European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 6, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse Tuesday september 6, 1988 the stars and stripes Page 25 olympics can an army Grunt beat Tyson Angels times the editor s assignment is there an olympic Boxer to take on Mike Tyson smart Lecky reporter s response in what ten Nis actually when viewed from a historical perspective the question in t totally absurd. Not totally. After All. Who in 1984, at the . Olympic Tea boxing trials would have looked at 17-year-old Mike Tyson and predicted that in 1988 he would earn something close to so million no one that s who. Remember Tyson As Nirio a impressive As he looked could t make the olympic team. And in 1988, Ray Mercer did. Mem Siam i which brings us i you Haven t guessed to sol. Ray Mercer .army, Baum older West Germany. Already some Cal him merciless Mercer. Ray Mercer this Guy fights like Tyson. He s even got a Gold tooth in front. The 11 other members of the . Olympic Box ing team arc familiar names in Amateur boxing ath letes who have been winning in major tournament for the last several years from Light flyweight Michael Carbajal to super heavyweight Riddick Bowe. But Mercer is the new Guy on the icam. He burst upon the scene at the National Amateur tournament in Colorado Springs colo., last March. Just As people were starting to say who is that Guy he won a National championship. Then in a .-Cuba showdown in Atlantic cily n j., he too world Champion heavyweight Felix Savon to the wire losing a 2-1 decision. Then in an upset he beat favored Michael Ben twice in the olympic team selection process to make the squad at age 27. Suddenly no one was saying who is that Guy anymore. A year ago however Mercer was known Only at european military tournaments. Mercer is a superbly conditioned athlete and at heavily muscled 196-197 pounds he fits easily under the Amateur heavyweight limit of 201. He s an Offen Sive powerhouse overwhelming Mast opponents with Superior strength knockout Power and an in your face attack. Sound familiar but can a 27-year-old Amateur Boxer be called a hot pro Prospect that s most often the Case with . Olympic team heavyweights. Of the last six olympic teams three of the heavyweights have either subsequently won the pro championship or have earned a title match. It s four of six when you include Tyrell Biggs. He was in a new weight class in 1984, super heavy pro boxing people Are split on Mercer s pro possibilities. Almost everyone Calls him a Prospect but Many balk at his age. As Veteran pro Trainer Lou Duva of new Jersey put it if this Guy is such a great Prospect Why is he still in the amateurs that s easy Lou. He s in the army. Mercer sort Ofa retired army no has spent a Good part of his life in Germany. He played football at an american High school in Hannover West Germany and has been in the army eight he s due to gel out in october. I Hope the Best for the kid but he s a raw product. He s nowhere near the development Tyson was at in 84," Duva course we should consider the possibility that wily Lou might be sandbagging us on this one. If beloved Mercer he would t say so right hey look at All the Gold medal kids who turned pro in 84 look How Long it s taken them to develop he said. You re talking about four to six Yean of development As pros and this Guy is 27 to Start other pro boxing people disagree. They say being 27 in t necessarily a Handicap for a heavy like him a lot said Bob Spagnola of the hous ton boxing association. The Guy s a wrecking machine i thought Michael Bent was the Best Amateur heavyweight in the country and Mercer showed him no respect whatever. He took Over control of those two bouts at the outset. I like his size 6-fool-l. A 200-Pound heavy weight can be a world Champion. He s got a great body. From the calves up. He s a monster. He s military Guy with disciplined work habits and you be got to Tove that. With Mercer you re no getting some scary Street Guy and that s a plus. He s More refined As an Amateur than Tyson was. Tyson War a Short teen Ager jumping up in he air and knocking Guys Manny Steward of Detroit s Kronk gym stable likens Mercer to a smaller version of a Young George Foreman. He needs work in a pro gym but he Basic tools he s got pm Steward said. Wilh his Good work habits he d be a Quick learner. His entire mental Energy is All offence right now but that does t mean he can t icam some defensive fundamentals. I think he s a pro Prospect. His age does t bother me. Remember Rocky Marciano was a late starter. He was still learning How to Box at 27." Good work habits is a phrase used often by boxing people who have observed Mercer. Impeccable might be a but scr word than Good. In the looks like a Guy trying to Matte a go cover. We May have Here the world s Only Boxer who trains in a tie. It s a narrow Black leather tic. When you look Good you do Good is his Only explanation. Pat Nappi three Lime , olympic coach View Mercer As one of the Best heavyweight or super heavyweight pro prospects to come out of the .olympic program. He s got the tools to do Well As a pro but at 27,docs he have enough time he asked. "1 Don t know t do know thai his Best assets arc the fact he works hard and he s got great strength and he s always in Good physical condition. If returns pro and winds up with Good people training him he could develop into Mercer developed rapidly in 1988, surprising not Only himself but army boxing coaches As Welt. Olympic team and that no one was going to Stop him said Hank Johnson the army icam Couch. It was just what he needed a goal. He s a completely different person now. Until this year we never seen this intensity in him. The willingness to pay the Mercer who did t take up boxing until 1983,when he was 22, says Wii i some Pride hat he s a creation of army discipline. I m infantry he tikes to say. Thai Means hard Core army. I m a Grunt. I charge fast Mercer says the subject of boxing first came up in1983, right after he had embarked on a 30-Day win Ter survival training exercise. Turned out the boxing coach at Baum older needed a heavyweight sparring partner. Since i was sleeping in Snow at the Lime i sounded like a Good Deal to me Mercer says. Lady rams win third straight title Span Dahlem a West Ger Many talk about your travelling champions. The lady rams made it three straight Safe slow pitch softball title monday by beating in Firtik 9-s to compete a Safe Cycle by winning the title in one of the three different sports conferences each year. In 1986, Ramstein nipped Hill Nikon Greece 5-4 at Hill Nikon s Home turf for the Mediterranean sports conference leg of the Cycle. Then in 1987, the lady rams went torah Wethersfield. England of the . Sports conference to win a second title by lopping West Germany s bilburg9-2. Ramstein swept to titles in those tournaments but found the Homecoming a Little unwelcoming. Lakenheath ended Ramstein s undefeated Streak sunday handing the lady rams a 6-2 loss to Force a showdown with Simbach who finished the round Robin tourney even with Ramstein at 6-2. It was Only a temporary delay though As Ramstein slapped Simbach 7-3 Early monday to Advance to the title game. In Ciurlik finished atop the eight team Field with a 6-1 Mark. Rito ten 9, in Ciurlik 5 after it us behind twice and regaining the Lead in their half of each inning the u Safe softball lady rams went ahead for Good 6-5 on single by sue Crissy and two Fielding errors in the Bottom of the fifth inning. The lady rams added three runs in the sixth with five straight two out sin Gles. Francine lord Stacey Haynes. Wendy Chesters Yvonne Brown and Crissy All singled for the three insurance runs. Ramstein scored in the Bottom of the first for a 1-0 Lead when Haynes tripled and Chesters drilled a single. In Firtik came Back with two runs inthe top of the third. Dee Liguori Veruschka Holly and Donna Anderson started the inning with consecutive sin Gles. Wanda Taylor skied a run producing Fly out and Darta Bowers added a run baited in with a single to gain a 2-1 advantage. Haynes and Brown started Ramstein s first of two comebacks with singles the scored on base hits from Carolyn con stable and Crissy for a 3-2 Edge. In Ciurlik dulled that Edge with three runs in the top of the fourth keyed by Holley s two rib singles but Ramstein pulled even in its half As Haynes Crosse the plate alter drilling a shot Over to the Fence which scored Chris Andre who had singled. The two run Homer tied the score at 5-5.Crissy s game winning run came after in Ciurlik left Center fielder Donna Ander son displayed a base hit then attempted to Nail Crissy at third. Anderson s throw eluded third baseman Liguori allowing Crissy to score. Ramstein 7, Sembach 3ramstein packed this game up in the first two innings after racing ahead so. Haynes singled and scored on a hit by Monica Jenkins to break the ice in the first inning. Ramstein added four runs inthe second on Crissy s three run triple and lord s single to build the fought Back in the fourth As Joanne Childers jello Anderson and Jan Kondos led off the inning with consecutive hits. Marie Mathews singled scor ing two and Mary Hopson hit a sacrifice for another. With one out and Mathews on third Simbach folded and trailed 5-3.Ramstein s to Shaw uncorked a two run single in the fifth to space the lady rams advantage Ramstein Pitcher Bert Carter was chosen tournament most valuable Flayer and headed a list of four lady rams selected for the All tourney team. First baseman Haynes shortstop Brown and third baseman Shaw were the others. In Ciurlik placed three players on the team outfielder Lori boric Catcher hoi Ley and extra hitter Bowers. Sembach second baseman hop Sonand outfielder Anderson were chosen. As were outfielders Carolyn Pierce of Halm and Martina Bowers of Torr Jon and Catcher Den lie Tomashoski of la Kun health Hahn and Lakenheath finished the Lourcy 4-3, Torrejon and Alconbury went 2-5 and Mildenhall was wingless at0-7. Moore Sparks phantoms win Raf Chicksands England Mel Vin Moore could t have asked for More As he paced the Binl Walers phantom 10a 28-13 win Over the Chicksands fight ing Chicks scored two touchdowns and ran for 165 Yards equalling Chicksands total yardage. Air Force football Moore gave Bent Waicus its first an last scores with a second Quarter 4-Yard touchdown and a fourth Quarter 2-Yardblast. Moore s final to followed Quarter Back Mike Mason s throw to Bonniedale for a 17-Yard to strike. Ben Walen improved its record to 1-1, Chicksands fell to 0-2
