1 SPORTS
Pugilistic
Politics
State boxing commissioner
Dr. Stuart Kirschenbaum has
survived political battles to lead
Michigan's boxing reformation
MIKE ROSENBAUM
Sports Writer
11) r. Stuart Kirschenbaum
is justifiably proud of his
many achievements as
Michigan's boxing com-
missioner.
Since his election as chairman of
the nine-member Michigan Athletic
Board of Control in 1982, Kirschen-
baum successfully spearheaded a
drive to eliminate the "toughman"
competitions in Michigan, where un-
professional boxers fought a series of
elimination bouts in one day, with the
champion taking home a cash prize.
The board cracked down on pro
mismatches, featuring "professional
opponents" whose role it was to lose
— preferably by knockout — to a much
better fighter. It totally rewrote the
state's boxing rules, adding new safe-
ty features.
When the rules were changed in
1985, Kirschenbaum intended to get
the board out of the business of
regulating pro wrestling programs,
which the state sanctions as exhibi-
tions. But the 42-year-old podiatrist
finally met his political match.
"There was a very heavy lobby
put on me," Kirschenbaum confessed,
"by my 10-year-old son (Storm), to sort
of hold back for awhile, while dad was
in charge of professional wrestling?'
Kirschenbaum adds, seriously, that
the state will continue to regulate
wrestling for safety and to prevent a
loophole which the toughman pro-
moters might use to gain a new
foothold in Michigan.
A lifelong boxing fan, Kirschen-
baum is a world-class boxing judge.
He does not judge fights in Michigan,
but works on many title bouts outside
the state.
Born and raised in Brooklyn,
Kirschenbaum attended Michigan
State University to study veterinary
medicine. By the time he graduated,
with a BS in zoology, he was disen-
chanted with the business end of that
profession and returned to New York
to enroll in the College of Podiatric
Medicine in Manhattan.
At age 22, he decided to do
something about his love for boxing.
Most fans of sports such as baseball
and basketball have played those
games, Kirschenbaum says, "But
those of us who enjoy watching box-
ing, a minority have ever really put
some gloves on and actually par-
ticipated in the sport?'
Kirschenbaum went to the Clin-
ton Youth Center gym, he says, "just
walked in off the street from school
one day and said I'd like to box. And
I felt I had some sort of natural abili-
ty doing it, and I joined the gym in
mid-town Manhattan that had just a
fantasitc ethnic mix of Irish and Puer- _
to Rican and black — I was the only
Jew — and I would go there every day
after school and train and get in the
ring and just spar and sort of think
`what am I doing here?' Go home with
a headache every night, then try to
study. But you get caught up in it. It's
almost like a contagious disease that
I couldn't get rid of. I just got totally
into it, entered the New York Golden
Gloves as a light heavyweight and
was fairly successful, making it to the
semifinals until I dislocated a
shoulder and that put an end to it?'
ROUND UP
Maccabi Club
Sets Tryouts
The Detroit Maccabi Club
has set the following dates for
tryouts and organization
meetings for all 13 sports in
which they will participate at
the 1988 North American
Maccabi Youth Games. The
games will be held in
Chicago, Aug. 18-25. Jewish
girls and boys who will be bet-
ween the ages of 13 and 16 as
of Aug. 1 are eligible. Unless
otherwise stated, tryouts and
meetings will be held at the
Maple/Drake Jewish Com-
munity Center.
Boys' soccer tryouts: Feb. 21
and 28, 3-5 p.m. both days.
Boys' and girls' volleyball
meetings: Feb. 28, 1:30 p.m.
Boys' and girls' tennis
42
FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 1988
tryouts: Feb. 28, 7 p.m.,
Franklin Racquet Club.
Boys' and girls' gymnastics
meeting: Feb. 28, 1:30 p.m.
Boys' karate meeting: Feb.
28, 1:30 p.m. •
Boys' wrestling meeting:
Feb. 28, 1:30 p.m.
Boys' and girls' table tennis
tryouts: March 6, 1:30 p.m.,
location not set.
Girls' basketball tryouts:
March 6 and 13, 7 p.m. both
days.
Boys' basketball tryouts:
March 6 and 13, 5 p.m. both
days.
Boys' and girls' softball
meeting and practice: March
6 and 13, 3-5 p.m. both days.
Boys' and girls' track and
field meeting: March 7, 8 p.m.
Boys' and girls' racquet-
ball/squash meeting and
tryouts: March 13, 2 p.m.
Boys' and girls' swimming
meeting: March 20, 1:30 p.m.
Parents are urged by the
Maccabi Club to attend the
organizational meetings to
obtain all details of tryouts
and participation in the
games. Participants may com-
pete in more than one sport.
For further information call
the Maccabi Club, 661-5240.
Honey Berris
Play Opens
The Honey Berris men's
five-on-five basketball league
opened at the Maple/Drake
Jewish Community Center
last week with two close
games.
On Jan. 13, Paul Moskowitz
hit a last-minute free throw to
give the Lakers a 37-36 win
over the Knicks. Mike Rich
paced the Laker attack with
12 points while Knick coach
Tony Sanders led all scorers
with 13 points.
The 76'ers went into over-
time to win their opener,
55-48 over the Rockets. The
76'ers outscored their oppo-
nent 9-2 in overtime. Howard
Heicklon scored 13 for the
76'ers, Donnell Williams had
17 for the Rockets.
On Jan. 17, the Pistons out-
scored the Mavericks, 66-48.
Aaron Fowler tallied 25
points for the winners, Bob
Geller had 24 in defeat.
The Bulls used a well-
balanced attack to down the
Celtics, 56-41. Former
University of Michigan guard
Dave Baxter tallied 12 points
for the Bulls. The Celts were
led by Steve Rosen, with 16.
Akiva Drops
Court Rematch
The Akiva basketball team
lost its rematch with Liberty
Christian last Sunday, 50-29
at the Maple/Drake Jewish
Community Center. Akiva,
1-1, beat Liberty in its season
opener, 30-29, Jan. 5.
"They had something to
prove because we beat 'ern the
last time," said Akiva coach
Gary Yashinsky.
Joel Finkelman led Akiva
with 10 points. Noam
Koenigsberg scored seven,
Danny Najman six, Yariv
Misgav three, Hershel
Goulson two and Tal Sharon
one.
Akiva visits Southfield
Manoogian at 8 p.m., Jan. 26.