Reno Gazette-Journal from Reno, Nevada • Page 22

2H Reno Gazette-Journal Thursday, March 17, 1983 SPORTS DIGEST Look for Cuban champ to get revenge Miitnn Mr-Pmrv Steve's brother who will fight The music blared as the boxer did his calisthenics in the ring with his three Cuban teammates. He punished the canvas. Every exercise was done with effort beyond anything expected. Cuba's Angel Herrera was preparing for his 132-pound bout with the United States' Pernell Whitaker in the World Amateur Boxing Championships at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center Friday night. It is the third bout between the two.

Herrera won on points over Whitaker to win the world championship at Munich in May 1982. Whitaker came back to decision Herrera on the U.S.A.-Cuba card in Reno Nov. 13. Herrera, an Olympic champion in 1976 and 1980, was deeply effected by the decision loss, which was questionable. Many regular followers of amateur boxing thought that Herrera, not Whitaker, should have been awarded that decision.

But Herrera refused to criticize the judging. Now, this prideful fellow gets another chance against Whitaker. Both fighters are heading toward the 1984 Olympics at Los Angeles. But there is a contrast. Herrera, 25, has been at the top of amateur boxing for seven years.

Whitaker, 19, did not win a fight in the U.S. Amateur Championships until 1982. He burst onto the scene quickly, but figures to be around for a while, whether it is as an amateur or pro. U.S. Coach Pat Nappi says Whitaker is hungrier than Herrera.

But for this fight, I would have to disagree. Revenge is powerful And Herrera is a technician with few peers. In the first fight, he made a mistake by starting too slowly. He won't repeat the error. The prediction is a decisive victory on points for Herrera over Whitaker.

Predictions for the other six championship bouts: 106 pounds Rafael Saenz (Cuba) by decision over Ismail Mustafov (Bulgaria) Saenz, 18, is a youngster, but is unflappable in pressure situations as he proved with a decision win over Colin Jones for the WBC welterweight title, are Kronk fighters, the praise is noteworthy. Alexandrov, who at 19 is a year older than McCrory, won the world championship at Munich, but look for the flashy McCrory to take a convincing victory. 125 pounds Adolfo Horta (Cuba) by decision over Bernard Gray (U.S.A.) Horta, 25, won the last two world championships in 1978 and 1982. He also won on points over Gray, 19, at Reno in November. Horta should win on his way to a gold medal at Los Angeles.

139 pounds Jerry Page (U.S.A.) by decision over Carlos Garcia (Cuba) Garcia, 18, could turn into one of the great Cuban stars, but a fast-improving Page could surprise him here. Page, 22, is coming off a win over the Soviet Union's Vasily Shishov at Las Vegas Feb. 26. Garcia stopped Shishov on the way to the world title in Muinch last year, but look for Page to handle Garcia bull-like charges. In November, Garcia decisioned Page in Reno, but Page should reverse that decision.

156 pounds Shawn O'Sullivan (Canada) by decision over Aleksandre Koshkin (Soviet Union) In many ways it is a tossup. But forced to pick a winner between the two boxers, who both have defeated 1980 Olympics champion Armando Martinez of Cuba, O'Sullivan, 20, is the choice over the defending world champion. In the last three weeks, Koshkin, 23, has lost to Americans Frank Tate and Kurt Hall. 201 pounds Alexander Yagubkin (Soviet Union) by decision over Willi deWitt (Canada) Usually, press releases don't sway predictors. But listen to what the Novosti Press Agency had to say about Yagubkin, 21, the defending world champion.

"Yagubkin is known for his staunchness, courage, cold-bloodedness, flexible tactics and desire for victory." Always go with cold-bloodedness. Besides, Yagubkin won on points over deWitt, 21, in the World Cup at Montreal in 1981. DeWitt has a puncher's chance but Yagubkin rates a solid edge in international experience. ANGEL HERRERA Cuba's world amateur champion FROM MY CORNER By STEVE SNEDDON U.S. veteran Israel Acosta in November.

Mustafov, 22, is the defending world champion and reached the semifinals in the 1980 Olympics. But this fight could be a stepping stone for the speedy Saenz on his way to the Los Angeles Olympics. 112 pounds Steve McCrory (U.S.A) by decision over Yuri Alexandrov (Soviet Union) The Kronk Boxing Team's Emanuel Steward says McCrory is the team's No. 1 fighter. Steward says when McCrory works out, everyone in the gym stops to watch.

Since World Boxing Council super welterweight champion Tommy Hearns and New NFL rules would help defense The National Football League will consider rules changes to give defenders the benefit of the doubt in close pass interference cases and to allow punt returners a better opportunity to catch the ball, a NFL spokesman said Wednesday in Wailea, Hawaii. The NFL's Competition Committee, ending a week of meetings on the island of Maui, will propose a rule change which would reduce the number of pass interference calls, said Don Weiss, the league's executive director. "The rule change is designed to take some of the officiating judgement out of the play," Weiss said. "It would give the defense the benefit of the doubt in pass interference plays." Weiss declined to give the specifics of the proposed changes, saying members of the committee wanted to present the proposals first at the NFL's annual meeting in Palm Springs, Calif, next week. Basketball UCLA and Pepperdine each placed two players on the all-West Coast college basketball team chosen by members of the United States Basketball Writers Association, District 8.

Rod Foster and Kenny Fields represent the Pacific-10 Conference champions on the 10-member team while Dane Suttle and Orlando Phillips were elected from Pepperdine, victor in the West Coast Athletic Conference. Fields earlier has been named player of the year by writers in the district, which includes California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Hawaii and Alaska. Others voted to the team were Michael Cage, San Diego State; Chris McNealy, San Jose State; Byron Scott, Arizona State; Charlie Sitton, Oregon State; Peter Thibeaux, St. Mary's, and Leon Wood, Fullerton State. The National Basketball Association and its players union met for five hours Wednesday as talks continued in an effort to reach agreement on a new contract before a strike deadline of April 2.

Neither side had any comment on the talks, which were held in an undisclosed location. They agreed to resume negotiations next Monday. San Diego Clippers' center Bill Walton will probably have surgery at the end of the National Basketball Association season to relieve pressure on a joint in his right foot, says general manager Paul Phipps. Brad Daugherty, starting center for North Carolina's eighth-ranked basketball team, missed his second straight day of practice Wednesday with shin splints as the Tar Heels prepared for Saturday's NCAA East Regional Tournament. Golf Fifteen of this year's top 25 money winners, headed by Gil Morgan, and three of the top 10 career money leaders are entered in the $400,000 New Orleans Open golf tournament, which begins today.

Morgan has earned $136,943 this season. Tom Watson, second on the list of career winners with $2,907,784, is the biggest name in the field. Amy Alcott, who won a thrilling head-to-head, final-round duel with JoAnne Carner last year, heads the list of 116 professional golfers who will compete in the $200,000 Women's Kemper Open golf tournament, which begins today in Kaanapali, Hawaii. Alcott last year battled Carner and Nancy Lopez through a wind-swept final round on the Royal Kaanapali North course to take a one-shot victory. Bowling Steve Neff, aiming for his first title in nearly five years, averaged 241 for six games to take the first-round lead Wednesday in the $120,000 King Louie Open on the Pro Bowlers Tour in Overland Park, Kan.

Neff, 34, a right-hander from Sarasota, Via rnllivl aomoc n( Wl 01K OKQ "Ml 010 an4 M4 Rangers pick the Wright way Personal tragedy haunts Spinks J7i BASEBALL ROUNDUP BOXING ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO I ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) Before a news conference this week, promoter Butch Lewis asked a group of boxing writers if they would refrain from asking Michael Spinks "about it." Lewis, who has promoted most of Spinks' bouts, obviously felt that it was too close to Friday night's fight against Dwight Braxton for the undisputed light heavyweight title to risk upsetting Spinks by having him discuss a recent personal tragedy. On Jan 7, two days after Philadephia police arrested Spinks for possession of a gun in his car, Sandra Massey, the fighter's common-law wife and mother of his 2-year-old daughter, was killed in an auto crash. Spinks has been reluctant to talk about the tragedy, but has done so on occasion. In an interview with Michael Katz of the New York Times, the 26-year-old Spinks said, "I thought about canceling it (the fight).

I knew if I wasn't going to fight, I had to straighten things out at home. I had to pack up Sandy's things. I couldn't do it." This week, Spinks seems to have his mind on Braxton. "I just dislike his actions," Spinks said Wednesday. "They're a waste of time trying to scare me with his remarks." The two fighters exchanged words and threats during and after a national television appearance Tuesday, and exchanged verbal jabs again later in the day at a news conference.

"I'm going to take him down off his high horse," said the 5-foot-634 Braxton, a pressure fighter known as the "Camden Buzzsaw," who is 7 inches shorter than Spinks. Northern Nevada boxers on card Two amateur bouts involving Northern Nevada boxers have been added to the World Amateur Boxing Championships card Friday night as preliminaries. Carson Police Athletic League 139-pounder Bobby Adamson will fight Tim Brooks of Sacramento and Reno Jets' 132-pounder Guy Leyva will fight Gil Alvarez of Sacramento. A U.S.A. Amateur Boxing Federation spokesperson said Tuesday that there would be no prelims as had been announced.

But Hal Miller of Las Vegas, the president of the Nevada A.B.F., said the bouts were added after he talked Wednesday to Jim Fox, the executive director of the U.S.A. A.B.F. Adamson has a 78-23 record and has a victory over Brooks. Leyva has a 69-19 record. Seven world championship bouts are scheduled on Friday's card.

By The Associated Press George Wright's three-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning capped a five-run rally that carried the Texas Rangers over the Houston Astros 10-7 in exhibition baseball Wednesday. Wright's home run came after Larry Parrish tied the game with an RBI single. Bucky Dent and Billy Sample also homered for Texas while Houston's Art Howe drove in four runs, three with a home run. Dick Pavis, Dale Berra and Jose Ortiz belted homers in the top of the ninth to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates past the Atlanta Braves 4-2. Davis homered with one out off reliever Jose Alvarez and one out later, Berra and Ortiz hit consecutive blasts.

Atlanta starter Pete Falcone pitched five scoreless innings. Pittsburgh starter Larry McWilliams was spiked in the right forearm while trying to tag Clau-dell Washington and needed 22 stitches to close the wound. The Pirates said McWilliams is not expected to miss a pitching turn. Tom Veryzer, Darryl Strawberry and Brian Giles homered for the New York Mets in an 11-6 victory over the Boston Red Sox, spoiling the second spring start by Mark Fidrych. The Mets scored twice in the first inning off Fidrych, who gave up three hits in his two innings.

Veryzer had three hits, scored three runs and drove in two, and his eighth-inning single snapped a 4-4 tie. Dwight Evans, Gene Gentile and Tony Armas homered for the Red Sox. Rick Leach tripled in two runs as the Detroit Tigers scored five times all after two outs in the first inning against Los Angeles starter Bob Welch to whip the Dodgers 7-2. John Wockenfuss homered and drove in two runs for Detroit. Candy Maldonado clubbed a two-run homer for the Dodgers.

Minnesota, which got a pair of doubles from both Gary Gaetti and Randy Bush, scored eight runs for the fifth consecutive game and topped the Philadelphia Phillies 8-5. The Twins had 17 hits, including a homer by Tom Brunansky. 1 Tony Perez had a two-run homer and Bill Robinson added a solo shot for the Phillies. Richie Zisk drove in five runs with a double and two singles as the Seattle Mariners trounced the Cleveland Indians 10-5. Todd Cruz had a two-run triple for the Mariners.

Len Barker started for the Indians, but left the game in the third inning after beaning Seattle's Jamie Nelson, who remained in the game through the sixth inning. Ben Oglivie smacked a two-run homer and an RBI single as the Milwaukee Brewers outscored the California Angels 9-7. Oglivie has now knocked in 10 runs this spring. California had 17 hits, four by Daryl Sconiers. Bobby Grich added two doubles and a single and Mike Brown had two triples.

The Brewers collected 16 hits. EASY OUT: Larry Herndon of the Tigers is! tagged out by catcher Steve Yeager of the Dodgers after a suicide squeeze bunt backfired. Dennis Martinez pitched five strong innings and Cal Ripken Jr. doubled in a pair of first-inning runs as the Baltimore Orioles downed the Montreal Expos 3-1 in a game called after eight innings because of rain. Each team managed only four hits.

Steve Rogers retired the last 13 batters he faced after giving up the two runs. The St. Louis Cardinals raked Cincinnati starter Mario Soto for six hits and four runs in the first inning, and then scored twice in the seventh to top the Reds 9-7. Keith Hernandez had a double and two singles to pace the Cardinals' 13-hit attack, while Dave Concep-cion doubled and singled twice to lead the Reds' 14-hit assault. In a game between the two teams, Joaquin Andujar pitched five shutout innings as the Cardinals blanked the Reds 1-0.

George Hendrick sacrificed home the game's only run. i vuvu gaiiivia vi biti, rxti, aau mm ah for a six-game round of 1,446. The former PBA rookie of the year has won four titles, his last coming in the 1978 Houston Open. Boxing Leo Cruz of the Dominican Republic successfully defended his World Boxing Association junior featherweight crown Wednesday night in San Juan, Puerto Rico, with a unanimous decision over challenger Soon Hyun Chung of South Korea. Cruz, the 28-year-old champion, knocked the challenger down with a left hook with 18 seconds left in the eight round and drew blood from the Korean's nose in the 10th to give him the needed edge to defend his title.

LOW PRICES Quotebook Gazette-Journal Classifieds Get Results! Service, Quality you can trust STEEL RIDGE RUNNER "This makes me extremely happy and proud because I feel I have done it for women everywhere." Mary Decker Tabb, after winning the Jesse Owens International Award, designating her as the world's premier amateur athlete BELTED RADIAL PICK-UP AND b- 9 a a i WHITEWALL 4 WHEEL DRIVE All Seasons Tread Design. NO MILEAGE CHARGE DIESEL TRUCK RENTAL ACE ENGINE REBUILDING Removed Reconditioned Rebuilt Installed fU moved a Installed Exchanged QuarantMd Long EnotM Block prfcM Not Intlaltad Col ut lot IrntalM prfcl Chevy 283-307-327-350's from $550 Chevy 39e-402-454' from $600 Dodge 318 1 Ford 260-289-302'e from $550 FonTaSI.400'1 360-3901 from $O0 tSIZE PRICE I H8SMBI1 14399 P145H0R 13 45 PH5H0R 13 47W P1ISJI0R 14 53 99 PHM7SB14 54 HWTM-14 57 99 P2157SRJ4 I. SIZE PRICE 10-15-4 $77.89 10-15-6 g69 Isxl-il 102.99 33x1 2.50-1 6.5 6 109.99 D. Vagal, Pintot, Toyotae ft Oituin from $500 Phone 358-5777 For4 Chwy 6.t oth, from $500 nvmm Also Ring Valve Job txen. gyi.

neaaa 2 Mocki sotrth el MO 2 Mecte irarlh of Glendale. (East oil Rock) IOOU rilirnan Quimrt.4l Opan 7:30 a.m.-S p.m. PHYLLIS BRASELTON'S 11 I nOIiTllEIUI CEl'ABA RENT A MERCEDES-BENZ DIESEL TRUCK FROM TRI-STAR RENTAL GUARANTEED 10AAPG 20 ft. Flotbeds and 20 ft. Van Bodies Ask About Rental Purchase Program And Free Demonstrator 1Mb estate scunnL TO BETTER SERVE YOU WE NOW OFFER FRONT END ALIGNMENTS FULL BRAKE SHOCK SERVICE NEW CLASSES BEGIN MARCH 28th Text Books, Private Tutoring and Crash Courses are included at no extra charge.

Morning evening classes 3 days a week 6427 S.Virginia St. A )a I (da4 Monro Shoppteg Cntf) TIDEC fl IIC HI HJJ R.A TO SAT 8-4 323-2388 3795 Mill St 2545 E. 5th St. RENO. NV Vrf'l XI AHA 702) 329-6080 (702) 329-7307 Vi.