Tapia Gets Unanimous Win

Johnny Tapia, urged on by a raucous hometown crowd in Albuquerque, won a unanimous decision over World Boxing Organization bantamweight champion Jorge Eliecer Julio of Colombia on Saturday night.

Tapia (47-1-2, 25 KOs) made a triumphant return to the ring after a six-month layoff after losing his World Boxing Assn. title to Paulie Ayala in what was called the 1999 fight of the year.

Julio (42-2) was making his fourth defense of his title.

In the co-featured bout, former International Boxing Federation heavyweight champion Francois Botha stopped Steve Pannell in the first round, knocking him down three times. Two-time world champion Danny Romero, another Albuquerque fighter, knocked out former IBF flyweight champion Rodolfo Blanco in 50 seconds.

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Teddy Brenner, one of boxing’s top matchmakers first for Madison Square Garden and then for Top Rank Inc., died of Parkinson’s disease in New York on Friday, according to his wife, Judy. He was 82.

Winter Sports

Double Olympic and world champion Hermann Maier led an Austrian sweep in the men’s downhill, ending a monthlong winless streak with a victory at Chamonix, France, in the first World Cup race of the year.

The “Hermannator” stormed down the grueling Kandahar course in 2 minutes 0.51 seconds, collecting his first win since the circuit returned to Europe in early December.

The victory was the 24th of his career. Teammate Stephan Eberharter was runner-up in 2:00.56, and Hannes Trinkl finished third in 2:00.68.

Michaela Dorfmeister of Austria won her fourth World Cup giant slalom in her last five races, edging Karen Putzer of Italy by two-hundredths of a second at Berchtesgaden, Germany, in one of the season’s closest races. . . . Janne Lahtela of Finland skied a precise run, then took advantage of a crash by teammate Mikko Rokainen to win a men’s World Cup moguls event at Park City, Utah. Sandra Schmitt of Germany won her first World Cup event, taking the women’s title. . . . Chris Thorpe and Gordy Sheer, silver medalists at the 1998 Olympics, raced to the U.S. men’s doubles luge national title at Park City, Utah. . . . Russia caught Germany on the final leg to win a relay biathlon World Cup event at Oberhof, Germany, and retain its lead in the overall standings. . . . Two-time Olympic champion Bjarte Engen Vik of Norway coasted to his 21st title at a Nordic combined World Cup event at Schonach, Germany. . . . World champion Martin Schmitt of Germany won a 120-kilometer World Cup ski jumping event at Engelberg, Switzerland. . . . Olympic double-medalist Chris Witty won the 500- and 1,000-meter races to take a commanding lead after the first day of the U.S. Sprint Speedskating Championships at West Allis, Wis.

Tennis

A resurgent Jennifer Capriati upset top-ranked Martina Hingis of Switzerland, 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, 6-3, to win the Millennium Cup, an exhibition tournament at Hong Kong. The 23rd-ranked Capriati, on a comeback after tumbling out of the top 100 in 1998, advanced to the final by beating No. 5 Mary Pierce in the semifinals. . . . Anne Kremer of Luxembourg won her first WTA title, beating Cara Black of Zimbabwe, 6-4, 6-4, in the ASB Bank Classic at Auckland, New Zealand. . . . Silvija Talaja of Croatia defeated Conchita Martinez of Spain, 6-0, 0-6, 6-4, to win the Australian Women’s Hardcourt championships at Gold Coast, Australia, for her first singles title. . . . Unseeded Markus Hantschk of Germany upset second-seeded Cedric Pioline of France, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (7-5), and fourth-seeded Jerome Golmard of France defeated unseeded Martin Damm of the Czech Republic, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, in the semifinals of the Gold Flake Open at Madras, India. . . . Former champion Lleyton Hewitt, the hometown favorite, will play 1999 winner Thomas Enqvist of Sweden in the final of the AAPT championships today at Adelaide, Australia, after Hewitt beat Nicolas Escude of France, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, and Enqvist beat fellow Swede Magnus Norman, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2. . . . South Africa won the Hopman Cup when it defeated surprise finalist Thailand at Perth, Australia. . . . Alexandra Stevenson became the first winner on center court at Sydney’s Olympic venue with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Anne-Gaelle Sidot of France in the opening round of the Adidas International.

Miscellany

John Rocker of the Atlanta Braves would have faced immediate discipline from baseball had he not agreed to undergo psychological testing over his disparaging comments about minorities, the New York Times reported. . . . The Oakland Athletics re-signed pitcher Omar Olivares to a two-year contract. . . . The Cleveland Indians and left-hander Chris Haney agreed to a minor league contract.

The U.S. men’s and women’s volleyball teams qualified for the Sydney Olympics. The men defeated Canada, 25-20, 30-28, 25-21, in the championship match of the Continental Cup at Winnipeg, Canada, and the women bounced back from a first-game lost to beat Canada, 3-1, at the Nike Americas’ Volleyball Challenge at Lakeland, Fla. . . . A men’s international beach volleyball event at Melbourne, Australia, was called off after an Australian athlete stepped on a used syringe that had been dumped on the beach.

Clive Charles, director of the men’s and women’s soccer programs at the University of Portland, interviewed last week for coach of the U.S. women’s team. . . . Romario scored two goals as Brazil’s Vasco da Gama beat England’s Manchester United, 3-1, in the World Cup soccer championship at Rio de Janeiro.

Tennessee tailback Jamal Lewis will give up his final year of eligibility to make himself available for the NFL draft. Volunteer free safety Deon Grant will also turn pro. . . . Michigan tailback Anthony Thomas said he will announce Monday whether he will make himself available for the NFL draft.

Portland’s WNBA expansion team said it has chosen the nickname Fire.