Boxers battle critics who say fight is weak

By Compiled from Times wires

© St. Petersburg Times, published August 10, 2000

Evander Holyfield said Wednesday that he wouldn't be fighting John Ruiz if a piece of the heavyweight title wasn't at stake.

What he wouldn't say was that Saturday's fight for the WBA title is anything but a legitimate title bout.

Two months after they first were supposed to get into the ring, Holyfield and Ruiz held a final pre-fight news conference in Las Vegas with a recurring theme: Their fight should be considered a true championship bout.

"I feel I'm the legitimate No. 1 contender," Ruiz said.

Holyfield and Ruiz will meet for the WBA portion of the title stripped from Lennox Lewis when he defended against Michael Grant instead of meeting Ruiz, the WBA's No. 1 contender. Lewis holds the WBC and IBF titles.

MORE BOXING: Cuba's most famous athlete has a warrant out for his arrest in the United States. Teofilo Stevenson, 49, a three-time heavyweight Olympic gold medalist and a frequent visitor to the United States, may not be returning soon. If he does, the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office has set the wheels in motion to have him nabbed at any port of entry, said Don Ungurait, spokesman for the prosecutor's office. They want Stevenson to face charges of aggravated assault and resisting arrest with violence that were filed Oct. 23. ... WBA welterweight champ James Page pulled out of his title defense against Andrew "Six Heads" Lewis and is likely to be stripped of his title. The fight is an undercard to the Holyfield-Ruiz bout.

VOLLEYBALL: Former South Florida coach Perri Hankins will coach Campbell University's team this season. Hankins spent eight seasons at USF, from 1991-98, leading the Bulls to four Conference USA championships and four NCAA Tournament appearances. She has the most volleyball wins in USF history with a 189-72 record. Last season she coached Florida Tech to a 17-10 record, including a Florida Tech-record 10 conference wins.

SOCCER: Veteran forwards Joe-Max Moore and Brian McBride have been added to the U.S. men's roster for the Aug. 16 World Cup qualifying match with Barbados. Kasey Keller, the top U.S. goalkeeper, was dropped so he could concentrate on UEFA Cup qualifiers for his Spanish team. Keeper Brad Friedel probably will start. Tony Meola, who played in the 1990 and 1994 World Cups, also was picked. ... English Premiership club Manchester City completed the signing of 24-year-old Paulo Wanchope from West Ham after the striker passed a medical examination. ... Italian striker Benito Carbone joined English Premiership club Bradford City on a free transfer. ... Arsenal signed Guy Demel, a 19-year-old midfielder from the French second division Nimes club. ... Oliver Kahn, the goalkeeper of Bundesliga champion Bayern Munich and the German national team, was voted Germany's player of the year. NHL: The assault trial of Boston Bruins enforcer Marty McSorley will begin Sept. 25 in Vancouver, British Columbia. McSorley was charged with assault with a weapon in February after he clubbed Vancouver forward Donald Brashear on the side of the head. Brashear crashed to the ice and lay unconscious for a few moments. ... The Flyers' John LeClair went through with his salary arbitration hearing in Toronto. The move guarantees he can become an unrestricted free agent next summer. LeClair wants a multiyear contract for about $50-million, or one that would guarantee him an average salary of at least $9-million. The Flyers reportedly offered $25-million for five years. A ruling must come within 48 hours of the hearing's end. ... Lanny McDonald ended his 19-year association with the Calgary Flames, unexpectedly quitting his executive job amid a report that he clashed with team president Ron Bremner. ... The Florida Panthers re-signed left wing Ray Whitney to a three-year contract, avoiding salary arbitration. Terms were not disclosed.

TENNIS: Pete Sampras threw footballs in the parking lot to stay loose during a two-hour rain delay, then eked out a double-tiebreaker victory over 19-year-old Taylor Dent at Tennis Masters Series-Cincinnati. Earlier, top-seeded Andre Agassi was forced to retire from his match with Fernando Vicente because of back problems that have hampered him since a minor fender-bender last month. ... Fourth-seeded Conchita Martinez beat Alexandra Stevenson 6-4, 7-6 (7-2) in the second round of the estyle.com Classic in Manhattan Beach, Calif. ... Carl-Axel Hageskog, who led Sweden to two Davis Cup titles and one final appearance since 1995, agreed to extend his contract as team captain for two years.

MISCELLANEOUS: Sports agent William "Tank" Black was brought to Michigan to face drug and money laundering charges. Federal marshals brought Black from South Carolina to an undisclosed location pending an appearance today before a U.S. District judge . A federal grand jury in Detroit this month issued a 34-count indictment against Black, his business partner Linda Wilson and several others, accusing them of money laundering and drug charges. ... President Clinton established a White House panel on performance-enhancing drugs in sports that will recommend ways the federal government can combat the problem. BASEBALL: Ryan Jones hit four home runs and drove in eight runs Tuesday night in the independent Northern League for the Winnipeg Goldeyes in Sioux Falls, S.D.

OBITUARY: Brenda Reilly, an award-winning coach at Central Connecticut University, died in New Britain, Conn., of cancer Saturday. She was 62.

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