European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 15, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday May 15,1987 the stars and stripes Page 23 commentary paint Bryant and Mercer solid Gold its a lock. Tow of key. Forget the Combina Tion when Baum older s Kevin Bryant and Ray Mer cer enter Neu Ulm s ring sunday for the championship of Usa eur boxing they will win. Probably by knockout which will rive Bryant the t5-Pound Bron bomber three Usa eur middleweight titles. And Mercer the 195-Pound Jacksonville Jackhammer three straight Usa eur heavyweight golds. The army s other boxing teams do Hope to put Upa fight Vii Corn coach Al Johnson the Augsburg chief warrant officer involved in Usa eur boxing for two decades says the Only Way they will beat any of my tighten it to Knock them Down he give Bis heavyweight Don Hubert or Wuerzburg a fighting Chance he has a lot of heart he s coming to fight and he wants  that More than Moat boxers offer Mercer. Hefcma1 been dote to toting in a Usa eur ring since 1983. He bad just taken up boxing at Schweinfurt and dropped a 3-2 title decision to Berlin s seasoned Sanford Robinson. By 1985, Mercer had landed in Usa eur s Box ing capital Baum older. This muscular gunnery specialist drilled Heilbroun sold pro Greg Ellerbee fora 4-1 championship decision. In 1986, Mercer made it two straight Susareu tittles. He hardly threw a punch. His semifinal oppo nent failed to show because of an alleged Cut lip. His title target. Ken Alston of Heilbronn gamely put up he Dukes but the ref mopped it before Mercer could draw blood it gets worse. Lost Mouth Mercer won v corp because no one challenged him. No heavyweights i guess Mercer explained atthe v corps training Camp tuesday. During the year there Are but then before the tournament they Ducky Fox Check out the Competition and sit out sound familiar. In the late 1970s, when Wurz Burg s Bon Crusher Smith was crushing heavyweight Bones Neu Ulm s David Bey claimed Novice status and never challenged him. They finally fought at pros last August and Smith did a number on him. Mercer just can t find army chins for his Merci less punches. Since winning title ii last May his Only action came in an International meet in swede last fall. He lost in the final to a swede. What next for this 26-year-old? me Hopes to Flysta Altide for All army. Then reach the nationals where pro scouts might like his stuff and make another. Then perhaps leave the army next year and shoot for boxing Bucks. By then. Mercer should own four Usa eur Gold medals. I be got to get number three under my Belt first he says. Baum older brother Bryant sound hardly a cautious. Sure hell shuffle with there s always us possibility of losing. There arc such things Fly Lucky punches. 1 be never been knocked out in  fights but i Don t forget i m not invincible then conies the Bryant Hoot i Don t feel no onegin the world can beat  no one in the Usa eur world did. On his first tour in Baum older he swept through the army tournament in 1983 and 84. That included his up Selof Bamberg s legendary Emilio amandine in the 83 semifinals a fight that Bryant Calls Bis turning Point Bryant was one hot lighter. So the army shipped him to its boxing hotbed fort Hood Texas to ice if he was Worth his we Ighel in Gold. All we did was cat sleep and train Bryant Saidof the Hood hideout. He was officially with a cavalry outfit but in reality was a Boxer. Period. We eve had our own Barracks. It was great. The Only Lime i d go to the office was to pick up my mail. People there would say who Are you " Bryant showed them. He won a Bronze a a Light Riddle weight at the nationals. Rising Back to middleweight he won a Gold a he National Golden gloves. The Hood life ended for Bryant last Winter. He gothic marching orders for is upholder and he sucked it up for the return. No More big time boxing for awhile. Usa eur does t mean nothing 10 Hemback there. 1 thought it too said Bryant. People come up to me and say Why you Back i never thought you d come Buck. " the comeback was a comedown sure. Yet this 28-year-old sergeant admits he needed to escape Hood s boxing fort pressure and relax with a German Beer. Bryant displayed his old form at the v corps finals. He stopped Giessen s Reuben Estrello at 1 33 of the first round. At the Usa eur meet his weekend Bryan might face the likes of Stuttgart s Hillard Beasley who s moving Down from Light heavyweight in Vii corps attempt to capture the middleweight title. Bryant plans to thwart that attempt. Then punch through All army interservice Ana the National until he reaches the Seoul olympics. Two doors Are open for me said Bryant. "1 can slay in the army and retire. Or i can win the Gold in 88 and Hope something happens for me for Bryant and Mercer that something will Sta with More amid Gold this weekend. Aba from pane 21 16. Doc riven had nine Points and Isa Sisu. Adrian Deatley added 17 Points Fortne pistons. Rick Mahora hid 10 and 16 rebounds. In the fourth Quarter we combined poor shot selection poor defense and turnovers to Lead to our demise said Flatebo. Fratello liter went to the Detroit locker room and hugged Daly a Friend and wished him Luck in the next round of the playoffs. Fratello Alia went around and congratulated the futons  129, Cal ten 124 Boston one of sport s incredible winning streaks died when Terry Cummings came  Brilliant fourth Quarter performance breathed new life into Milwaukee playoff chances and assured Bucks coach Don Nelson of at least one More game at the Helm. It also ended Boston s ,33-Gaoie Home winning Streak and put the celtics Back on the Road where the have lost 10 of their last 14 games. Cummings had 14 of his 23 Point Sand five of his nine rebounds m the final period As Milwaukee Cut Boston Slead id 3-2 in the series. We have a great Opportunity in our hands now Cummings said. Boston Garden where the celtics Only loss in their previous 80 games was dec. 12 to the los Angeles lakers Wasdo place like Home for them this time. They did t go ahead until 2 30 remained in the first half and squandered a 106-101 Lead they held with 10 is Leftin the fourth Quarter. Thai s when Cummings went Back into the game. He got the next two baskets in the first 41 seconds after he returned. Nine teen seconds later be blocked Kevi Mchale s shot setting up Sidney Mon chief s Basket on Milwaukee s next pos session that gave the Bucks a 107-106fead then with is seconds to play his Bank shot from the left Side put the Bucks in front to stay at 12s-f24. He rebounded Dennis Johnson s missed shot with six seconds left was fouled and clinched the Victory with two free throws for the final two Points with five seconds to play. We did t come up with the big plays Down the stretch like we usually do. Celtics guard Jerry Sichting  the end. They were a More aggie live team 1 Johnson said. The hit the boards boxed out and got Sec Ond  20 seconds to go Sikma hit two free thrown to put Milwaukee on top 127 124. Cummings was t celebrating yet. My thought was i be been Here be fore the 6-Fooi-9 Forward said with 20 seconds to go we were up by two or three Points. It does t mean anything against a team the Caliper of  played As if we did t have a Lead. As Long As there s time on the clock you play As if the celtics Are ahead when there was no time on the clock Boston s 14-Gamc Home playoff win Ning Streak which matched the no record set by the Minneapolis lakers from 1949 to 1951, was  led Milwaukee with a Ca reer playoff High 33 Points and Sikma added 23. Boston s starting fron coun teamed up for 83 Points with Robert Parish getting 30, Mchale 27 and Larry Bird 26. But they managed just nine inthe fourth Quarter. Nelson is in his Letb and probably last season As coach of the Bucks. He has had differences with club owner Herb Kohl and has indicated he will not return next  did t talk about the rumours be fore the game Bucks guard John Lucas Saidt he just said he Felt we were about to win. Then we huddled up said a prayer and went out there and did  said he told his players give me a game like you be been giving Means Well  Wiesbaden s Dixon wins As Usa eur boxing opens by Tom s Lundeb staff writer Neu Ulm Germany the six de fending champs could t feed their title hunger in thursday night s opening round of the Usa eur boxing championships they Start eating  they enjoyed byes Wiesbaden " it weight Boxer Terry Dixon Lei dined on Heilbronn s Timothy Russell and spit out the Bones. Dixon sporting a 1986 . Amateur ranking of no. 5 in the featherweight division had no trouble moving up tothe lightweight class. The Wiesbaden Boxer diced Russell 52seconds into the first round with a fear some left Hook for a Knockdown the hammered Home another left Hook to Russell s head three seconds later. Rus sell went Down again. The left Hoole were something that happened said Dixon. "1 think he just walked into  minutes later Dixon peppered an overhand right that left Russell de senseless. Referee Fred Gid Diu stopped the  earlier featherweight fights Vii corps boxers  s Antony Rogers decision Ned v corps Juan Agramonte from Hanavin a wild slug est in which each fighter took standing eight  Fidenco Salinas grabbed the other Vii corps Triumph by Pound ing Berlin s Timothy Lowe. Salinas drilled Home a body shot at i 21 of the first round to stall Lowe then ended it with another fierce shot to the body. At Light welterweight Kevin Poland Vii corps and Maxwell Taylor of v corps woo setting up their semifinal showdown. Poland Neu him i favorite ton Deci signed can Boswell who represented the 21st support come. Taylor did some Spring cleaning on Berliner Anthony Mcmillan s ribs to take a win at 1109 of the second  sons won in the welterweight division. Neu him s Donald Thompson and Baumholzer s Oscar Johnson will Aquai off in the semifinals after  Visioned Hanau s Kevin Smith and John son devastated  s Roberti Ligen to Force a stoppage at 2 58 of the second round. In the sole Light middleweight Battle  s i flite Fairis uncorked a few right Hooks and sent Augsburg s Luis Urbaez Home Early. Here s How the rest went in the three Light heavyweight Boutt Mannheim Marlon Simpkins polished i in bronc s William Bartlelt at 59 of the second round by smothering like Maple syrup on pancakes. Berlin s Mervyn Oarth pounded a right Hook to in Temple of Neu him s Antony Bland to close the Vii corps Boxer s curtains the final Light heavyweight bout had Raymond Blac unon of Giessen out boxing Berlin s Jeffrey wooden in a decision. The night concluded with two berlins per heavyweights posting wins. They meet in the semifinals. Kenneth Thomas maintained his composure despite almost being bugged to death by Hanau s Colin Hazard. Hazard was shown the door at 2 49 of the first round for repeatedly  Graves went three rounds in dancing Bis Way to a Triumph against Schweinfurt s James Schuler boxing continues with preliminary and semifinal bouts Friday and saturday to conclude with sunday s finals