Foreman to End Long Layoff With Sept. 15 Fight in Tokyo

George Foreman, who relinquished his International Boxing Federation heavyweight championship when he refused to give Axel Schultz a rematch last year, will fight for the first time in 15 months when he faces Crawford Grimsley of Miami in a bout Sept. 15 at Tokyo.

Foreman, 47, who was stripped of his World Boxing Assn. title when he wouldn’t sign for a mandatory defense against Tony Tucker, the No. 1 contender, will wear the belt of the lightly regarded World Boxing Union into the ring.

Foreman, who bills himself as the people’s champion, is 74-4 with 68 knockouts, while Grimsley, 24, the ninth-ranked WBA heavyweight contender, is 20-0 with 18 knockouts, 14 in the first round.

It will be the first fight in Tokyo for Foreman since 1973, when he scored a first-round knockout of Joe Roman in his first defense of the title he won from Joe Frazier the year before.

Jurisprudence

Forward Joe Smith of the Golden State Warriors turned himself in to police in Chesapeake, Va. and was arrested for allegedly smashing a beer bottle on the back of a male exotic dancer during a barroom brawl.

The dancer required 22 stitches to close the gash. Another dancer contends Smith and his group wanted the floor to themselves early Friday so the player could begin celebrating his 21st birthday.

Chesapeake police spokeswoman Elizabeth Jones said Smith was charged with malicious wounding, a class II felony that carries a sentence of five years to life.

Smith, who was released on his own recognizance, is to appear in Chesapeake General District Court on July 31.

According to witnesses, Smith was part of a group that attacked David Turner, a male dancer. Turner said Smith smashed a beer bottle that cut Carlton Coney, another dancer, between the shoulder blades.

Tennis

Alberto Berasategui, a finalist at the 1994 French Open, defeated Spanish compatriot Alex Corretja, 6-2, 6-4, 6-4, to win the $435,000 Generali Open at Kitzbuhel, Austria.

Names in the News

Former Ohio State basketball Coach Floyd Stahl died at the age of 97 in Blacklick, Ohio. He compiled an 84-92 record in eight seasons.