Page 10-Wednesday, July 8, 1981-The Michigan Daily
SPOR TS OF THE DAILY
Hearns, Leonard fight finalized
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NEW YORK (AP) - The long-
awaited meeting of Sugar Ray Leonard
and Thomas Hearns will take place in
Las Vegas Sept. 16, with officials saying
yesterday thatthe fight for the univer-
sal welterweight championship could
produce a record gross of up to $50
million.
Leonard and Hearns, with just one
loss between them in 63 professional
bouts, will fight in a specigl arena being
built on the grounds of Caesars Palace.,
Tickets will start at $50 and go to $500
for ringside.
THE EXPECTED capacity crowd of
25,000will be joined by an estimated 1.5
million fans at closed-circuit outlets
and another one million viewers on a
cable-television network.
Dubbed "The Showdown" by the
promoters, the fight probably is the.
most widely anticipated since
Leonard's bouts against Roberto Duran
last year.
The fight will pit Leonard's classic
boxing style and growing reputation for
theatrics in the ring against Hearns'
devastating punches and sobering gaze.
IT ALSO WILL present a chance for
Hearns, an unheralded figure despite
his 32-0record, to step out of the shadow
of Leonard, 32-1, 1976 Olympic cham-
pion who has become well known from
both fighting and frequent TVap-
pearances in commercials and as a
ringside commentator.
Hearns is the World -Boxing
Association's welterweight champion,
while Leonard is the World Boxing
Council's 147-pound titleholder.
"I've waited 2 years for this fight,"
Hearns, known as "the Detroit Hit
Man," said at a news conference to
promote the bout. "I have a lot of
respect for Ray. He's not a pushover,
somebody you can walk over. But
you've been ducking me, Ray, and it's
time you got what's coming."
LEONARD SAID the bout would be
"what I consider the greatest boxing
match in history."
"I once said about a fight with a
$1,000 ringside seat that the people
pricing the tickets must be crazy," said
the fighter from Palmer Park, Md.
' But I'd pay $1,000 to watch this fight."
Dan Duva, head of Main Event
Productions Inc., promoter of the fight,
refused to disclose the size of the purse.
But it was learned that guarantees had
been made of 18 million to Hearns,
with the possibility of percentages from
various gate and related receipts
pushing the figures higher.
Plucknet breaks record
STOCKHOLM - American Ben
Plucknett broke his own world record in
the discus throw with a mighty toss of
237 feet, four inches, shattering the
mark he set earlier this year of 233'7",
at an international meet here yester-
day.
Plucknett defeated a world-class
field, which included former world
record holders Wolfgang Schmidt of
East Germany, who finished second
with a throw 2267", John Powell of the
United States (third with a 217 /,"
toss), and Mac Wilkins of the U.S.
(seventh, 2001 2").
A number of other outstanding per-
formances highlighted this meet.
Sebastian Coe of England, world record
holder in the 1,000-meter and 800-meter
runs, almost broke countryman Steve
Ovett's 1500 meter mark of 3:31.36, as
he won the 1500 here in 3:31.95.
American Steve Scott was second in
3:34.17, and Eammon Coughlan of
Ireland, the indoor record holder in the
mile (3:50.6) was fifth in 3:38.99.
Britain's Keith Stock upset 1980
Olympic champ Wladyslaw
Kozakiewicz of Poland in the pole vault.
Stock's 18'6%" took the measure of the '
Pole's18'1".
Other Americans competing in the
meet included Dwayne Evans, who won
the 100 meter dash in 10.26 seconds,
Howard Henley, who finished second in
the 400 meter dash (45.93 seconds)
behind Sweden's Eric Josjo (45.63),
Madeline Manning, the 1968 gold
medalist in the Olympic 800, won that
event here in 2:01.14, and Matt Cen-
trowitz placed second in the 5,000 meter
run (13:24.92), behind the 13:23.79 of
West Germany's Christof Herle.
Saints pick Wilson
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The New
Orleans Saints picked Illinois quarter-
back David Wilson in the first round of
the National Football League's sup-
plemental draft yesterday, the first.
time a player has gone that high in such
a draft.
"We thought that - for sure - we
had to take him in the first round," said
Harry Hulmes, director of footbnall
operations for the Saints.
NEW ORLEANS gave up its first-
round pick in 1982 for the Wilson choice.
Teams drafted in reverse order of
their 1980 finish. Saints Coach Bum
Phillips has said he does not expect the
team - which finished 1-15 last season
- to have the worst record in the NFL
next year and might not have the chan-
ce to pick a quality quarterback.
The supplemental draft is open to all
college athletes who became eligible
following the regular draft. Wilson
became eligible after losing a court
fight for another year at Illinois.
Even before his suit was decided by a
federal judge in Peoria, Ill., it was pret-
ty well known that the Saints would
choose the 6-foot-3, 215-pound player,
who broke or tied 23 Illinois passing
records last season.
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MCCLOSKEY NOT WORRIED:
Pistons far
PONTIAC (AP) - Detroit Pistons.
General Manager Jack McCloskey says
he isn't worried about statements by
two top draft picks, Isiah Thomas and
Kelly Tripucka, that they want to be
traded if they aren't paid what they
think they're worth.
"If someone wants to make us a big
offer, we'll let them go," McCloskey
told the Detroit News on Monday. Mc-
Closkey is in Los Angeles for the
National Basketball Association team's
summer pro leaue season.
,THOMAS SAID he and his agent,
George Andrews, are asking the
Pistons for close to $500,000 a year for
four years.
"They don't seem to be in any hurry
to sign me. We're not even close," said
the former Indiana University guard.
"It looks like I'll ask to be traded."
"I GUESS I feel like Isiah," Tripucka
from signing Thomas*
said. "If it gets to the point where we're "We're not worried. We expect to
not getting close, maybe I won't be able reach an agreement," he said.
to play ball in Detroit." "We don't want to trade them, even if
McCloskey told the Detroit Free that's what they say they want. As long
Press on Monday that he's not bothered as they sign before camp begins in
by the threats early October nothing's wr-no"
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UNIVERSIY OF THE PHILIPPINES
CONCERT CHORUS
Ploce: rhe FiSt Presh 0rien Church THURSDAY
1423 Washtenaw JULY 9
(Between S. University & Hill Streets) 8 Pm
A CONCERT OF PHILIPPINE TRADITIONAL,
PHILIPPINE POPULAR, AND
INTERNATiONAL SACRED AND FOLK MUSIC.
TICKET INFORMATION: Phone 662-5529 or 971-5723
CONTRIBUTION: $3.00 (students, $1.00). Tickets available at
the concert, Proceeds for student scholarships.
THE DETROIT PISTONS' number one draft choice, Isiah Thomas, said the
Pistons seem in no hurry to sign him and he thinks he will ask to be traded.
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