DATE: Tuesday, June 17, 1997                TAG: 9706170495

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   62 lines

FOR 'PEA, IT FILLS THE BILL; FOR FOE, IT'LL HELP PAY 'EM

Pernell ``Sweetpea'' Whitaker needed a fight. Willy Wise needed a break.

Both will get what they need Aug. 16 when they meet in the co-feature of a fight card at the Atlantic City Convention Center. The other televised bout will be a matchup of heavyweights Andrew Golota and Ray Mercer.

It will be Whitaker's return to the ring after his April 12 loss to Oscar De La Hoya. Whitaker has repeatedly said in recent years that he wants big fights against name opponents as his career winds down.

This isn't one. It's a stay-busy fight against a guy who has never made more than $10,000 for a bout - a pittance compared to the $2 million purses Whitaker routinely commands.

``I like to get the names in there with me,'' Whitaker said Monday. ``You can't make these guys get in the ring with me, so you have to get somebody.''

Wise is somebody with a story, and that's what the promoters are selling. He has a wife and two kids, the youngest of which - his 3-year-old son, Dominique - has suffered from seizures the past two years. Doctors have not been able to determine the cause, and Wise has acquired about $75,000 worth of medical bills.

``I have no medical insurance,'' Wise said at a New York press conference Monday announcing the fight. ``I have nothing.''

That will change when he earns $85,000 for the appearance against Whitaker on HBO.

``He's a legitimate contender and he earned the fight on his merits, but because of his medical needs that kind of pushed it over the brink in terms of giving Willy the fight,'' HBO Sports vice president Lou DiBella said Monday. ``He really needed a break.''

And Whitaker, idle since the April 12 loss to De La Hoya, needed a fight.

``I'm happy he's getting a chance to get back in the ring,'' DiBella said. ``Is it the level of opponent that makes it a big event? No, but we're happy to have Pete back on.''

Whitaker promoter Dino Duva said the 30-year-old Wise (22-3-4, 6 KOs) was born on Virginia's Eastern Shore and moved to New York as a boy.

Wise was scheduled to work as a sparring partner for Whitaker during his preparation for the De La Hoya fight. But on his way to Whitaker's training camp, Wise called home from the airport, learned his son was having another seizure and returned home to take him to the hospital.

Duva acknowledged that Wise is not the kind of foe Whitaker (40-2-1, 17 KOs) - the former World Boxing Council welterweight champion from Virginia Beach - craves right now.

``If we had our way, Pernell would be fighting Oscar De La Hoya right now,'' Duva said. ``(De La Hoya promoter) Bob Arum is saying he wants to talk about it for April, which sounds good. My gut feeling is that it's about a 75 percent chance it will happen for April. Pernell's got to keep busy and do what he's got to do.''

Duva said Whitaker will earn about $1 million for the Wise fight, and then could follow that with another bout in December or January before a De La Hoya rematch. Duva said possible opponents for the winter fight are Ike Quartey, Felix Trinidad or Terry Norris.

Whitaker, 33, said he has not worked out since the De La Hoya fight. Usually he maintains a steady workout regimen even when he does not have a fight scheduled.

``It's been a long time since I gloved them up,'' Whitaker said. ``I wanted to get away from it and put the gloves down. Eventually it's going to happen for good. I needed to get away and miss the sport.''

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