Sports
Friday, June 11, 1982.
Page 16
The Michigan Daily
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Boxer vs. Puncher
Holmes fights for respect against Cooney
By BUDDY MOOREHOUSE Cooney, on the other hand, is about as crafty as a nothing else, tonight's match-up should prc
A Daily Sports Analysis freight train. He has a 25-0 record with 22 knockouts. of the most intense pre-fight staredowns of a
ems that every major fight in the last few His last two opponents, Ron Lyle and Ken Norton, As for the fight itself, the 6-3, 215-pound Ho
has been a case of the boxer against the pun- were decked in the first round. Cooney floats like a be relying on his right jab to wear down t
t started with Sugar Ray Leonard (the boxer) lead zeppelin and stings likea semi. challenger. The 32-year-old champ has help
g Roberto Duran (the puncher). IT IS A much-anticipated fight, for these are of men find their way to the canvas, but his
after Duran decided he wanted no mas in clearly the top two fighters in the division which has power is nowhere near Cooney's.
econd fight, Tommy Hearns became the pun- been going downhill ever since Muhammad Ali Most of that immense power comes from
yLeonard's boxer. decided he wanted to retire before he had his good left hook. And after he put Norton out
V WE HAVE yet another boxer vs. puncher title looks rearranged. Holmes has beat up everyone he overhand right, people began to see that Co
The boxer is undefeated World Boxing Council has faced, but he still can't get the respect he feels is power from both sides.
weight champ Larry Holmes. The puncher is deserved by the heavyweight champ of the world. In experience and ring savvy, Holmes is
ated challenger Gerry Cooney. And the two Enter Cooney, the only chance Holmes has of ear- winner. But he's going to need every bit o
t to square off tonight in Las Vegas in what ning the adultation of the people. Ever sice the 6-7, hopes to win. It doesn't look likely. Holmes
ses to bea classic fight. 222-pound Cooney started earning money for hitting old, at least compared to his 25-year-oldo
ses carries a 39-0 record into the bout, with 11 people in 1977, the boxing world has anticipated a and Cooney just looks too good at this point.
sful title defenses after winning the belt from showdown with Holmes. If Holmes can beat the Great
orton on June 9, 1978. All but one of those defen- White Hope, he will finally get the respect he wants. PREDICTION: Cooney by a knockout in
ve been by knockout, but Holmes' reputation is Another thing making this fight interesting is the
a crafty, ring-wise boxer. genuine dislike the two men have for each other. In
Holmes' case, it borders on hate. He refers to Cooney
as "The Great White Dope." Every fight is preceded
by a build-up in which the two fighters say nasty
things about each other, but in this case it's real.
THE TWO almost came to blows last November 6,
when Holmes recovered after getting knocked down
to KO Renaldo Snipes. Holmes was being interviewed
by ABC's Howard Cosell after the bout, when Cooney
came up from behind. Holmes took off after him, but
Cosell was the only casualty (to the delight of many,
no doubt), suffering a cut lip.
Charges of racism from both sides have also been
flying in the training camps, heightening the hype. If
The tale of the tape
ovide one
1l time.
lmes will
he slower
ed plenty
knockout
Cooney's
with an
oney had
the clear
of it if he
is getting
opponent,
Round 7.
1 !
I
4
Agei.........................
W eight ......................
Height ......................
Reach .......................
Chest (normal)..............
Biceps ......................
Forearm ....................
Waist .......................
Thigh .......................
Calf .........................
Neck ........................
Wrist ........................
Fist .........................
Holmes
32
215
6-3
81
43%
153/4
13
35
25
16
17%
8
13%/
Cooney
25
222
6-7
81
44
17
14
35
24%
16
191%2
8
121/
4
4
The champion-Holmes
Connors
advance
in London
tourney
LONDON (AP)- John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors,
tuning their game for Wimbledon, moved into the quarter-
finals of the Stella Artois tennis tournament at the Queen's
Club yesterday and were on course to meet in Sunday's final.
But Connors had to fight his way out of a tight corner in a
tiebreaker before defeating Hank Pfister 7-6, 6-4. McEnroe
rolled past John Sadri 6-3, 6-2.
PFISTER LED 5-3 in the tiebreaker in the first set and
Connors was in danger of losing a set for the first time in the
$172,000 tourney, a warm-up on grass courts before Wim-
bledon.
Pfister lost his chancre, first scooping a half volley into the
net and then missing the baseline with a lob. Connors played
one of his best shots, a flashing forehand return down the
line, to clinch the set.
The quarterfinals lineup: McEnroe vs. Chip Hooper, U.S.;
Fritz Buehning, U.S., vs. Chris Lewis, New Zealand; Brian
Gottfried, U.S., vs. Kevin Gurren, South Africa; and Mark
Edmondson, Australia, vs. Connors.
MCENROE, WHO has been nursing an ankle injury, ad-
mitted it would be difficult to get rid of the trouble completely
before he defends his Wimbledon title.
__ ne cnuenger--umney
"But I was moving better than in any other match since I -
started playing in Britain last week," McEnroe said. "I can
hardly expect the ankle to get much better, because it's tough
playing on grass day after day."
A big crowd watched Hooper, the most exciting American
newcomer to Europe, wield his tremendous service to beat
Australia's Paul McNamee 6-4, 6-2.
THE 6-6 American rested for five days after the French
Open because of an arm injury.
"It's fine now," Hooper said. "Before coming here I had
played only two or three weeks on grass in my life.
"At first I thought I was getting bad bounces. Now the ball
is bouncing better, and I guess it's because I'm getting ac-
climated."
Buehning tamed Eddie Edwards of South Africa, the tour-
nament's only giantkiller so far, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4. Edwards had
upset Sandy Mayer, the No. 3 seed, in the previous round
Wednesday.
Gottfried won a duel of booming services to edge Pat Dupre
4-6, 6-4, 6-3. Few rallies lasted for more than two or three
strokes as the two Americans slammed cannonballs at each
other on the fast, skiddy grass.
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4