U.S. Boxing Controversy Is Finally Settled

Late Thursday, after more than 12 hours of deliberations, the American Arbitration Assn. ruled that the 152-pound competition in the Olympic boxing trials will resume tonight with Cory Jones, Vanes Matirosyan, Edward Joseph and Austin Trout fighting to advance to the Olympic box-offs.

The foursome will face off in two matches tonight, preceding the previously scheduled box-offs at the Cleveland State Convocation Center.

The 20 remaining competitors in the other 10 weight classes will then determine the final spots on the 2004 U.S. Olympic team in their respective divisions tonight, and Saturday, if necessary.

Fellow 152-pounders Juan McPherson and Andre Berto, who had obtained a temporary restraining order from an Ohio court Wednesday to halt the competition, were denied their bid to remain in the trials by binding arbitration.

The dispute began last week on the opening day of the trials and has overshadowed the competition in the days since. In an opening-round match, with 27 seconds remaining in the fourth and final round of a match between McPherson and Berto, Berto, feeling that he was being unfairly held, threw McPherson to the canvas.

McPherson suffered an injury to the back of his head that caused him to be hospitalized. Berto was disqualified by referee Dennis O’Connell for the foul, automatically ending Berto’s participation in the tournament.

When doctors for USA Boxing would not grant McPherson a medical clearance the next day to return to the ring, he was also out of the tournament.

What followed was a week of flip-flopping that would shame the most wishy-washy of political candidates.

A USA Boxing grievance committee overruled the referee and reinstated Berto. A second grievance committee rejected the findings of the first committee, but rather than issuing its own ruling, it appointed a third committee.

The third committee overruled the first committee.

USA Boxing’s board of directors overruled the first committee then, 24 hours later, backed down and overruled itself.

For a sport struggling to keep its top athletes from turning pro, it was one devastating blow to its credibility after another.

With the 152-pound competition suspended during the controversy, it was hoped that the trials could be resumed here with Jones, Matirosyan, Joseph and Trout -- the four men remaining in the weight class -- finishing that stage of the competition Thursday and today.

But even that proposal had to be overruled because of the restraining order.

Now it can go forward. The winners between Matirosyan-Jones and Joseph-Trout will meet Saturday.

That will still leave two 152-pounders to engage in a box-off for that division, perhaps to be staged on Sunday, and Monday, if necessary.

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They may be operating under the radar with all the sound and fury swirling around the 152-pounders, but, for the 20 other competitors in the Olympic box-offs, the controversy is just background noise. For them, the opportunity to realize their Olympic dream is the focus.

Of the 79 boxers outside the 152-pound division who competed, one emerged in the winners’ bracket and one in the losers’ bracket in each weight division.

Should the boxer from the winners’ bracket win tonight, he has the spot in his division on the U.S. Olympic squad.

Should the fighter from the losers’ bracket win, the two would meet again on Saturday night with the victor advancing.

With the exception of super-heavyweight Jason Estrada, who qualified at last summer’s Pan Am Games, victory guarantees a spot only on the U.S. team.

To reach Athens, they must still win in one of two international qualifying events.

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Fight Card

Matchups of the Olympic box-offs in Cleveland today and Saturday. All challengers’ bracket winners will have to defeat the champions’ bracket winners twice to make the 2004 Olympic team:

*--* LIGHT-FLYWEIGHT (106 POUNDS) Champion: Rau’shee Warren, Cincinnati Challenger: Diego Hurtado, Sparks, Nev. FLYWEIGHT (112) Champion: Ron Siler, Cincinnati Challenger: Aaron Alafa, Visalia BANTAMWEIGHT (119) Champion: Roberto Benitez, New York Challenger: Eric Hunter, Philadelphia FEATHERWEIGHT (125) Champion: Mickey Bey Jr., Cleveland Challenger: Brandon Rios, Garden City, Kan. LIGHTWEIGHT (132) Champion: Vicente Escobedo, Woodland, Calif. Challenger: Anthony Peterson, Washington LIGHT-WELTERWEIGHT (141) Champion: Rock Allen, Philadelphia Challenger: Lamont Peterson, Washington WELTERWEIGHT (152) To be determined MIDDLEWEIGHT (165) Champion: Andre Dirrell, Flint, Mich. Challenger: Clarence Joseph, Fort Carson, Colo. LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT (178) Champion: Andre Ward, Oakland Challenger: Marcus Johnson, Killeen, Texas HEAVYWEIGHT (201) Champion: Devin Vargas, Toledo, Ohio Challenger: Chazz Witherspoon, Paulsboro, N.J. SUPER-HEAVYWEIGHT (201+) Champion: Jason Estrada, Providence, R.I. Challenger: Mike Wilson, Central Point, Ore.

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