Sports
Page 16 Saturday, June 12, 1982 The Michigan Daily
Holmes beats Cooney
By BUDDY MOOREHOUSE
Specialto the Daily
DETROIT- Maybe now Larry
Holmes will get the respect he's been
craving.
A flurry of punches near the end of
the 13th roupd by the World Boxing
Council Heavyweight champion sent
challenger Gerry Cooney down for the
second time last night in Las Vegas.
And much to the delight of the crowd
watching the bout on closed circuit
television at Joe Louis Arena, that's
where the fight ended.
THE LOSS was the first in the young
career of the 25-year-old Cooney, who
saw his record fall to 25-1.
After an uneventful first round, a
right jab by Holmes to the head of
Cooney, knocked the challenger to the
canvas. After the standing eight-count,
Cooney recovered and finished the
round on his feet.
Cooney came back strong in the fourth
changing from his usual pattern of left
hooks to left jabs, several of which
stunned Holmes.
Cooney was staggered in the sixth by
a flurry from the champion, and it
looked as if he would hit the canvas for
a second time but he came on strong at
the end with a flurry of lefts before the
bell.
Cooney landed one of his best punches
in the 10th round, but it wasn't pretty.
As he was throwing the combination,
Cooney threw a hard left uppercut
which caught Holmes in the groin. The
fight was stopped for a minute for
Holmes to regain himself.
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Kenty victorious
in comeback
By BUDDY MOOREHOUSE
Specialto the Daily
DETROIT - "I don't think there's
any doubt," Hilmer Kenty said last
night. "Let everybody know that
Hilmer Kenty is back."
After a 14-month layoff and a poten-
tially career-ending detached retina,
there was indeed some doubt that the
former World Boxing Association
Lightweight champion could make a
comeback. But after the fourth round
of last night's fight at Joe Louis Arena,
those doubts went down quicker than
Chris Fernandez.
KENTY PUT Ferndandez down once
in the third round and twice more in the
fourth, and after the last knockdown,
Fernandez had seen enough. He stayed
on the canvas for the full eight counts,
giving Kenty his 21st win against just
one defeat.
Fernandez, a journeyman veteran of
over 60 professional fights, went down
in the third round when Kenty threw a
left hook. In the fourth, a right upper-
cut sent Fernandez to the canvas for the
second time. The third strike was a
right hook, and that proved to be all for
the Dominican Republic native.
"I was really, really nervous before
the fight," Kenty said. "I knew I would
win, but I wanted to look good in front of
the Detroit people."
AS FOR THE eye which he injured
over a year ago, Kenty said, "So far, so
good. I didn't think about it one time
when I was out there."
Kenty said he was glad the fight en-
ded when it did. "I think if it went into
the later rounds," Kenty said, "This
guy could have given me trouble."
Kenty will fight again next month and
hopes for a match two or three fights
down the line against current WBA
Lightweight champion Ray "Boom-
boom" Mancini.
In an eight-round Junior Mid-
dleweight undercard bout, Kenty's
brother Forrest Winchester scored a
unanimous decision over Terry Butler.
Winchester battered Butler in the four-
th round, but couldn't put him away.
Butler fought back furiously, but Win-
chester held on for the win.
In a six-round Junior Middleweight
bout, Clarkston's Brett Lally scored a
unanimous decision. over Detroit's
Kenny Smith. The two went toe-to-toe in
a wild fight, thrilling the small turnout
of fans at Joe Louis Arena.
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AP Photo
Referee Bobby Watson counts out Chris Fernandez as Hilmer Kenty raises
his arms after last night's fourth-round knockout. It was Kenty's first fight
since losing the WBA Lightweight title in April 1980.
Tilis pounds Shavers
LAS VEGAS, Nev. (AP)- James for the final two rounds. He tagged
"Quick" Tillis scored a unanimous 10- Tillis with an overhand right midway
round decision over veteran Earnie through the ninth round, decking him.
Shavers last night on the undercard of Then Shavers swarmed in, but Tillis
the Gerry Cooney-Larry Holmes World hung on to survive the round.
Boxing Council heavyweight cham- The bout was marred by several ex-
pionship match. changes after the bell, and Shavers
Tillis recovered from the only knock- twice staggered Tillis that way in the
down of the fight in the ninth round to second and fourth rounds.
pound Shavers in the 10th and had the Shavers also had the third round
38-year-old journeyman on the ropes at taken away by referee Joey Curtis
the final bell. because of a foul.
SHAVERS suffered a cut over his TILLIS, ranked No. 8 by the WBC,
right eye and was troubled by the injury weighed 217 to Shavers' 209112.
Illinois on a basketball scholarship this through his freshman year," said Lee.
fall. The newspaper said a 10-month in-
Winters, highly sought after by vestigation revealed that Winters' four-
recruiters, was considered by scouts to year course book was redone com-
be one of the top prep prospects in the pletely to show higher grades than he
nation. originally had received.
Under a broad interpretion of a Board However, the Sun-Times said that
of Education rule, a school's principal even with the changed grades, Winters
may change grades at his discretion, does not have enough credits to
the newspaper said. But Lee denied that graduate. Winters is now on an in-
rule was used in this case, saying that dependent study program to make up a
Winters' transcript was stolen during course in American history required by
his junior year and his academic record the state for graduation.
reconstructed exactly from classroom THE NEWSPAPER also said there is
records. no evidence that the University of
HIS CLASSROOM teachers have his Illinois was involved in the alleged
individual grades all the way back grade-changing.
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CHICAGO (AP) - King High School
"ie " .Principal Joseph Lee yesterday termed
It li t "character assassination" a published
report that he kept basketball star
Efrem Winters eligible to play and
qualify for a scholarship by changing
recruit s grades.
"I have not changed Efrem's grades,
nor have I instructed anyone here to
S give him grades or alter his grades,"
said Lee.
THE CHICAGO Sun-Times reported
Friday in a. copyright story that Lee
re d o n e used a little-known school board rule to
change Winters' grades and make it
possible for the 6-10 center to attend
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