The Baltimore Sun from Baltimore, Maryland • 270

20 SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1988 ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY SUN Night of boxing attracts only 31 1 paying customers Poor turnout leads to cancellation of next show La Fontaine Dlcu Light-heavyweight Troy Emerson (3-1), Falls Church, second round TKO over Dennis Burgess (0-3), Jersey City, N.J. Middleweight Gerald McCellan (2-0), Palmer Park, first round TKO over Bill Davis (1-1), Washington D.C. Lightweight Carl Griffith (1-0), Lorraine, Ohio, unanimous decision over Joe Brown (1-1), Richmond. Lightweight Keith Grimes (8-2-1), Baltimore, unanimous decision over Steven Stall-ings (1-2-1), Washington D.C. Welterweight Marvin McDowell (7-9-1), Baltimore, fought to a technical draw against Andre Hazelwood (record unavailable), Baltimore.

By Chris Marti Staff writer Perhaps it was fitting that a Rodney Dangerfield impersonator opened the festivities during Thursday's Classic Boxing Entertainment show. Like the famed comedian's persona, last week's five-card show at La Fontaine Bleu in Glen Burnie didn't get much respect from local Hpxingfans. The pugilistic event featured no local fighters and concluded with a couple of lackluster bouts. The card was highlighted by technical knockouts recorded by light-heavyweight Troy Emerson and middleweight Gerald McCellan. The hall, which can accommodate 950 spectators for the dinner and boxing show, contained just 311 paying customers.

With the addition of those in attendance with complimentary passes, a total of only about 500 people viewed the matches. Matchmaker Danny Kisner said the poor turnout, the lowest in the one-year history of the show, resulted in a loss of between $4,000 and $5,000. The Oct. 19 show has been canceled to allow CBE more time to recuperate before staging the Nov. 9 matches.

"We barely had enough money to pay the fighters and the workers," Kisner said. "I worked three weeks straight on putting this together and 1 only got 1 00." Kisner attributed the low ticket sales to the quick three-week turnaround from the Aug. 24 fights and the absence of any local fighters on Thursday's card. "We just didn't have enough time to get ready." he said. "You really need six or seven weeks between shows.

We started out doing it every six weeks, then every month and then every three weeks. We wanted to keep this thing going with the hopes we could make some money, but it Frank Gilbert. "No one fighter makes a card, but a popular guy is going to have an effect." Thursday's five-card bout got off to a thunderous start, as Emerson disposed of Burgess at 1 :29 of the second round. Burgess landed a series of punches in the opening moments of the first round, but Emerson began scoring heavily to the body as the bell sounded. Emerson continued to connect from the inside during the second round.

He eventually floored Burgess with a right to the jaw midway through the three-minute period. The second fight of the evening was more abbreviated than the first. McClellan, who fights out of a Palmer Park gym run by Sugar Ray Leonard, began pummeling Davis against the ropes from the outset of their scheduled four-round bout. Midway through the round, McClellan rocked Davis with a punch of such force that it knocked the opponent's mouthpiece into the crowd. Davis staggered against the ropes and was counted out on his feet.

The Griffith-Brown bout was the first fight of the evening to go the distance even though the opening moments of round one made it appear as if this particular affair also might reach a hasty conclusion. Griffith, appearing In his pro debut, stunned Brown with a combination. However, the Richmond native managed to survive the round. Griffith was the aggressor during the next two rounds. Brown was a little more active in the final round, but it was too little too late.

Griffith was awarded the unanimous decision. Grimes and Stallings then engaged in a plodding six-round bout. Neither fighter managed to land any significant blows. Grimes was able to connect with a few more shots en route to receiving a unanimous decision. The evening concluded with the McDowell-Hazelwood bout.

TEACHERS: CAST YOUR VOTE FOR "ELECTION ELECTIOilfBB hosts fights his left eye following an unintentional head butt by McDowell. Though the card featured a total of just 24 rounds, two rounds below the Maryland Athletic Commission's minimum requirement for sanctioning, the MAC waived the ruling because it deemed the CBE had demonstrated a substantial effort to reach the minimum round total. Despite the poor attendance for Thursday's show, promoter Max Kisner, Danny's father, is confident the Nov. 9 card will be a smashing success. "That's going to be a sellout," he promised.

"This is as bad as it's been for us, but we're not giving up. I know we can make it." Kisner is counting on the return of popular crowd favorites such as Washington's Flip Johnson, Pindell and Millersville's Chuck Sturm to bolster ticket sales for the November show. Sturm hasn't appeared at La Fontaine Bleu since April. However, Kisner said he is negotiating to bring the Old Mill graduate back. "It's boiled down to money," Danny Kisner said.

"We couldn't work out a deal with his manager I i i THE 4 didn't work out that well. "It was just too close together. If you go to the same restaurant three or four times a week, you get tired of it. The people just weren't ready to come back yet." Annapolis lightweight George Pindell (7-1), the lone county resident scheduled to appear on Thursday's card, had to back out of his fight against Joe Brown (1-1) after injuring himself last weekend while jogging. Pindell's replacement, Carl Griffith (1-0), earned a unanimous decision over Brown in a four-round bout.

In the other fights, Troy Emerson (3-1) recorded a second-round technical knockout against Dennis Burgess (0-3) in a light-heavyweight bout; Gerald McCellan (2-0) had a first-round TKO against Bill Davis (1-1) in a middleweight bout; Keith Grimes (8-2-1) earned a unanimous decision over Stefen Stallings (1-2-1) In a six-round lightweight bout, and Marvin McDowell (7-9-1) and Andre Hazel-wood (record unavailable) fought to a technical draw. Hazelwood was unable to continue after sustaining a cut above to incorporate the "Election 88" guide into your lesson plans. The workshop registration charge is $15 and includes: specific lesson plans, materials, breakfast and a classroom subscription to The Sun or The Evening Sun. (30 issues per week for 4 weeks120 total newspapers.) SIGN UP NOW Call 332-6232 or 332-6270 for more information or to make reservations. The Newspaper in Education Department of The Baltimore Sun is offering four breakfast workshop sessions focusing on the newly published "Election 88" tabloid.

"Election 88" is a practical booklet which gets students involved in the presidential campaign. It includes cooperative learning and critical thinking exercises covering all aspects of the presidential campaign from news accounts to voter registration. At the workshop you'll receive 30 copies ot the "Election 88" guide for your classroom. Register now and learn how Mail to: The Baltimore Sun NIE Program, 6th floor P.O. Box 1377 501 N.

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31 9-1 1:30 a.m. 101488 YES I would like to attend the workshop I have indicated. Enclosed is my check for $1 5 payable to The Baltimore Sun. Saturday, September 24 Columbia Hilton 5485 Twin Knolls Rd. 9-1 1:30 am.

Saturday, October 1 Annapolis Ramada 173 Jennifer Rd. 9-1 1:30 a.m. Please start my classroom subscription for 30 newspapers (per week) to The Sun or The Evening Sun on Specific Date.) Name School. School Address-City Telephone. ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY SUN CYRENA CHANG THEIttLTIMORESl'X Carl Griffith (right) of Lorraine, Ohio, a replacement for Annapolis lightweight George Pindell, earned a unanimous decision over Joe Brown of Richmond, in a four-round bout at La Fontaine Bleu in Glen Burnie..