When female world champion Jaime Clampitt (13-2, 5 KO's) enters the ring to face former four-time world champion Jane Couch (23-6, 8 KO's) on Saturday night at Foxwoods Resort Casino, she will have done so after an extensive training camp, one that has been extra tough for her as her trainer, Tiny Ricci has been bouncing in between hospitals and nursing homes for the past six weeks.

"Its been extremely hard," said Clampitt, "for my last fight, Tiny was sick towards the end, but we did not think it was that bad. In fact at the beginning of the last camp he was still doing hand pads all of the time with me. Its just not the same not having him around. He has been in two different hospitals and now a nursing home. Doctors are not optimistic, however I will hold out hope."

Clampitt moved to Narragansett, Rhode Island from her native Calgary, Canada in June 2002 and immediately began training under Tiny and his nephew Chuck Sullivan. It was a perfect fit for Clampitt, who believes that training in the States has moved her career in a different direction, and improved her skills to have what it takes to be a champion

"I actually trained with Tiny & Chuck in May on a visit and I loved working with them," said Clampitt. "I remember thinking to myself that they taught me so much in a week, just think what they could do for me once I moved here. It was all I thought it could be. Plus being at the same gym and having a ton of help and guidance from Vinny Paz didn't hurt either."

According to Clampitt, the tandem of Ricci and Sullivan was perfect as they both had some slightly different ideas at times so she was able to get different takes on things. She feels that Sullivan has always been more influential for slick boxing tactics and Ricci has been more of the seek and destroy type.

"Chuckie is all about working behind the jab, moving, etc. where as Tiny is more of an inside guy," said Clampitt. "They both do a little of both styles, it just seems that one leans one way more often than the other, but it was great having both opinions. It will be strange not having that in the corner."

As for training, Clampitt feels as though she has had that element of 2 trainers, thanks to husband, and CES matchmaker Ted Panagiotis

"Ted was trained by Tiny and is totally an old school type inside fighter," said Jaime. "When I come to the corner in sparring Ted usually has something to add and I always think to myself, wow, that is something Tiny would say. He is trying to get in my corner, however I am not sure if the commission has OK'ed anything yet."

At last check Ricci was not fairing well. Sources within Clampitt's camp feel the clock is against him, and may not make it much longer, and would make things difficult for any fighter, never mind one who will be taking on by far her toughest opposition in Jane Couch.

"Its very hard," a teary-eyed Jaime said. "I love Tiny and not having him in my corner is hard enough, if something were to happen to him it would make things even harder. It will be hard on everyone. But I am going to do what Tiny would have wanted, be a champion and do the best I can do to keep my two title belts."

"This fight is for Tiny," said the IWBF & NABA world jr. welterweight champion. "He may not be there physically, but he will be in my heart, always. These belts made him so proud and I am gonna lay it all out on the line to keep them."

Saturday's fight card is being headlined by a 12 round fight between Ring Magazine's most exciting super middleweight Scott "The Sandman" Pemberton (27-3-1, 22 KO's) defending his NABF & IBU titles against southpaw Rick Camlin (33-3, 10 KO's). The show begins at 7:30 PM and tickets priced at $100, $75 and $50 are still available by calling Foxwoods at 800-200-2882. The event will be shown live in primetime beginning at 8 PM on CN8, The Comcast Network to homes in New England and North Jersey, as well as Comcast Sports Southeast, and Cox3 in Rhode Island and Connecticut where CN8 is not available. It also will re-air network wide to 6.2 million homes on Saturday, June 19 at 2:30 PM/ET. Boxing fans nationwide can also view the show via CN8's web site at www.CN8.TV. MSG also will show it on a taped delay basis.

Send questions or comments to Bill Luppert