The Herald-News from Passaic, New Jersey • 39

Friday, October 10, 2003 B6 HERALD NEWS SPORTS HOCKEY Idea Ruiz ready Devils need just one game to find power production By DAN ROSEN Herald News next" That was the case for most of last season, when the Devils had the worst power play in the NHL during the regular season. So, what's different now? The answer could be center Igor Larionov. The 42-year-old Russian has acted as a quarterback of the power play unit for most of his career, and he's given the Devils an intangible they were lacking last year. Larionov, who assisted on two of the three goals, is smart enough to imow in order to score a power play goal, the setup is what matters most And, to take advantage of the advantage, patience is key. "You have to spend time to setup the play, and you have to know when you step on the ice what you want to do," Larionov said.

WEST ORANGE The Devils' power play is No. 1 in the league. OK, so only six teams had played before the nine scheduled games Thursday night, but those same Devils that needed seven games last season to net their third power play goal did it 49 minutes and 34 seconds into the first game of this season. The Devils scored all three of their goals in the 3-3 tie at Boston Wednesday night with a man advantage. They accomplished that feat only twice last season.

"It's only one game," warned Devils coach Pat Burns. "As much as you're power play is hot one night, it can be stinkin' cold the THE FINAL BELL: NOTES I NOTES Promoter Don King said Thursday that 'WBO heavyweight champ Corrie Sanders (39-2, 29 K0s) has relinquished his title to sign with him. Thus Vladimir Klitschko (41-2, 38 K0s) will probably battle Los Angeles' 'Amon Brewster, another King fighter, for the WBO belt later this year. South Africa's Sanders surprisingly knocked out Klitschko in the second round on March 8 in Hannover, Germany, to win the crown, but threatened to sue the WBO for forcing him to box Brewster (29-2, 26 K0s). Showtime will re-broadcast the James Toney-Evander Hol3rfieldijoel Casamayor-Diego Corrales doubleheader Saturday at 10 p.m.

Toney (67-4-3, 43 K0s) dominated Holyfield (38-7-2, 25 K0s) en route to a ninth-round TKO win on Saturday night at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. In an entertaining co feature between former 130-pound champions, Casamayor (30- 1, 19 K0s) stopped Corrales (37-2, 31 K0s) after six rounds because cuts inside Corrales' mouth prohibited him from continuing. Bouts between IBF junior middleweight champ Ronald "Wmky" Wright (45-3, 25 K0s) and Angel Hernandez (264, 16 K0s), the IBF's sixth-ranked contender, was added Thursday to the Roy Jones Tarver undercard on Nov. 8 in Las Vegas. Incidentally, representatives for Jones and Tarver were still haggling late Thursday over ego-related dilemmas that have prevented both fighters from signing final contracts.

But Brad Jacobs, Jones' advisor, is confident that such issues as determining who will enter the ring first for the IBRIBOWBC light heavyweight title fight will be resolved. Jones (48-1, 38 K0s) and Tarver (21- 1, 17 K0s) will headline an HBO Pay-Per-View show from Mandalay Bay that night Famed managerhistorian Bill Cayton was remembered throughout the week as an honest, innovative, tough businessman based on a career that spanned six decades in the sport. "I think Bill will be greatly missed," King, a Cayton rival, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "He was a strong competitor, very obstinate in his ways. However, he was very good for the sport of boxing and he was a class guy." Cayton died of lung cancer on Saturday at age 85.

Perhaps Cayton's greatest gift to boxing was his fight film library, which he sold to Disney in 1998 for a reported $80 million. Cayton co-managed Mike Tyson (50-4, 44 KOs, 2 NC) during Tyson's dominant tenure as heavyweight champ from 1986-89. Cayton also managed Paterson super middleweight contender Omar Sheika (23-5, 16 K0s) during the first four years of Sheika's career and helped make the Palestinian-American-power puncher a popular television fighter on ESPN2 and USA Network. Hot heavyweight Dominick Guinn (23-0, 17 K0s) will.participate in a non-televised, tune-up bout against an undetermined opponent on Nov. 22 in Houston.

Then he'll be back on HBO in early 2004, perhaps against the first Top 10 foe of his three-year career. "I'm ready for whoever my promoter (Bloomfield-based Main Events) wants to put me in there with," Guinn said, "because I know they won't put me in with someone they don't think I can beat." Guinn, of Hot Springs, defeated onetime contender Michael Grant (38-3, 29 K0s) by seventh-round TKO and huge Nigerian prospect Duncan Doldwari (22-2, 19 K0s) by unanimous decision in back-to-back HBO bouts over the last four months. Tickets ($60) remain available for the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame's 34th Annual Dinner and Induction Ceremony on Nov. 13 in Garfield. Television analysttrainer Teddy Atlas, Wayne trainer Tommy Brooks and IBF president Marian Muhammad are among those that comprise the 14-member class.

To purchase tickets andor ad space in the program ($150 full page; $80 half page; $50 quarter page), call 973-471-2458. Keith Idec Continued from B1 Wayne resident David Tua (42-3- 1, 37 K0s) refused to sign a contract to fight former champ Hasim Rahman (35-4-1, 29 K0s) a third time, Ruiz readily agreed to meet Rahman on Dec. 13. They'll fight for the WBA's interim championship because Jones has at least temporarily moved back down to light heavyweight "It's time for me to move on and re-establish myself in the boxing world," Ruiz (38-5-1, 27 K0s) said. "It's a great opportunity, one I couldn't let go by.

After all the problems I've been through, it's another way to get all my frustrations out "(The last few months have) been very difficult For a couple months I've been focusing on my personal life, trying to be there as much as I can for my kids and do the best I can as a father. But I'm at the point now where I've established myself with my kids and I'm past all those problems." Big bets, death threats, etc. Fonner WBA middleweight champ William joppy got the first real rise out of undisputed champ Bernard Hopkins in more than two years Thursday at the press conference to announce their Dec. 13 fight in Atlantic ay. Joppy (34-2-1, 25 K0s) criticized Hopkins (42-2-1, 31 MN) for merely making two mandatory defenses since his career-defining defeat of then-unbeaten Felix Trinidad (41- 1, 34 K0s) on Sept 29, 2001.

'Tall want to see The Executioner' get Joppy asked. "He's sitting there, that he beat Trinidad, patting himself on the back. But this is do or die forme, and I ain't trying to die." Hopkins patiently waited for the typically tranquil loppy to finish speaking, then grew agitated as Joppy's supporters shouted disrespectful comments from the crowd assembled at the New York Hilton. Hopkins challenged Joppy's buddies to match his $50,000 personal bet on the fight or "shut your mouths." "I was going to be polite today and not say anything," the ever-talkative Hopkins said. "But he just signed his own death warrant If you think that he has a chance to go past five munds, then bet on him.

I want his life. There, I said it" Hopkins later left the dais to physically challenge loppy's supporters, but was restrained. A little later, wacky WBAWorid Booing Council welterweight champ Rim Mayorga (25-3-1, 22 KOs, 2 NC) challenged International Boxing Federation cham Cory Sphilts (31-2, 11 K0s) to a on the dais after Spinks stated that he would defeat the cocky Costa Rican in their partial unification fight on Dec. 13. 'They said my dad (Leon) wasn't going to beat Muhammad Ali," Spinks said.

'They said my uncle (Michael) wasn't going to beat Larry Holmes. Now they're saying that I won't beat this bum. They say boxing is an art, and on Dec. 13 I'm going to paint me a beautiful Mayorga promptly challenged Spinks and took off his jacket, but they were separated before any punches were thrown. "You say your whole family is (dead)," Mayorga said, in reference to Spinks' mention of his deceased mother.

"Well, I'm going to reunite you with your whole family. I will retire you from boxing The worst mistake you made was signing that contract" Toney's abundance of options His dominant performance against four-time former heavyweight champ Evander Holyfield (38-7-2, 25 K0s) has left IBF cmiserweight champ James Toney (67-4-2, 43 K0s) in the most prosperous position of his 14-year career. Toney has viable heavyweight options in RIF champ Chris Byrd (37-2, 20 K0s) and Roy Jones Jr. (48-1, 38 Ws), and wouldn't walk away from a chance to Lace former champ Alike Tyson (50-4, 44 KOs, 2 NC). Toney won't, however, allow Jones to dictate terms of their rematch if Jones beats Antonio Tamer (21-1, 17 K0s) on Nov.

8 and seeks to fight Toney again. "Jones is Toney said Thursday on a conference call "I'm bixer than him now. I'm getting more of the spotlight You call this guy the greatest pound-for-pound fighter. That's bull. If he's the greatest, fight the top guys out there.

If Jones wants to fight Me now, he can come see me. I'm not going to chase him." Toney-Byrd, an interesting tactical encounter, could be staged somewhere in Michigan, the home state of both boxers. But facing Tyson would obviously landed Toney a bigger purse. "I would put a tattoo on the other side of his face," Toney said. "If you think you're bi er and stronger than me, prove it.

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