European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 28, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse Friday october 2b. 1988 the stars and stripes Page 23 commentary troubled Tyson to Fumble is. Mercer in keeping with this diction spirit id s Lake a Vole. Who is tired of Mike Tyson s reign As world heavyweight boning Champion hear hear who is sick of Iron Mike s plastic marriage with Robin diverts hear hear who can t stand Tyson s Boms with Lithium and Vodka and whatever Givens accuses him of hear hear who is nauseated by Tyson s delays Over fighting Frank Bruno hear hear sounds unanimous. Knock the Guy out of there. Dul who to do Ilas Charlie tuna cracked on an radio inc other morning when Tyson crashed into that tree in was the first thing thai did t Back up against Kim. Nominations please. George Foreman the former heavyweight Cham Pion looks like he s in the overweight division. No Way. George Michael sure the pop Singer i the hol Iest item in the business but the pop is in his Throat not his fists. For gel it. George Bush yes the vice president has Laken the gloves off in his tight for the White House the problem is pro boxing requires the gloves slay on. Sorry. So let s gel serious who is going to beat Tyson for the heavyweight championship within the next two years my Vole Ray Mercer. Bel on it. The Baum older bomber is fresh off Pound ing the olympic heavyweight Field and he s already warm ing o he idea of tangling with Tyson. When he landed in Frankfurt tuesday with his Seoul Gold around his neck a fellow Soldier from his 8th in div outfit Sugges cd. Tell him you la meet Iron Mercer was As Quick on his feet As he was in Stop Ping four straight olympic pigeons. If he t kill himself first said the merciless one. Mercer wants Tyson alive. Soon. The army specialist will be nearly 28 when he leaves the service in january and As he said i have no Lime to fool that Means going pro immediately. Mercer s old Bucky Fox Mike Tyson alms punch at likeness of George Bush. Baum older each Ray Lilly said two years of pro bouts would Clear the infantryman s March toward Tyson. Mercer prefers a quicker route i want to fight every month for a year then take him on. Does t he know no one has beaten Iron Mike whose 35-0 record includes 31 knockouts Anllo be the first one said Mercer. That might sound silly from a Guy whose experience is i rec rounders in head gear Garry Grant thinks it s silly. He s the usar eur middleweight Champion who competed during Mercer s Usa eur dynasty of 1985-87. This thing about going up against Tyson no said Grant who rotated from Hanau a couple of weeks ago. Tyson right now is Loo full Bloom. He s got Loo much steam rolling right now. Nobody ingoing to Slop him right now i think Ray will go to Cruiser weight first. Try fighting Henry Tillman and a few other Guys like evander Holyfield then move up i think hell win the Cruiser weight Lilly. Mercer likes coming in at 197, 196. He normally stays around 210,205 when he s just walking around with out training. When he trains he gets Down to 198, 197."cruiscrwciehl? Mercer says he won t enter that division which is a holding pattern Between Light heavy and heavyweight. Heavyweight All the Way is Mercer s message. That Means hell have to bulk up to Hurt Tyson who weighed 218 pounds in his0 1-second spanking of Mike Spinks last june. If anyone has inc Zeal to gel Rock hard for a Tyson tango in s Mercer. Even Grant said after Mercer crushed Korea s Baik Hyun Man at 2 16 of the first round for inc Gold medal when he went to All army that s when he really hit the Road. He looks whole lot different. His body s chiselled Ever Inch now. Everybody always knew he was big Anil carried a big thunderous punch with both hands. That was the first time i seen him in that Good physical Condi Tion. He really conditioned himself lie really put in into his Mercer will get a hard push from Kenny Adams the All army coach who ran inc olympic boxing learn. Adams was credited Wilh his fighters excellent shape and hell keep Mercer running when both arc out of the army. When Mercer Lurns in his bus. He will probably sign with Hob arum s top rank promotions firm Oul of Las vegas. Adams indicated after the olym pics he would become ,1 pro boxing Trainer for to rank and Lake several olympians with him including Mercer and another Gold winning Soldier Ken Nedy said tuesday he will have two trainers Adams in the West and Hank Johnson another army Guy who was inc chief assistant olympic Couch in inc cast. With so much army influence Mercer s Camp will look like the Green machine. And inc top gunner is moving fasl. His plans include buying a House in inc Washington d.c., area. He s Gonna Shine like a predicts Kevin Bryant the former Usa eur middleweight Champ who was one of inc Bauchot Der sol dvrs who met Mercer s night lie s used to it the spotlight now. He s had a lot of practice. I just Hope he inc right things. It s a dog Cal dog world out there. A lot of people arc just Oul for your Money. In 84 at the olympic trials 1 saw a of of Shady characters Oul Uherc one of the shakier ones was Tyson who lost in those trials four years ago. He has t is Mcc he won l lose again until i " Champion. Again unti e meets the 1988 olympic Hampton the voters will be Happy with that outcome. Aba from Page 21 lakers quietly added Orlando Woolridge a talented scorer who never had a reputation for team play eve before undergoing drug rehabilitation last season. But Riley said Woolridge already is benefiting from being around Leam Orion cd stars like magic Johnson there has to be an adjustment because we veal ways had five or six Guys who played extended min utes Riley said. There has to be a sacrifice on their part but i think they Are relieved that general manager Jerry West went out to get some new Golden state coach Don Nelson was impressed with the i98s-s9 version of inc lakers in preseason. Woolridge has added a new dimension to he Lak ers Nelson said after the lakers whipped the warriors on consecutive nights. I want o warn the league How Good the lakers we always emphasize team Effort that s whal s kept us successful Abdul Jabbar said. If he can fit in Thal s what we want. There have been a lot of Guys Wilh drug problems and he s been one of the unfortunate ones. But if he s a professional he won t have a problem at Abdul Jabbar the All time Aba Leader in Points games minutes Field goals made and ailed plod an blocked shots will be 42 by inc time the regular season ends in april. I m not going to use a Arcco s last year As a psychological ploy to gel the Leam motivated to win Riley said. The natural desire to win in t enough in the Aba because every player in the league wangle win. So we have to find another reason to win again. Riley who guaranteed after winning in 1987 thai Robert Parish and the celtics Hope to rebound the lakers would win another title in 1988, in t going that route again. The guarantee did serve a purpose of identifying a goal for us but it removed All inc euphoria of winning in 1987," Abdul Jabbar said. As for this season you never know How much you la want a last season s breakup by Detroit of the Boston celtics stranglehold on the Eastern conference has other learn who have fallen Short of reaching the championship series thinking they can do what the visions did. "1 have a feeling we opened a Pandora s Box of coaches and general managers who look Al us and say we handled inc pistons last season. Why weren t we in the finals " pistons coach Chuck Daly said. The visions have a Strong nucleus in Isiah Thomas Adrian Dan Llcy and Hill Lamb car Wilh a loaded Bench including John Salley Dennis Rodman James Edwards and v Mic Many believe that Atlanta a 50-Gamc Winner last season is ready to take Over As the a slim conference powerhouse because of the additions of Malone a three Lime most valuable player and Reggie Theus a High scoring guard who has never had a supporting cast like Malone Dominique Wilkins and Glenn Rivers. Boston Wilh a new coach in Jimmy Rodgers in t ready to give up its status As a conic starting lineup of Larry Bird Kevin Mchale Robert Parish Dennis Johnson and Danny Aings instill formidable but Rodgers will be looking for More help from the Bench to bring the celtics Back irom its playoff loss to the responsibilities when you move 12 seats Over on the Bench Are greater but i look for it to be a smooth transition Rodgers said. The system we use will be similar because i was one of those who put in inc celtics will Benefit from playing in a weak at lactic division while Atlanta Detroit Chicago. Mil Waukee Cleveland and Indiana Battle for playoff berths in inc bulls Hope to Challenge Atlanta and Detroit As Center Bill Cartwright acquired in a Trade with new York for top rebound Der Charles Oakley joins Michael Jordan who nol Only was last season s scoring Champi on and most valuable player but also defensive player of the the West Dallas Houston Utah Denver port land and a cattle All have legitimate claims As no. I challenger to inc lakers
