Mercer Found Not Guilty of Bribery Charge

Ray Mercer was acquitted Tuesday in New York of sports bribery. The heavyweight boxing contender had been accused of making a $100,000 mid-fight offer to an underdog opponent to take a dive.

Mercer, 31, said he hoped to resume his career soon. He was accused of offering a payoff to Jesse Ferguson during their fight Feb. 6, 1993. Prosecutors said that Mercer, overweight and undertrained, wanted Ferguson to throw the fight so he could get a shot at then-champion Riddick Bowe’s title and a $1.5-million payday. Ferguson won a decision over Mercer.

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Miguel Angel Gonzalez of Mexico retained his World Boxing Council lightweight title in Levallios, France, stopping Jean-Baptiste Mendy of France with 20 seconds to go in the fifth round. Gonzalez (31-0) was making the fifth defense of the title he won in in 1992. . . . Roberto Duran, a four-time world champion, broke Terry Thomas’ nose with a hard overhand right midway through the third round in Bay St. Louis, Miss., and referee Chester Comeaux ended the middleweight bout early in the next round.

Southland Report

Robert Kerlan, an orthopedic specialist who has served many of Southern California’s major league sports teams, is in Centinela Hospital Medical Center after undergoing a four-valve heart bypass. Kerlan, 71, had been in the hospital since last Wednesday for hip replacement surgery and was stricken with a heart attack on Sunday.

“He’s not out of danger yet, but the doctors are encouraged,” said Frank Jobe, his partner in the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedics Clinic.

Basketball

California junior forward Lamond Murray, the leading scorer in the Pacific 10 this season with a 24.3-point average, will hold a news conference on April 11, at which time he is expected to declare for the NBA draft.

Anfernee Hardaway was fined $4,000, Tree Rollins $3,500 and Nick Anderson $3,000 by the NBA for berating officials and failing to leave the floor in a timely manner in their Orlando Magic game against Golden State last week. Coach Brian Hill was fined $3,500 for making derogatory comments about the officiating.

Shaquille O’Neal of the Magic and Reggie Miller of the Indiana Pacers will be the final two players on Dream Team II, which will represent the United States in the World Basketball Championships this summer in Canada.

Football

Chicago Bear running back Tim Worley was arrested and charged with fleeing and eluding police, running a red light, speeding, driving with a suspended license and having no valid driver’s license after an early morning chase by state troopers. He had been clocked at about 75 m.p.h. in a 45-m.p.h. zone, police said.

Tackle Ricky Siglar of the Kansas City Chiefs has pleaded guilty to offering a female police officer $10 for sex. Siglar was arrested last Dec. 3 when, police said, he approached an officer who was posing as a prostitute.

Miscellany

Several weightlifters in former East Germany developed large breasts after taking drugs and had to have them reduced surgically, Stern magazine reported. Some female athletes grew beards and left athletics after having to shave, Stern said in a report based on files collected by the former secret police, Stasi.

University of New Mexico faculty members approved a non-binding proposal to abolish intercollegiate sports at the school.

Tennis

Unseeded Ines Gorrochategui upset third-seeded and four-time champion Martina Navratilova, 4-6, 7-5, 7-5, in the first round of the Family Circle Magazine Cup tournament at Hilton Head Island, S.C.

Marcus Ondruska, a South African ranked 118th in the world, upset hard-serving Marc Rosset of Switzerland, 6-7 (4-7), 6-3, 7-6 (7-3), in the first round of the South African Open at Sun City.

Lindsay Davenport, a senior at Murrieta Valley High, will be part of the U.S. team for the Federation Cup July 18-24 at Frankfurt, Germany, it will be announced today.

Name in the News

Brian Boitano has withdrawn from the April 7-8 Hershey’s Kisses Pro-Am at the Sports Arena because of the groin injury that prevented him from competing in the recent World Championships.