Bad Intentions at Goodwill Games : Whitaker Plans to Continue Assault on Amateur Boxing’s Heavyweights

Lance Whitaker has finished his morning run and is lying on a bed in a hotel room in St. Petersburg, Russia. The blissful hum of Sade buzzes from his portable stereo earphones and her soulful blues have once again served as a sedative.

The rhythmic melodies have had a tranquilizing effect on Whitaker and not even a call from an unfamiliar reporter thousands of miles away can jar his peaceful demeanor. His tone is low and deep, his delivery slow and smooth like an R&B; late-night disc jockey who woos listeners into total relaxation.

But don’t be fooled by this Northridge resident’s laid-back persona. He admits to a split personality.

“When I get in the ring, it’s a totally different story. Some people say I’m too nice,” said Whitaker, chuckling softly at the thought. “. . . because I’m so mellow.

“But, once I get in the ring, it’s business. I’m gonna take care of you before you take care of me,” he said, punctuating his statement with another soft giggle.

The soft-spoken Whitaker, at 6 foot 8, 235 pounds, has taken care of dozens of fighters in his short but illustrious two-year career as a super heavyweight boxer.

He has lost only three of 31 amateur bouts and his climb to national prominence has been rapid. After his first 10 bouts, Whitaker was the California Golden Gloves super heavyweight champion. Five bouts later, he was the 1993 national Golden Gloves champion.

He won the U.S. Amateur Boxing Championships in Colorado Springs, Colo., in March, and is currently the country’s top-ranked amateur super heavyweight.

“I want to be ranked No. 1 in the world,” he said in a near whisper.

Whitaker, 23, a former football and basketball standout at San Fernando High, dreams of boxing in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. That dream is coming closer to fulfillment with each powerful jab, uppercut and left hook he lands.

Whitaker has been in St. Petersburg for nearly a week, training and awaiting competition in the Goodwill Games and his first international fight outside the United States. He will fight Tuesday. Once Whitaker gets accustomed to the Russian experience, it should be business as usual.

“Russia is different,” said Whitaker, almost reluctantly. “It’s a whole different world here. The food is different, the hotel is different, the bed is different. . . .”

Whitaker traded in his football and basketball potential years ago for a pair of boxing gloves and has worked diligently at making a name for himself in a sport he knew nothing about as a teen-ager. His quick development, however, has surprised even his trainer, Charles (Blue) Allen.

“I think it’s a combination of a couple of things,” Allen said. “I think it’s his size and strength, his aggression. And this is something he wants to do. He trains hard every day because he wants to be champion of the world.”

Whitaker’s long hit list is no secret in boxing circles. Allen frequently receives bids from agents hoping to sign Whitaker to a professional contract. Allen’s answer is always the same: All in good time.

“I’ve had a lot of offers from all over the world,” Allen said. “I get phone calls from all over. I take the cards that are sent or given to me and throw them right in the trash. I don’t want to mix (Whitaker’s) mind up. He’ ready for the pros (now), but it’s a strategy thing to get to the top.”

Said Whitaker: “Money and all that stuff will come. I’m going in the right direction and everything is looking good.”

Whitaker is ahead of Allen’s timetable. He has beaten fighters who have more than 200 bouts in their careers. Despite his lack of experience in the sport, Whitaker looks nothing like a novice.

He has the broad-shouldered, slim-waisted physique of Ken Norton--only Whitaker is four inches taller than the former World Boxing Council champion.

If he has a weakness, it’s his tendency to pay little attention to where he is in the ring.

“I tend to get in the corner and just sit there and punch,” Whitaker said. “But I know what I’m supposed to do. I’m supposed to throw a lot of straight punches and stay off the ropes.”

Whitaker will be getting his boxing instruction and training tips from Allen via telephone this week. The U.S. Boxing Committee sends its own trainers for international bouts, so Allen stayed home.

“I told him to throw a lot of straight punches, do a little moving and to fight with his brains,” Allen said. “These guys will run from him. They’ll hit and run. He can’t let them do that.”

Allen’s absence weighs on Whitaker, who lost the first two bouts Allen did not attend.

“Yeah, you worry and wish you were there,” Allen said. “It’s like a father-and-son thing, you know. He knows my voice and (other voices) don’t click with him, so it sounds foreign to him.”

Whitaker received plenty of instruction from Allen before he left, however, and Allen is confident his protege will come back with a gold medal. Ditto for Whitaker.

“I know what I’m supposed to do,” Whitaker said. “I’m supposed to do my best.”