Holyfield Cleared to Resume Boxing Career

Evander Holyfield, who was found to have a heart condition after his loss of the World Boxing Assn. and International Boxing Federation titles to Michael Moorer last April, received medical clearance to resume boxing Wednesday from the Mayo Clinic.

Holyfield, 32, is in “excellent health,” said Mike O’Hara, a spokesman for the hospital in Rochester, Minn. “We have put no restrictions on his activities.”

The former champion underwent extensive tests over three days, O’Hara said.

After losing a majority decision to Moorer on April 22, Holyfield was found to have a “stiff heart,” a non-compliant left ventricle that prevents sufficient oxygen from being pumped to muscles and tissues. Holyfield, hospitalized for a few days after his loss to Moorer, announced his retirement April 26.

In June, Holyfield said he had been cured by a faith healer and was considering fighting again. Later that month, doctors at Crawford Long Hospital at Atlanta said they found some improvement in his heart condition.

Hockey

The NHL’s executive committee, in its weekly labor update, was told an agreement with the players’ union probably will not be reached on Friday, when negotiations resume in Boston. That makes starting the season Dec. 1 impossible and casts doubts on starting by Dec. 15.

Sixty games remain on each club’s schedule, but the league has outlined plans for 54- and 50-game seasons that would end around April 25.

The “Wayne Gretzky and Friends ’94 Tour,” expected to include later stops in Europe, will begin with a charity exhibition game against the International Hockey League’s Detroit Vipers on Dec. 1 at the Palace of Auburn Hills. Proceeds will benefit retired NHL players and amateur hockey leagues in the Detroit area.

Team owner Howard Baldwin, denying the NHL lockout has left his team short of cash, sold the Pittsburgh Penguins’ broadcasting and merchandising rights to cable sports channel KBL for the next 12 years.

Miscellany

The father of former Arizona basketball player Chris Mills had unlimited use of several cars belonging to a former agent hoping to sign Mills as a client, the Arizona Daily Star reported.

James Casey said Claud Mills often drove his Lexus and three Mercedes-Benzes while he was a registered NBA agent from 1990-93, Casey said in court documents, the Star reported.

NCAA rules prohibit relatives of student-athletes to accept benefits “from a person who wishes to represent (the athlete) in the marketing of his or her athletics ability,” the NCAA manual says.

Didier Auriol became the first Frenchman to win a season’s world rally title, but his triumph was tainted by allegations of sabotage in the final race, the RAC Rally at Chester, England.

Auriol, his title hopes in jeopardy, clinched the championship when Spanish driver Carlos Sainz crashed on the final day of the RAC. Spectators along the route allegedly placed logs in Sainz’s path to ensure victory for Sainz’s Subaru teammate, British driver Colin McRae, who was leading the race and went on to win.

The season’s first four men’s World Cup ski races were called off because of lack of snow.

Postponed were the giant slalom and slalom at Sestriere, Italy, and the downhill and super-giant slalom at the French resort of Val d’Isere on Dec. 4-5.

AC Milan and Barcelona, last season’s champion and runner-up, were upset in the European Champions Cup, AC Milan losing to Ajax Amsterdam, 2-0, and Barcelona losing too Galatasaray, 2-1.

One hundred and twenty-one nations entered the draw for qualifying for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic soccer tournament.

European teams already have started their qualifiers. The United States automatically qualifies as the host nation.

World Champion Italy defeated the Netherlands, 15-11, 9-15, 15-4, 15-4, to win the World Super Four men’s volleyball tournament at Tokyo.

Japan beat the United States, 15-6, 15-6, 15-7, for third place.

In the women’s Super Four final, Cuba defeated Brazil.

World champion swimmer Yang Aihua of China was banned for two years for failing a drug test, the international swimming federation said.