The Boston Globe from Boston, Massachusetts • 24

24 THF: BOSTON 4, 19S7 la cuAGIEri LEOLlAnD 0 Job Oft II 00116 01. illo Oft Oft 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 FIGHT NOTEBOOK 6Does Ray seem uptight to you these Leonard's trainer, JanIcs Morton, was asked. he said, frowning and shaking his head. He was slowly clapping his hands, like a metronome with muscles. Just that he seemed so short with his That always happens the week or so before the fight' Morton said.

He was still clapping. 'If you recall, he's always like that before a fight' Happenings at the zoo Of, Sill 1.41-' I 01111' ve sa a fi i 't i 4. 104.4414,41101,11011.. 4, .4,, 5. I.

I i I art vs vk so I II 1 ori In 1, 1 1 i 'TS ki 4 No Leonard makes answers short, not so sweet By Ian Thomsen Globe Staff LAS VEGAS The entrance to the Forum Room would crack open. revealing a vase of dried orange flowers in the far corner. Sometimes the door was opened wide enough to reveal a woman with orange hair. Somewhere Sugar Ray Leonard was in there with her. His entourage was waiting outside.

dressed in their sweat suits and polo shirts. This time they were wearing green shirts. On Thursday, they had been wearing red shirts. Everything seemed very organized. "Does Ray seem uptight to you these days?" Leonard's trainer.

danks Morton. was asked. "Nope," he said, frowning and shaking his head. He was slowly clapping his hands. like a metronome with muscles.

"It's Just that he seemed so short with his answers." "That always happens the week or so before the fight." Morton said. He was still clapping, his right hand forming a fist at impact. "If you recall, he's always like that before a fight." Really? He had seemed so cold in his final news conference yesterday, sitting at the head table four seats and a podium from his Monday night opponent. Marvel Us Marvin Hagler was Joking, laughing. He seemed witty and self-assured.

The same questions were put to Leonard, and he was cold, distant. "Yes," he would answer. No." "It's like he and Hagler reversed roles," Leonard's attorney. Mike Trainer. said.

"Have you changed in the laSt five Leonard was asked at the conference. 'Juanita," Leonard said, looking into the audience at his wife. "have I Apparently, she shook her head. "No," Leonard said. The conference was finished.

His entourage wrapped itself around Leonard. He exited the Caesars Palace ballroom, refused the handshake of a warnan who introduced herself al being from Columbus and walked down this muffled hallway where everyone was now waiting and disappeared into the Forum Room. Thedoor to the Forum Room opened again, and out walked Trainer, smooth but for the cigarette with which he fidgeted. I "I can truthfully tell you. Ray's as relaxed as I've ever slen him before a fight." Trainer said.

"If you'd been asked the same question 3,000 times, wOuld you elaborate on your answer? Have you heard an original question in the last three weeks? I don't think you should attach any significance to the event: Show time is over. He's tired of talking. He wants ttl fight" Trainer looked around him. "Bey, you're all going to have to it down out here," he told Leonard's people. Leonard was taping an interview in the Forum Room to be shown with the closed-circuit broadcast.

"This camp has been totally organized to screen from him apy problem except those things that deal with Marvin Hagler," Trainer said. "He knows what he has to do. He's probably fought the guy 3,000 times in his dreams. These conferences this is for you guys. It's for promotion.

I'm sure as far as he's concerned, as far as Marvin Haglees that if they came to Las Vegas and were told they didn't have to do another interview, they'd iv happy." Several TV crews and reporters were assembling in the hallway. "This is turning into another press conference." Trainer said. 4 "With the jenertt (If time LAS VEGAS A local petting zoo and Wild West attraction got a surprise visit yesterday afternoon from Marvelous Marvin Hagler. The middleweight champion and his handlers. Pat and Goody Petrone 111.

made a tour of the Bonnie Springs Ranch. on the outskirts of the city. There Hagler strolled among the animals, petting goats and buffalo, and paying particular attention to the pigeons. which he raises at his Hanover. home.

He also was interested in the mock hanging staged at the Old West town. Pat Petronelli said. A "victim" was placed hooded upon a hanging platform. The trap floor was released, but a harness around the person prevented him from actually hanging. "Don't get me near that thing," said Hagler.

He chatted with a few people who recognized him. but asked that his picture not be taken. At 5 p.m., Hagler went through a closed workout at Johnny Tocco's Ringside Gym. Later. after eating alone in his room.

he and the Petrone llis took a walk on The Strip. A tough exam for Leonard Duane Ford, Nevada State Athletic Commission chairman, commenting on the retinal exam administered Sugar Ray Leon- ard Tuesday night: "I want to express my appreciation to Ray. Many people don't know about such an exam, but it is a very painful procedure. with the eye being probed. Dr.

(Robert) Parker demonstrated it to me. and I can tell you it is painful." Champion knocked out of room A brief power outage at Caesars Palace Hotel yesterday morning put the Hagler camp on edge. Driven out of his suite, Hagler arrived 15 minutes early at the publicity breakfast World Boxing Council president Jose Sulaiman, whose organization is sanctioning the bout as a world title match, said the $250,000 sanction fee will go toward medical research If the World Boxing Association had been given the same fee, it would not have stripped Hagler of his title, said Leonard's attorney, Mike Trainer. Futch's choice: Hagler Veteran trainer Eddie Futch is picking Hagler. "Leonard has too much to overcome." said Futch.

"His inactivity, coming up for the first time to fight a full middleweight, possibly thinking about his eye." Celebrity watch: Tom Se neck confirmed for Monday night. but Frank Sinatra was uncertain. Leonard a hot-and-cold client Trainer, had this to add regarding his fighter's cold fish act at yesterday's news conference. "Don't ever try to read him," Trainer said. "It's taken me 10 years to get in his head, and I know him only a little bit.

Everything he does is for a purpose. You'll say, 'Gee, Ray, yesterday you're happy and today you're But that doesn't necessarily mean that yesterday he was happy and today he's sour. It took me two years to be able to have a one-on-one with him. He's Just very difficult to get to know." What was the reason behind yesterday's act? "I don't know, I don't know," Trainer said. "The guy's hard.

Everything's choreographed with Ray." Dundee, Petrone Ills spar The Petrone Ilis have had fun with Leonard trainer Angelo Dundee this week. At a news conference, Dundee said, "Marvin Hagler doesn't have nothing to lose. After he loses to Sugar Fay Leonard, he'll still look back and say he was one hell of a fighter." This statement drew the Petrone Ilis into the audience. "And I know Pat (Petrone 110 wants to go on a trip," Dundee said. "After this fight, he'll be able to." The Petrone Ills laughed.

"How is Ray Leonard going to fight Marvin Hagler?" Goody Petronelli asked from among the crowd of reporters. "For the members of the press here, we have the Petrone llis here and we aren't going to give away our trade secrets," Dundee said. But Dundee added, "I'm looking to get a discount on Marvin Hagier's boxing equipment after this fight. "Hagler is a two-stepper," Dundee said. "I'm Italian, and Hagler does an old Italian dance.

Da-da-duh-duh-da-da-duh. My guy doesn't do that. He slides and glides and don't lose his pride." Pat Petronelli threw a paper wad at Dundee for that one. "Hagler will have nothing to be ashamed of after he loses this fight," Dundee said. "He'll lose, and the Petrone Ilis and I will go out and get a pizza." Ward fight opens card Monday night's seven-bout card will begin at 8 with Lowell welterweight Mickey Ward (12-0) against Kelly Coble of Stockton, Calif.

Coble is 13-5, according to his manager. Ward's fight will be taped for broadcast should the featured bouts run short. Barkley unimpressive winner Iran Barkley, who is supposed to be in line for a bout with top-ranked Herol Graham for Hagler's vacated WBA crown, did' not exactly enhance his stature last night. Fighting outdoors at Caesars Palace, Barkley the No. 2 contender in the WBA, No.

4 in the International Boxing Federation and No. 5 in the WBC scored a controversial unanimous 10-round decision over Jorge Amparo. Though Barkley was credited with knockdowns in the fifth and ninth rounds (the latter of which may have been a slip in the rainy ring), the consensus was that Amparo carried the second half of the fight. "I'm the baddest middleweight around," said Barkley. "I want the other guys in the division to know I'm here to stay." Judging from last night's performance, he won't be long.

Christie triumphs again Terry Christie, the Fighting Physician from Ireland and a middleweight in the Petmnellis' stable, beat Sam Huston on cuts at the end of four rounds on the Barkley-Amparo under-card. Huston suffered two cuts over his left eye, one over his right and one on the bridge of his nose. Christie improved his record to 13-0-1. Steele named referee Richard Steele, who officiated the Hagler-Thomas Hearns title fight, has been named referee for the Hagler-Leonard bout. The judges are Dave Moretti, Lou Fillippo and Jo Jo Guerra.

wwoosow-- since he's fought," Trainer continued, "1 was concerned with him getting in a continuity, in a routine, 1 wanted to keep all the distractions away. When you get 10 or 15 people together in a camp, you have petty things that should not involve him. You get a situation where everyone involved doesn't keep an eye on the target, which is Sugar Ray Leonard preparing to fight Marvin Hagler. This camp has become organized because Juanita has taken a major role. Everything gets screened through her, and very few people want to deal with her because she's a tough lady." So Leonard is completely prepared.

"It's confidence," Trainer said. "He's totally confident of what he's going to do Mondarnight. At most events, you might be able to sense an apprehension. At times, he wasn't as relaxed before a fight. He didn't conduct himself the way he is with us now.

This fight, he knows what he has to Light flooded from the Forum Room as the door opened. Leonard could be seen removing his earphone, laughing. He was met at the door by Washington Redskins tight end Rick Walker, moonlighting as a TV reporter. Leonard invited Walker and his crew back inside the Forum Room. Trainer grabbed someone.

wearing a sweat suit. "What's this?" Trainer said. "Mike, the door opened and they came walking in." the flunky said. "Well, you go in and walk 'em out." Trainer said. "We agreed we weren't going to have any of this.

Come on." More TV crews moved toward the Forum Room door, waiting for their chance. Down the hall, there was a commotion. The Julius Room Leonard's blockers were leading him out of the Julius Room. He walked 10 yards and out a back door to the parking lot, gone. 'Organization." Trainer aqi4 00011.0001.00011111111111111116111111111111111110.00.0111111111111111.11.14147( 1 1 1 I .1 .1.

'7'4 'f "'t. ol, 'is A I Globe staff photosJim Wilson In a reversal of roles, Sugar Ray Leonard (above) was short with his answers while Marvelous Marvin Hagler (below) was relaxed and glib at yesterday's press conference. 4. 44'1 alt Compiled by Steven Marantz, Ian Thomsen, Leigh and Ron Borges 141.