European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 1, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday july 1988 the stars and stripes commentary Mercer will bring Home fhe Gold yes Ray Mercer saw Mike Tyson s act of terror on to monday night. No Mercer was t surprised. Yes Mercer realizes he might face Tyson s bloody Hook one Day. No Mercer s not scared even after watching Michael Spinks sink in that 91-second heavyweight boxing Blowout. At least that s what he says. I think i d do better than Spinks did. I would t be scared at All. I d be less than a Man if i was scared. You can t let yourself think scared. If you Are you might As Well get  Ray Mercer in t about to get out. Not after punching his Way from Baum older West Germany to within a few rounds of the olympics. Mercer is training these Days at fort Hua Chuca ariz., for that olympic ticket. The . Boxing Tri als run july 5-10 at Concord Calif. The winners and what Are described As the most noteworthy opponents will Advance to the Box off july 16-17 at Caesars Palace in Las vegas Nev. After that the Rush for Gold in Seoul is on. If Mercer wins the heavyweight Gold it would be the greatest achievement of a Soldier still stationed with the army in Europe. Willie Davenport out of Mainz won the High hurdles Gold in 1968, and Bone Crusher Smith out of Wiir Burg won the world boxing Council heavyweight Crown in 1986. But both were no longer in the army when they landed on top. Mercer is. He s a sergeant with the 8th inf div in Baum older. This fort Hua Chuca stint constitutes temporary duty. He still plans to Clear his papers in Baum older before leaving the army in january. By then Mercer could be an olympic Champion. He would be a National hero. The slugging sergeant. The armed Force. The baddest Bear of Baum older. Mercer will do it. Just like he won three straight Usa eur heavyweight golds from 1985 to 1987. Just like he won the . Amateur championship by stopping four straight opponents then winning a Bucky Fox unanimous decision Over Jerry Goff in the final. If Tyson is King of pro boxing Mercer is Prince of the amateurs. He s ranked no. 1 among All . Amateur heavyweights. That group includes Michael Bent an army reservist out of new York City who wore the National Crown from 1985 to 1987. Bent skipped the . Amateur tournament this year. He qualified for next week s . Trials by winning last month s Eastern trials. Although he has never fought Mercer Bent is considered the Only serious heavyweight threat. Sort of serious. The Only Guy who can beat Ray is Michael Bent says Hank Johnson the army coach who is running the armed forces Camp at fort Hua Chuca. But there s this thing Ray has that Bent does t. He wants it More. I Don t think Michael Bent will make the sacrifices like  has never fought Bent officially. They Only sparred three years ago. He Shook my ass one Day and i kicked his the next recalls Mercer. Now he s Bent on beating Bent. I know i can beat him says the Man who likes to go by merciless Mercer. Ill fight him like i be never fought before. I can t see me losing. The Competition might be Tough but i m Tough too. I need this. No time to  As Mercer spoke in this Telephone interview he was on a break amid the Arizona heat. His training starts with a four mile Mountain run at 6 30 . Then comes breakfast rest and two sessions in the  re isolated out Here said Mercer. There s nothing to do. You go to the movies then go to  Only other Usa eur Boxer at the Camp is James Crisp a Light middleweight out of Niernberg. He punched his trials ticket with his armed forces title. But Crisp a 26-year-old specialist from Clin ton ky., admits his Odds of advancing to the olym pics Are 50-50," what with mean Competition loom ing from Frank Liles of Syracuse n.y., and Tim Littles of Flint Mich. Crisp gives Mercer Superior Odds of striking solid Gold. The obstacle in Seoul could come from Cuba s Felix Savon who decision Ned Mercer april 30 in at lactic City. Mercer would get a break if the cubans boycotted but forget that. Mercer stands so close to this Gold mine at the age of 27, with a record of 56-6. Not bad for a Soldier who started boxing just five years ago. Mercer was born in Jacksonville Fla. He moved to Columbus ga., when he was 6. He joined the army in 1980 and landed in Schweinfurt West Ger Many in 1983. That s where he threw his first punch. It quickly developed into a winning punch. He swept to Vii corps Novice and open titles and took a 13-0 record into the 1983 Usa eur heavyweight finals. He lost a 3-2 decision 19 Sanford Robinson an All army Veteran out of Berlin. Mercer s close loss bolstered his Confidence. He knew he could be a contender. After a year without boxing at fort Benning ga., Mercer hit Baum older in 1985. He turned that Confidence into a Usa eur dynasty. Now this 6-foot-1 Bull Hopes to rage to olympic glory. And beyond. He will turn pro after his army stint. Then he can look Back on the Day of Tyson s Triumph Over Spinks. Mercer did t have to pay for the closed circuit showing at the fort Hua Chuca gym Only because he helped set up chairs. Merciless Mercer is bound to make enemy boxers pay for future bouts. The stars and stripes fear May have licked Michael Spinks a a _ j to a it i of a a o i Byl Daberkow new York times new York an image of Michael Spinks remains in the mind Well beyond the fight Well beyond the sight of his eyes rolling Back in his head As he took his second and last Tumble in the ring to conclude his evening s work in 91 seconds of round 1 monday night. The image that remains in memory occurred about 9 30 that night inside convention Hall in Atlantic City about two hours before Spinks would climb into the ring to meet Iron Mike Tyson for the undisputed world heavyweight title. Spinks came through the door from the Street and proceeded toward his dressing room. He wore a White Straw hat with Bright band and a White jogging outfit and a Jaunty smile below his mod est Mustache. He walked in the Middle of a Phalanx of several of his handlers and pals. Nearby on the other Side of a roped area were a number of fans. They called out for autographs and asked Spinks at that moment still an undefeated prize fighter to Stop and pose for a photo. He called Back Over his shoulder that he d do it later after the fight. Spinks walked with his head High in Side the Straw hat and his Chest was out a bit of a strut it seemed and the look in his eyes appeared to be like someone whistling As he walked through a graveyard at  one knew for certain though no one knew whether unseen Denns were jabbing fear into his heart with Little pitchforks. Spinks had talked about Fearin the Days leading up to the fight and admitted to possessing a measure but said he used fear to keep his mind on matters to discipline his training. Up photo Michael Spinks. Cool on the outside and other boxers have spoken about the Normal fear before a fight when one s head might in fact be punched so hard that it would be made to fit funny on one s body. When Spinks arrived in the ring he seemed not unlike a lot of fighters and not deathly afraid. He waved to his Mother who stood near the eng and waved a red Bible and he waved to his brother Leon who stood beside his Mother. When Mike Tyson got into the ring he was the Glass of fashion As usual no socks and no Robe. Just Black shoes and Black trunks and looking conventionally menacing. He waved to nobody. Soon and maybe not too soon for reasons of personal health Spinks was Down and out and done with the victim of a Swift vicious onslaught from the fists of Tyson. In effect it reduced Spinks not to the Light heavyweight he had been but to the lightweight he now appeared to be. He fell apart he just went to pieces said Ray Arcel the octogenarian fight Trainer. You see sudden changes in a fighter in their makeup. And i know Spinks for a Long time and admired his courage and determination but he was simply in there with someone who Well who is the nearest thing to Jack Dempsey in his prime. He could hit you once on top of the head and finish  Arcel had seen fear firsthand with numerous fighters since he carted a dozen or so out of the ring against Joe Louis. I remember in 19401 walked Johnny paycheck into the ring against Joe said Arcel and his Knees were actually trem bling. He was t a live  Arcel helped escort paycheck Back to the dressing room the fighter having been knocked out in the second round. The next year he helped train Lou Nova against Louis who would dispatch the challenger in the sixth. Lou knew How to fight like Spinks but he lost All control of his whole system said Arcel. He did t know who he  the element of fear can transform a Man said Arcel. And even someone like Spinks who has outstanding boxing skills and a fighting spirit and one of the great trainers in Eddie Futch he said. But there s so much attention and pressure from the buildup and then there s  said Tyson could have fought in any Era and been one of the outstanding fighters. And he agreed with Tyson that he Tyson is a fighter s Nightmare. He s Young and powerful and fast said Arcel. His punches have Speed and he s always applying pressure. I d love to have seen him against Dempsey or Louis or Marciano. I d love to have seen him against a or Joe Frazier. He s like Frazier in his style. You know people forget How Good Joe Frazier was because he was overshadowed in his time by  reporter remembers Joe Frazier very Well. Upon first seeing the left Hook of Frazier it was considered that if he would hit a building with it the building might waver for a moment but that it would Sag and fall like most of smoking Joe s  Ali crumbled a few times but incredibly he Rose from the Canvas and quickly glued himself Back together. Before one of the Ali bouts i visited Frazier s training Camp. I was much younger then and wondered what it would be like to lightly spar one round with  Box asked yank Durham Frazier s Trainer. A  How Little very  Are you in shape yeah sure i said i ride my Bicy Cle around the neighbourhood a couple times a  Durham looked me Over. In that Case he said Joe will Only break a couple of your ribs. My Man he Don t know How to  i thought about that for a moment. Yank i said i think i la take a rain  element of fear As Arcel had observed could indeed transform a Man