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Virgil Hill, Victor in Bout With Hyperglycemia, to Defend Title

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From Associated Press

Undefeated Virgil Hill, recovered from a bout with hyperglycemia, will make the seventh defense of his World Boxing Assn. light heavyweight title Tuesday night.

Hill (25-0) will meet James Kinchen (44-6-2) in a scheduled 12-round bout at the Bismarck Civic Center.

The fight was to have been held in August but was postponed when the champion was determined to have hyperglycemia--abnormally high amounts of sugar in the blood--that Hill blamed on a poor diet and stress.

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Proper diet has brought the problem under control, Hill said, and he is back in top form.

Hill, who won the title from Leslie Stewart in September, 1987, said the five-month layoff since May 27 when he stopped Joe Lasisi in the seventh round should help him.

“The layoff was better for me because I’ve been so consistent in my fighting,” he said.

Kinchen, 31, is best known for a controversial loss to Thomas Hearns on Nov. 4, 1988. It is his first shot at a major world title in a nine-year career in which he has fought as a middleweight, super-middleweight and light heavyweight.

“This fight is as important to me as all the others,” Kinchen, who will be at a seven-inch reach disadvantage, said. “Virgil is quick, but so am I. So we’re just going to have to do some things to slow Virgil down a little.”

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