Whitaker Serves Notice With KO as Two Other Area Fighters Win

With one thunderous right hand, Lance Whitaker hung out an Under New Management sign.

Whitaker, a much-maligned super heavyweight from Granada Hills, stopped Thomas Martin with a solid right cross to the side of his face 2 minutes 20 seconds into the second round of their Olympic Festival gold medal bout Tuesday inside the Cadet Fieldhouse.

It was a shot Lou Duva said should have been heard in Cuba, the domain of Leonardo Martinez, the Pan American Games champion.

When they met in Argentina in March, Martinez stopped Whitaker in 2:15 of the first round. Since then, however, Whitaker has hooked up with Duva and trainer Tommy Brooks, the same tandem who guide Evander Holyfield’s professional career.

“This is the kid who is going to make the Olympic team and this is the kid who can knock out the Cuban,” Duva said of Whitaker.

In other bouts, Carlos Navarro of Los Angeles, a two-time national champion, won a 31-9 decision over Jorge Munoz of El Paso, Tex., and Fernando Vargas of Oxnard successfully defended his title at 139 pounds, out-pointing David Diaz of Chicago, 38-17.