Portland Observer, November 17, 1962 Page 9
Sport Talk
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Our Naw M odem Building... Northeeit Broadway at F in i
by Ron Sykes, Sports Editor
■
The Pryor vs. Arguello confron
tation to decide the Jr. Welterweight
cham pionship o f the world was
billed as a classic.. matching the
slugger, Pryor, against the master
boxer, Arguello.
It unfurled in M ia m i’ s Orange
Bowl before a crowd of nearly thirty
thousand fans. This was a fight that
was expected to rate right up there
with the "T h rilla in Manila” where
Muhammad A li and Joe Frazier
stood the boxing world on their ears
as they went at each other fo r
14 bruising rounds with A li getting a
TKO when "sm okin’ Joe" was un
able to answer the bell. And it, the
Arguello vs. Pryor fight, had all the
action and fury o f the Leonard-
Hearns encounter.
As usual Aaron Pryor started
fast. He opened the first round with
a vicious head and body attack that
had the challenger dazed and hold
ing on.
Then in the middle rounds it was
Arguello landing the big punches. In
round nine Alexis shot a right hand
to the head o f Pryor that landed
w ith all the fury o f the M t. St.
Helens eruption. Hut instead of go
ing down like so many of Arguello’s
lightweight opponents, Aaron came
forw ard and landed a rig h t-le ft
combination o f his own.
A rguello’ s handlers would later
cry " fo u l” because Pryor didn't go
down when hit by their man, A r
guello.
Bill M ille r, A rguello’ s manager,
openly accused P ryor’ s corner o f
using some illegal solution in be
tween rounds to stimulate their
fighter.
M ille r allegedly said that what-
ever it was, it allowed Pryor to take
"shots that would have stopped
King Kong."
Miller should recognize the truth.
The truth is that his man "A rg u e l
lo” was not fighting "ju s t” another
ordinary fighter, but was in against
a true cham pion and in a bigger
weight class.
A ll one has to do is examine the
record o f ex-lightweight champion
Roberto Duran. Duran was one o f
the hardest punching lightweights in
boxing history, but when he moved
up to welterweight his punch was
never the same. Duran has never
knocked out a true Welter.
M ille r was fu rth e r amazed be
cause " P ry o r has been knocked
down in almost all o f his previous
fights,” he said. And is those guys
could do it, then why couldn’ t the
hard-punching Arguello.
Alexis A rguello is tru ly a great
champion and a class man. He has
refused to go along with any form
of protest. " I was beaten by a great
champion," Alexis said.
And there's nothing shameful
about that. What is shameful, how
ever, is that work perform ed by
South African referee Stanley Chris-
todolou.
When Arguello was pinned help
less on the ropes in the 14th round,
Mr. Christodolou allowed Pryor to
deliver 24 straight punches to (he
head. Whatever reasons he had,
whether he thought Alexis could
survive and somehow win a deci
sion, is unknown. What is known is
that he almost allowed a class per
son, Arguello, to become seriously
injured. Let’s hope that referees arc
judged on their performance as are
for the
fighter«. And let’ s also hope that
this man is never allowed to referee
another fig h t, anywhere in the
world.
Taking a look at Lever, one can
sec why he would be compared to
L ife in the National Basketball
the former OSU standout. The two
Association has been anything but
men look alike somewhat —both
what l.afeyettc "F a t” Lever expect
physically and on the court. But ac
ed it to be.
cording to Lever they arc different
First o f all, when Lever was draft
people. " I think me and Lester are
ed in the first round by the Portland
two d iffe re n t people. You can’ t
Trailblazers last year, many people
compare different people,” said Le
asked why Lever instead of Oregon
ver. About the only way you can
State star Lester Conner?
compare the two, Lever said, “ We
Then Darnell Valentine, the
arc close friends—that’ s as far as it
Blazers' starting point guard, suf
goes.”
fered a deep thigh bruise that has
Heading into the 1982-83 Nation
kept him sidelined. This forced Le
al Basketball Association season Le
ver into a starting role, a role he was
ver knew that his duties on the team
supposed to gradually move into.
would come as the backup point
guard
behind Darnell Valentine.
The Blazers drafted the former
Many number one choices wouldn't
Arizona Stale standout because o f
be happy with such a role but Lever
his "p u re point g u a rd " skills ac
accepts
the situ atio n . "D a r n e ll’ s
cording to Stu Inman, director o f
doing
well.
He’ s the main player
player personnel. He was slotted to
and
he
deserves
it because he's been
backup Valentine and learn the
playing
so
w
ell,"
Lever said.
NBA game behind him but Valen
Lever’
s
goals
for
the season arc
tine’s injury has changed that situa
set
on
helping
the
Blazers
win. He
tion.
said,
"
,
hope
we
become
winners
The question about "W h y not
right away." The Blazers' winning
C o n ne r? " bothered Lever for a-
tra d itio n was the firs t thing that
whgile. " I felt pretty bad about it,”
popped
into Lever’s mind when he
Lever said. But the guys in rookie
was drafted. " I thought o f when
camp told him that only a few people
they won the cham pionship.
in Portland felt that Conner should
They're
capable o f winning,” l ever
have been the one drafted. Accord
said.
"
I
’
m going into a program of
ing to Lever, Conner told him,
winning
tradition.”
"D o n 't worry about it, just go up
Valentine doesn't see Lever as his
and play the way you know how.”
backup
at lead guard. "H e ’s a very
Playing the way he knows how
qualified p la y e r," Valentine said
should make Lever quite popular
about Lever. "A n o th e r quality
with the Portland fans and the Bla
player on our team."
zer management. " A s a player I
Lever is one o f six new players
want them to accept me the way I
that
adorn the Blazers roster as the
am,” Lever said. " I don’ t want to
season
opened. Head coach Jack
be compared to everyone or taken
Ramsay said Lever " . . has great
apart for some reason."
instincts for finding the open people
Portland picked Lever in the first
on the floor and makes the simple
round last year as the l l t h pick
pass.” Ramsay has said that Lever
overall. Before the draft the Blazers
will play in every game for the Bla
had traded Kelvin Ranscy to Dallas
zers, averaging around 20 minutes a
game.
fo r backup center and rebounder
Wayne Cooper pulled the Mavericks
Lever and the rest o f the team
first round d ra ft choice in 1985.
need to play together and get experi
This put the draft priorities at get
ence if they are going tt fu lfill the
ting another lead guard and Inman
expectations o f Ramsay and Inman
and coach Jack Ramsey feel they
that this year's team is better than
got the best one available. "W e
last year’ s. Inman sort o f expected
knew the chances were very good to
the rough! start the Blazers have ex
get F at,” Inman said. He said the
perienced. "W e are the youngest
Blazers took Lever over Conner and
and least experienced leant in the
Eric Floyd o f Georgetown because
league,” he said. "T h a t could lead
of “ his lead skills, he was the purest
to a rough start."
point guard.”
According to Inman the Lakers
The trade o f Ransey for Cooper
are number one with the rest o f the
was ju s tifie d because the Blazers
teams like SEattle, Phoenix and San
needed some rebounding and a cen
A nto n io being really balanced.
ter that could back up Mychal
"W e're behind those teams now, no
Thompson. “ To find good back up
doubt about it. But if we’ re still in it
center help is hard in the NBA,” In
down the stretch—we can play with
those teams,” Inman said.
man said. "W e knew Wayne would
give us good back up help— it's a
During the preseason Lever had a
priority thing."
5-1 turnover to assist ra tio corn-
BEST
BUYS
Alan Molden
Flght-of-the-week
Lightweight Hector "M a c h o ”
Camacho and Greg Coverson, w ill
both bring undefeated records with
them Saturday when they w ill
square o ff against each other and
the winner is sure to receive a title
shot.
Coverson’ s last outing was a
tough match against the super-tal
ented Dave Arm strong. Coverson
stopped Davy in 14.
Camacho is a super fast puncher
who displays a great deal o f confi
dence. It was the sharp hitting New
Yorker that stopped P o rtla n d ’ s
Louie Loy in Madison Square Gar
den four months ago.
I f ever there was a true cross
roads fight, this is it. Both fighters
are young, talented and it w ill be a
donny-brook. Coverson’ s superior
height, 6-1, could be the difference.
Some weeks ago this writer pre
dicted that Sugar Ray Leonard’ s
boxing career would not end on
Nov. 9th. In a gala surrounding at
Baltimore, Maryland, Leonard an
nounced to the world that he was re
tiring. But skeptics are still saying
that Leonard’s retirement is not per
manent.
" L e t’ s give him six months to a
year and then we’ ll k n o w ," said
middleweight champion M arvin
Hagler, one o f the many guests in
vited by Leonard to attend his re
tirement party.
The question—will Leonard fight
in town
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again? Ken Norton, former heavy
weight champion, thinks Leonard
w ill be no different from Muham
mad A li or Joe Louis.
However, Leonard, who has not
fought since undergoing surgery last
spring to repair a detached retina,
holds steadfast to his decision to
hang ’em up.
"The feeling is gone,” announced
Leonard. " I no longer miss the
game.”
This w rite r d id n ’ t believe Jim
Brown when he made his decision to
retire and I didn’ t believe Leonard
would. But, now I can see Leonard
follo w in g the same tra il which
Brown walked. So, goodbye to a
great man and an even greater
champion. Au revoir! Sugar Ray.
W hy Lever?
by Joe White
PARTS • REPAIRS
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pared to Valentine's 2 to I ration.
Ramsay is pleased with Lever’ s ra
tion but said, "Darnell needs to im
prove on his. I don’ t see Fat’s slack
ening o ff."
Valentine is looking to Lever to
help him improve. " I ’ m excited. I
know he’ s only going to help im
prove m e ," Valentine said. " I 'm
going to help him improve."
Lever said, " I 'm just tryin g to
learn behind him .” Concerning his
great assist/turnover ratio, Lever
credited that to the fact that he
hasn’ t been playing as much as Val
entine. " I think I should keep the
ratio the same but as the season goes
along you start to get a little more
tired,” he said. "Y ou start pushing
a little more and you start making
more turnovers.”
“ He hopes he doesn't make costly
turnovers when he relieves Valentine
on the court. " I want to come in if
we were winning and keep the lead.
I don’ t want to do anything to hurt
the team or cause us to lose a
game,” Lever said.
The most d ifficult transition for
the number one d ra ft choice has
been the transition game o f the
NBA. Lever said, " I think all o f it’s
pretty hard. I have to learn to be
under control a little bit more. Once
you get the transition game going
you have to be able to stop and take
a shot."
He is finding out that unlike col
lege when you play easy teams once
in awhile, the NBA forces you to
play hard every night. "U p here you
have to be consistent,” Lever said.
Signing his contract wasn’ t much
o f a problem for Lever. He was con
cerned about getting what he de
served but was more interested in
getting on the court. " , think the
sooner we got in (to negotiations),
the sooner I would be able Io learn
the system and sec what was going
o n ," he said. "The longer I sat out,
the longer it affected me."
Lever said, "M y responsibility is
to come o ff the bench and make
things h appen." Valentine said,
Portland, Oregon
"W e expect a lot from him .” That’s
all the Blazers’ fans can expect from
Lever—only himself and not anyone
else.
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