The Michigan Daily-Saturday, September 16, 1978-Page 'I unanimous over S He's still the greatest By UPI and Associted Press NEW ORLEANS, La. - Muhammad Ali turned back the clock and made Leon Spinks look like an amateur last night to take a lopsided 15- round unanimous decision and become the only three-time world heavyweight champion in boxing history. Ali, dancing and jabbing better at the age of 36 than he has in three years, appeared to in every round except the fifth, which was taken away from him be referee Lucien Joubert for holding Spinks by the neck. A Mardi Gras-type crowd of over 70,000 in the Louisiana Superdome, which paid an estimated $6 million to more than double the previous live gate record, chanted "Ali, Ali," as it saw him win possibly the last fight of his legendary career. Circling the 25-year-old Spinks, the former Olympic light heavyweight gold medalist who was fighting only his ninth professional bout, Ali flicked jabs and combinations to_ the head relentlessly. Nearly every time Spinks mounted one of his wild charges, Ali tied him up expertly. The World Boxing Council did not recognize the 15-round bout as a cham- pionship contest, but, it would be dif- ficult to convince anyone watching on this night that Ali is not the champion of the world. Ali himself had said before the fight that if he won, he would consider him- self champion because WBA king Larry Holmes is a paper champion. Many people had come to New Orleans because they thought it might be Ali's last hurrah. It might be that-Ali has indicated he would not fight again even if he wins-but then again, this incredible athlete might keep rolling along just like the mighty Mississippi River. Immediately after the fight, the once- again champion said he would have to think about whether he would fight again. Judge Ernest Cojoe and referee Lucien Juibert each scored it 10 rounds for Ali, four for Spinks and one even. Judge Herman Dueitriex called it 11-4 for Ali. "It's my biggest fight because I'm older and I realize it's my last fight," Ali had said before his 24th heavyweight championship bout. It might not be his last fight, and on this night, Ali did not look 36 years old. Ali never really let Spinks get star- ted. And for most of the night, Spinks looked like a young man making his ninth pro fight rather than the heavyweight champion of the year. which he became by upsetting Ali on a split 15-round decision in Las Vegas last Feb. 15. On that night, Ali tired visibly as Spinks came on to win the last three rounds in impressive fashion. But on this evening, Ali was in shape and in charge from start to finish, and as the. fight drew to a close, the only way Spinks could win was by a knockout. The 25-year-old from a St. Louis ghet- to never came close to hurting Ali, a man who takes a punch as well as any heavyweight who ever lived. AP Photo THE TENSION IS HIGH and the action fast and furious as challenger Muhammed Ali is cornered by WBA champion Li Spinks in the opening round of last night's 15-round championship fight before 70,000 fans in the Louisiana Superdome. AP Photo HISTORY RELIVED itself last night in New Orleans, Louisiana, as Muhammed Ali once again recaptured the WBA heavyweight championship witha= decisive 15-round victory over champion Leon Spinks, Ali is shown throwing a sharp right atthe ducking Spinks. NBA TEAM OPENS CRISLER CAMP: N.Y.,Tigei New York 4, Boston 0 NEW YORK (AP)-Ron Guidry mastered Boston on two hits and Chris Chambliss and Graig Nettles slammed successive home runs in a four-run fourth inning, propelling the rampaging New York Yankees to a 4-0 victory over the Red Sox last night in the opener of their crucial three-game weekend series. The triumph, New York's ninth in its last 10 games and its fifth straight over Boston, extended the Yankees' lead in the American League East to '2% games over the Red Sox. Boston has lost four in a row and 13 or its last 16 games. Guidry, who blanked the Red Sox on. two hits last Saturday in Boston, yielded only Rick Burleson's third- inning double and Fred Lynn's seventh- inning single, raising his record to 22-2. The lanky left-hander, who struck out five and walked three, has won his last seven decisions and nine of his lasst 10-six of them shutouts. Detroit 1, Cleveland 0 CLEVELAND (AP)-Dave Rozema pitched a four-hitter and Rusty Staub hit a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning to score Ron LeFlore with the only run as the Detroit Tigers nipped the Cleveland Indians 1-0 last night. Rozema, 8-10, beat the Indians with a complete game for the second time in rs both win six days, having stopped the Indians with a five-hitter on Saturday. He out- dueled Paul Reuschel, 2-3, who limited the Tigers to eight hits before giving way to Sid Monge in the ninth. LeFlore opened the sixth inning with an. infield hit, stole second-his 63rd steal of the season-and went to third on a sacrifice by Lou Whitaker before coming home on Staub's long fly to left. OPEN TONIGHT 'til I A.M. " Billiards * Pinball and * Bowling WM-4 at the UNION ;t' Vitale: Pistons talent-shy BY ALAN FANGER Bob Lanier gracefully strutted about Crisler Arena, his knees showing no signs of previous battle wounds. Kevin Porter chatted - with some old teammates and made acquaintance with some new ones. He was glad to be back. And Dick Vitale talked and smiled, talked and smiled ... Everyone was smiling. Not that it was a new custom at Detroit Piston press days - smiles are the norm for such events. Only these smiles were genuine. Especially Vitale's. This was a man fulfilling a dream - to be a professional basketball coach. A cautious optimism permeated the Crisler confines as the pistons opened their two-week training camp in preparation for the 1978-79 season. "We don't yet have the talent to be a 'championship team," Vitale candidly commented. "What we need is a forward who is a good perimeter shooter, and right now, we don't have one. xThe former University of Detroit head coach, appointed in May to take the reins of a team which went 38-44 and missed the playoffs in '77-'78, indicated a willingness to give up one of the Pistons' three first-round draft choices in 1979 in order to obtain a good shooting forward, provided that he "gives us more than just a year." Vitale plans to experiment this year, particularly on offense. "I'm going to try Leon (Douglas) in the pivot and move Bob (Lani'er) over to forward, because I know he can shoot from that position," he said, adding that Lanier, who underwent knee surgery last spring, would determine himself how much he is able to play. Six players have "sewed up" spots on the team, according to Vitale. They are Lanier, Douglas, forwards John Shumate and M. L. Carr, -and guards Chris Ford and Kevin Porter. Porter was reacquired last week in a trade which sent Eric Money to the New Jersey Nets. The other five' spots are considered "open", and Vitale has rebuffed any favoritism toward former U-D stars Terry Tyler and John Long. "Yes, I do have a special feeling for these guys, he said. "But if they're not good enough to make it, they'll be cut." There is a general feeling that Detroit's realignment to the Central Division might very well hurt them, although Vitale thinks a .500 record sports a good chance at a playoff spot. "The experts have us fifth behind Houston, San Antonio, Atlanta, and Cleveland, but it's far too early to tell yet what's going to happen." Now that the 38-year-old New Jersey native has hit the "big time", he will have to rectify problems which never arose while he was at U-D. Like losing streaks. "I know there will be times when we'rekon the West coast, let's say, and we lose three or four straight. I think I can handle this sort of thing. If the guys in the front office don't think so, then I'll have to find another job." Can Vitale command the respect of his players, a difficult task of late, without having any playing experience? Vitale coolly responded, "Does a doctor have to have a heart attack to be able to perform open heart surgery?" The Pistons open their exhibition schedule on Sunday, Sept. 24, as they host the Cleveland Cavaliers at Crisler. Regular season action begins Oct. 13 when Detroit ,makes its Silverdome debut against the New Jersey Nets. SCORES and pick up the Detroit 1, Cleveland 0 day of the game Oakland 1, Texas 0 (second game, night) Baltimore 8, Toronto 3 Pittsburgh i, Montreal 1 New York 4, Boston 0 St. Louis 6, Chicago 2 Pittsburgh 6, Montreall1 INTRAMURAL OFFICIALS " Nike * Adidas * Tiger " Brooks " New Balance NEEDED /11 Learn a Lifetime Sports Activity Come to the following clinics at the Intramural Sports Bldg. 606 E Hoover ^1 Make Us Your Warm-Up Headquarters for This Fall * Adidas " Winning Ways 4.