Hipp Finally Gets His Shot -- Northwest Boxer Awaits First Title Bout

LAS VEGAS - Joe Hipp has traveled a long and dusty trail in his boxing career.

He has battled and brawled people long forgotten throughout the Pacific Northwest and around the country since turning pro in 1987.

Now, in this fantasy world of glitz and instant jackpots, Hipp finds himself skipping down his own Yellow Brick Road to a ring inside the MGM Grand and a shot at World Boxing Association heavyweight champion Bruce Seldon tomorrow as the featured undercard bout on the return of Mike Tyson (pay-for-view 6 p.m. PDT).

"You could make this into a fairy-tale story, something that I have dreamed about," said Hipp, who started fighting at the age of 8 in Yakima.

"I don't want to tap my heels, yet. I'll wait for after the fight and then I'll go home."

The scheduled 12-round bout against the newly crowned WBA champion is no make-believe Hollywood tale, however.

"This is my career, this is what I've been working for my whole life," said Hipp, 32, the first Native American to fight for a world title. "There is no `after this.' "

A victory would thrust Hipp into the Tyson lottery as a likely foe on the ex-champion's comeback trail that is littered with millions. Already, Don King, the promoter for both Hipp and Tyson, has said that the Hipp-Seldon winner would be Tyson's next opponent on Nov. 4.

But Hipp, who will earn a career-high $180,000 to Seldon's $700,000, is not counting his millions yet, knowing too well about past promises failing to come true.

In 1994, after knocking out Jose Ribalta, Hipp had a signed contract to fight then-champion Michael Moorer later in the summer. But Moorer opted to fight George Foreman. History was written - by somebody else.

Hipp then went after Foreman, but that, too, fell apart.

"It was frustating," Hipp said of waiting and waiting for his first title shot, "but I never thought it wouldn't come. I knew I would get a chance, it was just a matter of when."

Signing a three-fight deal with King earlier this year helped. Hipp says he won't squander the chance.

"I'm going to fight like I've never fought before," said Hipp, who has won his last six bouts to raise his record to 30-3. "I'm not going to leave anything out of the ring."

To make sure he was ready, Hipp worked off about 15 pounds and tightened up his 6-foot-1 frame in grueling workouts in the ring, weight room and on the roads of Warm Springs reservation in Oregon.

Hipp weighed 233 yesterday while Seldon came in at 234.

"He has trained like he was possesed," said Hipp's Manager Roland Jankelson.

Jankelson has a hard time explaining what fuels Hipp's drive.

"There is something inside of Joe Hipp that is indescribable," he said. "He is a gladiator."

"There is no way to tell you what it is, that is inside this man. I guess it is a bit like love, if you describe it, it goes away. It's just there.

"He isn't going to allow this opportunity to escape him."

It hasn't always been like that in Hipp's career.

Hipp has the bumps, bruises and scars to prove how tough he has been and how tough the road to this point has been. He has fractured his left hand four times, suffered a broken eye socket and broken ribs, had knee surgery and earlier this year had elbow chips removed.

"I was just a brawler," he said. "This time I'm going to come out as a boxer, give him some head movement, make him miss and then capitalize on it."

Seldon (33-3, 28 KOs) does not believe Hipp's skills match his own.

"Joe Hipp is a good fighter, an adorable fighter and a tough guy," said Seldon, 27, who has eight straight victories.

"Joe Hipp doesn't have my movement, he doesn't have my speed. Joe Hipp's not going to take my title from me. It's not going to go the distance."

But, in just getting here and to this point in his career, Joe Hipp has already gone the distance.