Whitaker Is Latest to Challenge Chavez : Boxing: Bout in San Antonio’s Alamodome is expected to answer the question: Who is world’s best fighter, pound for pound?

Lou Duva, a little angry and a little hyperbolic at the end of a frustrating seven-year crusade, was wound up and at peak volume.

He had heard enough of Julio Cesar Chavez.

“What’s so great about Chavez? 87-0? So what? That doesn’t mean anything,” said the manager of Pernell Whitaker, the World Boxing Council welterweight champion and 1984 Olympic gold medalist who fights the undefeated Chavez tonight at the Alamodome.

Chavez’s record--he has 75 knockouts and is the WBC super-lightweight champion--is a monument to fighting well, hard and often, and has given him an aura of invincibility.

Whitaker, 32-1 with 15 knockouts, is widely considered the world’s second-best fighter, pound for pound, but is only the latest challenger to try to blemish Chavez’s record. An earlier blemish was erased when a Mexican boxing commission reversed a referee’s decision against Chavez on a foul early in Chavez’s career.

But it is Whitaker’s total contrast to Chavez that has made this fight for Whitaker’s title what it is.

“We’re not even fighting for the WBC title, we’re fighting for pound-for-pound,” Whitaker said. “Everybody’s hollering pound-for-pound.”

Twice, Duva marched fighters in to derail Chavez--Rocky Lockridge in 1986 and Meldrick Taylor in 1990--and twice, in controversial fashion, Chavez prevailed.

Tonight, Duva figures the slippery Whitaker will turn things around.

“It’s style that’s important,” Duva said. “This guy’s got the best style to beat Chavez. Speed, accuracy, making you fight his fight.

“He says Pernell dances, clowns. He’s been doing it for 21 years. What, I’m going to change it now? He did it winning a gold medal.

“Eighty-seven and 0? But has he won a gold medal? Fought in the Pan-Am Games? Gone down and beat the Cubans and the Russians when they were good? 87-0?

“Chavez is the best fighter Pernell has ever fought, yeah. But Pernell is the best fighter Chavez ever fought.”

The left-handed Whitaker is a defensive specialist. Chavez is an offensive machine, an artist of the left hook to the body who has struggled a little against some left-handers.

Whitaker is fast and flashy, but not especially strong. Chavez is gritty, methodical and has ground men into retirement.

“I am going to have to search for Whitaker,” Chavez said. “I intend to throw punches at him from the bottom of his feet to the top of his head. I’ll be able to reach him. He better be careful. He starts to do that twist-around in the ring, even his behind is going to feel the punch.”

Chavez has exhibited no visible love for the Duva camp, and as the days wound down to tonight’s fight, exchanged public words with Duva. His last comment at Wednesday’s news conference was: “I am going to hurt Whitaker.”

Both fighters made the contracted 145-pound weight limit Thursday evening--Chavez at 142, two pounds more than his normal fighting weight, and Whitaker at 145.

“I feel even better than I do at 140,” Chavez said. “One-forty-two is my natural, normal weight. I feel more quickness in my hands and a lot more punch.”

In the two main supporting bouts, WBC super-welterweight titlist Terry Norris will fight Joe Gatti, and James Leija will challenge WBC super-featherweight champion Azumah Nelson.

A crowd of more than 60,000 is expected.

Tale of the Tape

A look at tonight’s WBC welterweight title fight between champion Pernell Whitaker and Julio Cesar Chavez at the Alamodome in San Antonio:

Whitaker Chavez Age 29 31 Weight 145 142 Height 5-6 5-7 Reach 69 67 Chest (normal) 37 36 Chest (expanded) 39 1/2 38 1/2 Biceps 13 1/2 13 Forearm 11 1/4 10 1/2 Waist 29 28 Thigh 22 19 1/2 Calf 14 12 Neck 15 1/2 15 3/4 Wrist 7 6 10 1/4 Fist 9 1/2 Ankle 9 9