Boxing / Richard Hoffer : Olympians Bring Gold to Network

A few weeks shy of their first anniversary, the Boys of Summer, 1984, will return to your TV screen.

Next Saturday, Olympic gold medalists Pernell Whitaker, Mark Breland and Meldrick Taylor, and bronze medalist Evander Hollyfield, will take to the airwaves for another ABC-TV reunion, this one expected to generate no less interest than the others.

So far, since ABC signed with Main Events Productions to present these Olympic heroes through their early pro careers, the numbers have been big. Four of ABC’s top five boxing shows in 1985 have featured the Olympians, which suggests that ABC is on to a good thing. And Olympic fever does not seem likely to abate.

This show, coming from Norfolk, Va., Whitaker’s hometown, has even increased promotional value since it comes almost a year after the boxers’ near sweep of the 1984 Olympics. Look for even bigger numbers.

The Olympians may have been nursed along some, but now, as they move into eight-round fights, the competition is getting more credible. Breland, for example, has been matched with Don Shiver for this program. Shiver has a 19-0 record.

Soon, the former Olympians will move into 10-rounders, and there will be opportunities to match them with genuine contenders.

Although this show is pegged to the anniversary of the Olympic Games, it has special meaning for Whitaker, the Olympic lightweight champion. He grew up in a crowded apartment overlooking Norfolk’s arena, the Scope, but he told Dan Duva, the promoter, that he never thought he’d make it across the street.

Meanwhile, getting a jump on these four is heavyweight Tyrell Biggs, who will fight Eddie Richardson today at Atlantic City in a bout also on ABC.

Happy Anniversary, Cont.: Unlike the other medalists, Paul Gonzales, the Olympic flyweight champion, has yet to reap any returns from his gold medal, but that could change next month. His pro debut is finally in the works, set for Aug. 11 at the Hollywood Paladium.

An opponent has not been signed, meaning that the fight cannot officially be announced, but it appears that promoter Don Chargin will be showcasing not only Gonzales but also Olympic stars Henry Tillman and Frank Tate on the same show. The card will be televised by CBS, latecomer to the Olympic bonanza.

Gonzales, the local hero, has done nothing since last year but make public appearances. He has been plagued by a hand injury but, more than that, has had trouble finding somebody who agreed with him on what he was worth.

Boxing Notes Lightweight contender John Montes, apparently manager Bennie Georgino’s last hope, and former junior-lightweight champion Cornelius Boza-Edwards will square off Sunday at Miami. Georgino, who started in a big way with Danny Lopez several years back, has now lost former bantamweight champion Albert Davila and is in the process of losing former junior-featherweight champion Jaime Garza. . . . Don Fraser will return to the Orange County Gold Coast with another show at the Irvine Marriott July 22. Fraser, who has put on five shows there, will have the biggest name, yet. He’s putting junior-middleweight contender Sean Mannion in with Anaheim’s Bert Lee. Fraser, however, has been having more fun publicizing the undercard--the Weaver triplets--Floyd, Lloyd and Troy--younger brothers of former heavyweight champion Mike Weaver. Fraser, who is sure he’s got boxing history’s first triplet act, says he can’t tell them apart. They’re not only identical triplets but they dress alike. Which leads to the suspicion: What if there’s just one Weaver and he fights three times? . . . Michael Nunn, star of the Ten Goose stable, will put his 6-0 record up against middleweight James Waire July 29 at the Country Club in Reseda. . . . The Sports Arena will serve up some more Mexican flavor Aug. 1, when promoter Jimmy Gilio headlines Mario (Azabache) Martinez and Jorge Vaca in separate bouts. Gilio’s July show there, which included Gato Gonzales’ upset of Rene Arredondo, third-ranked junior-welterweight, drew a gate of $112,000. All Gilio paid his stars was $5,000 apiece. However, Gilio says they’ll get plenty back in future promotions. He hopes to have Gonzales and Arredondo back on his next card in separate bouts.

There have been some big losers this month, but manager Billy Baxter may have been the biggest. His star, Roger Mayweather, former junior-lightweight champion, was knocked out in his bid to regain the title in a fight with World Boxing Council champion Julio Cesar Chavez. Baxter is also believed to have lost a large sum betting on his star. He shows faith, give him that. . . . Another big loser was manager/non-gambler Ricardo Maldonado. Maldonado, who controls much of the Mexican talent, not only saw Arredondo stopped, just shy of a certain title fight with WBC junior-welterweight champion Bill Costello, but also saw another of his stars, top-ranked featherweight Marcos Villasana, get knocked off by journeyman Lenny Valdez in Tijuana. Villasana was in line for a fight with WBC champion Azumah Nelson. Maldonado, however, appears to have recouped by signing former bantamweight champion Albert Davila, who has returned to action after back trouble had temporarily forced him out of boxing. Davila could be matched for another title shot within a fight or two, which brings us to the world’s best-kept secret. Who would Davila fight, were he to fight for the WBC bantamweight title? Well, he’d fight Daniel Zaragoza, of course. Zaragoza, to absolutely no fanfare, beat Freddie Jackson in a title-elimination bout in Aruba way back in May. The operation was as covert as anything the CIA might have devised. . . . Joey (Dad) Olivo, another well-kept secret, has departed his Los Angeles home to defend his WBC junior-flyweight title in Seoul, South Korea. Olivo, who recently became father of a baby girl, will fight South Korea’s Mun Jin Choi in his first title defense.

The Aug. 6 fight between former champions Bobby Chacon and Art Frias is still on for Sacramento, although co-promoter Don Chargin expects at least one more postponement. So far, he’s had only two, which is subpar for any Chacon fight. However, as unpredictable as Chacon is, in and out of the ring, he makes great fights. And big money. Chargin and co-promoter Babe Griffin rang up big numbers with a Chacon-Freddie Roach fight earlier this year. Chargin, meanwhile, is hoping to begin promoting closer to home. He has been working on opening the Hollywood Paladium to regular boxing.

The fight between International Boxing Federation heavyweight champion Larry Holmes and world light-heavyweight champion Michael Spinks will almost certainly be moved to Las Vegas. The fight is scheduled for Sept. 20 at Trumps in Atlantic City, home of most of the Spinks fights. But Holmes has indicated that, you never know, he could injure himself in training. He likes Las Vegas, you see. It’ll probably end up at the Riviera, where promoter Don King has been sending most of his business. . . . Aaron Pryor, once the most exciting fighter in all of boxing, is being advised by manager Buddy LaRosa to quit, even though LaRosa doesn’t really know where to reach Pryor to advise him. LaRosa, the Cincinnati pizza baron who has had the undefeated IBF champion from the beginning, told the New York Times that Pryor has been partying a lot. “Aaron doesn’t party like you and me,” LaRosa said. “He’ll go on for three months, sometimes not sleeping for three days at a time.”