cincinnati Kid" nickname. He was an Olympic bronze medallist and hasn't lost many rounds in his record of 25 wins in 26 fights, with 22 KOs, against a technical draw. This came from a first-round head clash and he defeated his Mexican opponent, Javier Diaz, in a rematch. British fans saw his power and professional ruthlessness when he blew away Paul Lloyd in two rounds in 1998. 

There was a time when Austin would have been fighting at a baseball stadium in Los Angeles before 20,000 fans against a great Mexican bantamweight such as Ruben Olivares or Carlos Zarate, but the game has moved on from those days. Austin can gain consolation, though, from the fact that he is respected by the aficionados. And the fight with Marquez is one for the lovers of quality boxing without the trash talk and the theatrics. Clearly, Austin has to be favoured, but this isn't a sure thing. 

I turned to one of Mexico's most knowledgeable fight figures, the veteran manager Rafael Mendoza, for an opinion. "You are going to see two good punchers," Marquez said over the phone from Mexico, "but I've got to give the edge to Austin. He's been fighting better opposition and he has fast hands, good body movement. Marquez doesn't have fast hands and that kind of movement. But Marquez is a very dangerous banger. 

He can win the fight with one punch Ñ same as Austin. "I see a very competitive fight, but Marquez is a little too slow. The experience is about the same. Marquez has been fighting tough kids, but not in the same scenario. This is the first time he's going to fight for the title. That can give Austin an edge. But I know Austin doesn't have a very good chin. The Mexican kid Sergio Aguila knocked him down, and Aguila's just ordinary. 

And when he fought the other Mexican kid, Vargas, he took a lot of punishment, and Vargas of course is not a heavy puncher, he's more of a boxer. But when Marquez catches you with one of his right hands, you will feel it. "I make Austin the favourite but I think it's no more than a 60-40 fight.

" That assessment sounds about right to me. If Marquez can hit Austin with the right hand, he can hurt him. But I can see Austin using the jab and running off combinations while Marquez is getting set to punch. I think Austin will dazzle Marquez with his hand speed and halt him some time around the 10th. But what makes it so fascinating is that, as Rafael Mendoza says, one big punch can turn the tide. I doubt that Marquez can land it against his masterful opponent, but you just never know.