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(lftbseruer
September 22, 1999
Oregon Trail Promotions
to Bring Pro Boxing Back
to Oregon
9-15-99 (Portland-AP)— Oregon
Trail Promotions, a new company, is
helping to bring professional boxing
back to Oregon after a nearly ten-
year absence.
Jam esCassidy.directorof the Or­
egon Boxing and Wrestling Com­
mission, has praised the company.
Cassidy, himself a 67-year-old
former lightweight, has opened the
door for live boxing events !o resume
in Oregon.
He credits Oregon Trail with
bringing boxing back to smaller cit­
ies like Salem and Lincoln City.
The company has also scheduled
fights this fall at the Seven Feathers
and Chinook W'inds casinos.
Oregon Trail Prom otion’s co-
founders, Nanci James and HelenCot-
ton, have bigger plans for the future.
After the September event in Sa­
lem, they have scheduled a Novem­
ber 14th event at Portland’s Rose
Garden featuring the Cuban heavy­
weight Jorge Luis Gonzalez.
Later in the year, Oregon Trail
hopes to land a fight involving
Michael Nunn, a leading light-heavy­
weight contender.
James, whose background is in
sports marketing, not boxing, said
the company has tried to make a
name for itself by developing the
local fight scene, something that has
been fading for years. "The glitter
and the tun is exciting, but w e’re
really here to help our local fight­
ers,” she said. "And w e’re here to
help our hometown
It’s Back...Boxing in Oregon.
Members of Oregon Trail Promotions Ltd. Prepare to make boxing a -reality” and
a serious source of entertainment for the Boxing fans in the State of Oregon
L to R Bob Olesen, Match Maker, Helen Cotton; VP, Nanci James; VP of
Marketing, Thad Spencer; VP
Former USC Tailback
to Make Boxing Debut
B y L andos H all
PORTLAND, Ore. Former South­
ern California running back Todd
Spencer will make his professional
boxing debut at the age o f 36, fighting
as a heavyweight later this month.
Spencer, whose father Thad was a
top heavyweight contender in the
1960’s, will be on the undercard of
an eight-bout event held Sept. 25 at
the National Guard armory in Salem.
Todd Spencer will fight Greg Dials
ofTacoma in a scheduled four-round
match. Spencer won his only ama­
teur fight.
Spencer played for the Trojans in
the early 1980’s, and was a teammate
o f Marcus A llen’s when Allen won
the Heisman Trophy in 1981. Spen­
cer was U SC’s leading rusher the
next season, gaining 596 yards.
He got into boxing two years
ago while living in Berkeley, Cali­
fornia, something his father ada­
mantly opposed.
“I told him he was crazy,” Thad
Spencer said. "But he wanted to do
it. Then I saw him get into the ring,
and I knew he could do it. H e’s got
the heart.”
Thad Spencer, 56, has been work­
ing closely with Oregon Trail Promo­
tions, a new company that has brought
professional boxing back to Oregon
after a nearly 10-year absence.
“It’s going to take a while,” said
James Cassidy, who became the new
director o f the Oregon Boxing and
Wrestling Commission on May 1
after Bruce A nderson resigned
abruptly.
O r e g o n T r a il P r o m o t io n « , L ltd .
Professional Boxing at the
Salem Fairgrounds
Saturday, September 2 5 th at 7
pm
• Doors Open at 6 pm
Tickets available at all T icketm aster Locatiosn.
Ringside $35 • General Admission $20.
For further mfonnalion contact Oregon Trail Promotions 503-237-4322
FIGHT CARD STANDS WITH:
Main Event
F ighting for the C anadian A merican M exican J r . M iddleweight B elt
Salem’s Quandry “Candy” Robertson, 7-0 (six knock-outs)
Vs. South Africa’s Aubrey Sibanyoni, 11-1
Welter-weight:
Portland's Virgil Bohenkamp, 3-1 (has a huge amateur background)
Vs. Vancouver, Canada’s Del Ritchie, 6-2
Middleweight Division:
Bremerton’s Brock Stodden, 7-3
Vs. Vancouver, BC’s Rob Dellopena, 3-1
M iddleweight Division: Rematch
Baker C ity’s Scott Landson
Vs. Portland’s Dominic Revera
Heavy W eight Division:
F eaturing F ormer H eavy W eight T had S pencer ’ s S on M aking H is P ro D ebut
California’s Todd Spencer
Vs. Tacoma’s Greg Dials
Card subject to change
NFL Scores
Chicago...13
New Orleans...21
Carolina...20
Green Bay... 15
N Y. Giants...21
Baltimore...20
Cincinnati...?
Minnesota...17
Philadelphia...5
Arizona... 16
Indianapolis... 28
Denver... 10
Cleveland...9
N Y. Jets.. 3
Seattle... 14
San Francisco...28
Jacksonville...22
Detroit... 23
Washington...50
Pittsburgh... 23
San Diego...34
Oakland...22
Tampa Bay. ..19
Miami...19
New England...31
Kansas City...26
Tennessee... 26
Buffalo... 17
■ . »s' : -
».
x.'. .
An Island Rocks as a
Champion Comes Home
Bv CHRIS HAW LEY___________________
C T u t A sso cu rtD P re *.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (Sept.
20) — They chanted his name while
salsa songs written in his honor blared
from g ian t sp e a k e rs. R evelers
jammed highways, hoping to get a
glimpse o f him.
Felix Trinidad, a conquering hero
come home, was back in Puerto Rico
on Monday, welcomed by thousands
amid a frenzy o f adulation and na­
tional pride.
At an airport news conference,
Trinidad joked about his victory over
Oscar De La H oyaon Saturday night
in Las Vegas.
"He had a different style o f box­
ing,” Trinidad said. “He ran a lot.”
Trinidad’s plane landed in San
Juan amid roars o f “Tito! Tito!”
Fans waved the U . S. territory ’ s lone-
star flag and placards declaring
“Gallito castao!” — Spanish for
“Top-class fighting cock!”
Gov. Pedro Rossello, who praised
Trinidad for “glorifying the name of
Puerto Rico,” was among the digni­
taries on hand.
AP Photo/Laura Rauch
“I promised you this victory and I
did it,” Trinidad said. “This triumph is Felix Trinidad, of Puerto Rico, is held up by his corner in celebration after defeating Oscar De La Hoya,
for all o f Puerto Rico. There is no doubt of East Los Angeles, by way of decision after 12 rounds, to win the W BC/IBF Welterweight Championship
now that the best boxers are in Puerto at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas Saturday, Sept. 18, 1999.
Rico — pound for pound they have the
most heart. 1 feel super content.”
killed a civilian Puerto Rican guard
La H oya’s take.
early on But in the last few rounds,
Police tried to close one lane to
there. The U.S. Congress is to hold
The boxer’s father suggested a
he turned complacent and Trinidad's
make way for a victory cavalcade,
hearings on the issue this week.
rematch
for
Puerto
Rico
or
New
Y
ork,
tenacity paid off as he scored with his
but delirious motorists ignored the
“Peace for Vieques!” Trinidad
where
there
is
a
large
Puerto
Rican
punishing right.
officers and zipped by. Others aban­
declared.
The night o f the fight, he
population.
He
would
not
say
how
De La Hoya was befuddled by the
doned their cars in an airport logjam
entered
the
ring in front o f a map o f
much
his
son
would
demand.
majority decision. He was sure he had
and walked the last mile.
the
island
demanding:
“Navy get out
“Tito
has
a
huge
value
in
boxing
won. Trindiad dismissed such opinion.
“Tito No. 1,” was the message
ofV
ieques!”
and
that
has
no
price,”
he
said.
“The
person
who
deserved
this
scrawled in lipstick across the bare
The controversy, like Trinidad’s
An alternative would be a fight
win was T ito Trinidad and the judges
midriffs o f a group o f teen-age girls.
victory,
has brought a nationalistic
with
Jim
Page,
the
WBC
champion
agreed,”
he
said.
This had been the most antici­
outpouring
on the island, where patn -
in
his
147-pound
category,oram
ove
Felix
Trinidad
Sr.,
the
boxer’s
pated welterweight bout in years,
otic
feelings
are deep despite meager
up
to
the
154-pound
category.
father,
trainer
and
manager,
said
any
pitting two unbeaten 26-year-olds
support
for
the
independence move­
Trinidad
used
the
occasion
to
rematch
would
have
to
be
on
his
known for knockout pow er— De La
ment. The4millionislandersareU.S.
bring attention to Vieques, an outly­
son’s terms. The Puerto Ricans were
Hoya with his left hand, Trinidad
citizens who serve in the military and
ing island that Puerto Ricans want
unhappy Trinidad received only
with his right.
receive federal funds though they do
the U.S. Navy to stop using as a live
$10.5 million. W hile that sum was
De La Hoya, the “golden boy”
not pay federal taxes and cannot vote
bombing range. The bombing was
many millions more than any previ­
from California, seemed assured vic­
for president or the Congress.
suspended after an April accident
ous payday for him, it was h a lfo f De
tory after connecting with his jab
Dunleavy Says
Blazers Even Better
© T he A ssociated P ress
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Less
than a month before the NBA exhibi­
tion season gets under way, Mike
Dunleavy says his Portland Trail
Blazers will be even better than the
team that made it to the Western
Conference finals last year.
“They know there isn’t a team in
the league we can’t beat. I don’t
expect us to be the favorites, and a lot
o f teams in the West got better," he
said. “But I think we got better, too.”
His enthusiasm is shared even by
one of his less admiring players who
had complained about not getting
enough playing time.
Jermaine O ’Neal is approaching
his 21st birthday as Dunleavy ap­
proaches his third season with the
Blazers, and O ’Neal says they are
ready to launch a new era, profes­
sionally and personally.
In addition to his four-year, $24
million contract and three years o f
NBA experience, O ’Neal says he is
also on better terms with Dunleavy.
“ I didn’t have a personal relation­
ship with M ike, now we are develop­
ing that,” he said.
“W e’re trying to get to know each
other a lot better. He’s a great play­
ers’ coach - he likes to joke with you
and shoot around with you - but what
was missing was that personal level,
as far as getting to know the players.”
Dunleavy says the new mix o f
players this year - including the addi­
tion o f Steve Smith and D etlef
Schrempf - will be good athletically
and professionally.
Fifteen Portland players are un­
der contract. Some returning play­
ers, including Kelvin Cato and Walt
W illiams, have reportedly been in
trade talks. And several - Damon
Stoudamire, Greg Anthony, Rasheed
W allace, Stacey Augmon, Smith.
Schrem pf and Cato - worked out a
week or so ago in front o f Dunleavy
in Las Vegas at a minicamp for NBA
players and prospects.
“1 think w e’ll have good chemis­
try on this team,” Dunleavy said as
he and his staff prepare for the start
o f camp, Oct. 5 in Tualatin, and the
18-day, eight-game exhibition sched­
ule that will begin Oct. 12inCorvallis
against Seattle.
O ’Neal said he is looking forward
to getting some regular play this sea­
son after bouncing back faster than
expected from midsummer surgery
to remove a bone spur from his left
ankle.
The Blazers led almost all the
way last season in winning their first
Pacific Division title since 1992. But
it was a lockout-shortened, 50-game
season, an exhausting race that of­
fered little time to rest or practice.
This season, the NBA will be back
to its usual pace with each team play­
ing 82 games in about six months.
But Dunleavy dismissed talk that
the Blazers’ success last season was
because they had a deeper bench to
play 50 games in 88 days, and if the
season had been its normal length,
conflicts over playing time would
have tom the team apart.
"People can say what they want,"
Dunleavy said. “But I think we would
have been just as good last season
over 82 games. And 1 think our depth
will pay off this season maybe more
than it did last season.”
Trail Blazer Brian
Grant Kicks Off
Bone Marrow Drive
(Portland-A P) — Trail B lazer
B rian G rant is leading a bone m ar­
row donor cam paign fo ra 16-year-
old Portland boy suffering from
leukemia.
L uther Ellett needs a bone m ar­
row transplant before m alignant
cells have a chance to end a period
o f rem ission.
E llett is black and about two-
thirds o f blacks aw aiting a bone
m arrow transplant never find an
appropriate donor. The success
rate for w hite A m ericans o f N orth­
ern European ancestry is 50 per­
cent to 60 percent.
Experts say that blacks and other
m inorities are sparsely represented
on bone marrow donor registries.
A nother barrier is the extreme di­
versity o f tissue types among people
with African ancestry.
D e s t i n y ’s S h o e s & A c c e s s o r i e s
^
a
l l
f a s h i o n
^ h o w
October 9, 1999
4PM - 7PM
Billy Webb’s Elks Club
6 N. Tillamook
C ost* I f *
Fashion Show
Gospel Show
Fine Food
D ra w in g
T IC K E T S A V A IL A B L E A T
2942 NE MLK Jr. Blvd. 249-8830
Thanks! Charlotte Brandon