European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 29, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday september 29,1990 the stars and stripes a a Page 25commentarygiddens army boxing Mentor wait Morrissette Freddie Giddens booming voice Sharp wit and wide ranging expertise have been a hallmark of the Usa eur sports scene for several years. As the non commissioned officer in charge of Vii corps sports he a conducted championships in everything from karate to raft racing including skiing and track and Field. But his first love is boxing. A Quick dossier on Giddens he was a Golden gloves regional representative at the american boxing federation championships in Albuquerque n.m., in 1970 before he was drafted into the army. After Basic training at fort Knox ky., he went to administration Ait advanced individual training at Knox. Some 168 or the 172 graduates of his Ait class went to Vietnam but Giddens was sent to Albuquerque on a classified intelligence Freddie Giddens assignment. He eventually moved on to Drill sergeants school at fort Jackson s.c., 1972-74 and then to Korea 1974-76where he worked in j-2 intelligence for 2nd inf div and ran boxing martial arts and Flag football programs. He returned to Korea As 2nd inf div boxing coach 1978-79 and then went to fort Stewart ga., As 24th inf div sports director 1982-83before coming to Stuttgart As the no in charge of Vii corps sports from 1984-90. Although he retired from Active duty As an e-7 on july 1, he continues to run Usa eur clinics As a civilian. His wife of 20 years Jennifer is Back Home in Albany ga., with their sons Freddie jr., 20, a former Stuttgart High quarterback and Leonard 19. Their daughter do Andrea 22, recently graduated Magna cum laude from Spellman College in Atlanta with bachelors degrees m economics and health and physical education. She Snow doing graduate work at the University of Illinois in Champaign Urbana. Giddens hits the big �?o40�?� on oct. 12. At a boxing clinic in Darmstadt West Germany on thursday and Friday Giddens offered several anecdotes from his two decades in boxing. In Korea his unit team from 4th so 7th Cav regt had won the 3rd brigade title in 1978. He then coached the 3rd brigade team to the 2nd inf div open and Novice championships. The division commander at the time maj. Gen. David Grange a now a retired lieutenant general in Stuttgart a wanted Giddens to coach the division team. The Only problem was that at those boxing meets Giddens sported a Beard a for which he had a profile a and a pair of what he called a ugly baggy karate pants with stripes on them from his martial arts classes. Both were no gos at division. Giddens declined to part with either. After Giddens duplicated his feats in 1979, Grange told him a you Are the new division boxing coach. You done to have to shave but you be got to get rid of those  Giddens teams travelled the far East beating Navy Giddens picks evander Holyfield Over Douglas. Air Force and Marine Competition. A Alt. Gen. Grange supported the boxing team 200 percent a Giddens said. A we always had a place to stay and we trained  Giddens moved on to fort Stewart As the sports director but later replaced the boxing coach who transferred. A we became the no. 2 team in the army behind Kenny Adams fort Hood team a Giddens said. Adams is a longtime All army and interservice coach who coached the 1988 . Olympic boxing team in Seoul South Korea. Boxers done to usually see All the available opportunities when they first step into the ring nor do they always take advantage of them later. On Kevin Bryant a a i tried to get Kevin by ant to turn pro after he won the nationals because he said he was getting out of the army. Next thing i know he re enlisted. So the Opportunity for him to make something out of All the time he invested in boxing was there he just did no to use  on Ray Mercer a a when he first stepped into the ring he has no intentions of going All army or turning pro. I had to plead with Ray Mercer to turn pro. He did no to think about turning pro. He was going to quit. Mercer took advantage of his skills and worked at it. The Only thing he needs to work on is his defense. Mercer hits As hard or harder than any other Boxer in be Ever seen. Randal Crippen hits As hard to the body As Mercer nits to the head. A i just Hope that he works every Day in improving his defense knowing How to fight boxers who Are real fast and who have a lot of style. The Only thing that you do to Mercer when you hit him is irritate him. A Mercer is the kind of Boxer that it does no to take a lot of punches from him to get rid of you. One or half of one will put you away. But a lot of times he has to give up too much to put you away. On Mike Tyson a a i saw him at the Abs nationals in �?T83 when he was 16 years old and  Giddens had taken his fort Stewart team there. He also said Tyson was not mentally prepared for Buster Douglas. A i done to remember Tyson throwing any blows against Douglas until the eighth round. The Tyson that i knew threw blows. That told me something was wrong. Then All of a sudden the eighth round comes up and his Corner tells him he a behind. Then Tyson tried to get rid of Douglas for the first time a he floored him. A then Tyson a in a Jam. He a behind. He has to go for broke. He got careless. A i always said that anybody who lands three consecutive shots on Tyson was going to Stop him. Nobody else hit him. Bon Crusher Smith hit in the 15th round and stopped. Frank Bruno wobbled him in the first round. A Douglas was the first Man to hit him with three consecutive unanswered direct clean  on evander Holyfield a the fort Stewart teams had won the Georgia state championships out of Atlanta for several years when Giddens arrived. Giddens coached the �?T83 Georgia team in the Abs Southern regional in Knoxville Tenn. Holyfield was on that team. A when they got to Holyfield a bout Billy Davis the Georgia Abs president told him a if you win this bout Georgia will win the Southern championship for the first time in 25  a Holyfield told him to go get the trophy before the bout started. The Guy he fought was rated until Holyfield finished him. I mean Holyfield beat him  Holyfield was on the Southern team that Giddens coached in the �?T83 Abs National championships at Albuquerque. Holyfield lost in raw deals there and at the 1984 olympics in los Angeles. But he then advanced to a successful pro career and a shot at the world heavyweight championship a his fight with Douglas on oct. 25 in Las vegas. As far As Giddens predictions on that fight a i done to think Douglas is going to fight Foreman because he Isnit going to have a title to fight with. I think Holyfield is going to beat Douglas. A a lot of people underestimate Holyfield. Holyfield is a Small version of Mercer. Holyfield can take a shot and he can give a shot. He a not going to do like Tyson did just stand there and not throw punches. I think Buster Douglas knows that  what is it about the ring that turns soldiers on despite the physical risks involved a this ring serves in place of detention Hall or the drug and alcohol Center. If the boxers come Here and beat themselves around in the ring without getting injured its a lot better than them going downtown arid beating each other up in a bar and going to  what a in the future for Giddens head like nothing better than to continue running sports programs and conduct boxing clinics so boxers and officials can continue to Benefit from his two decades of experience. I believe he a sorely needed on the sports scene Here and i Hope he can continue to dish out the training a and the stories. The Star and Stolpa clinics stress boxing safety rules a in any Contact sport like the Contact you have in boxing you need trained officials who Are professional who know the rules so they can keep people from getting  show Usa eur boxing Clini Ian Freddie Giddens explained the reason for boxing clinics like the one held for 36 referees judges and timers in Darmstadt West Germany this week. Concern for safety and boxing by the Book is taught at All of the boxing clinics in Europe. # classes were held thursday and Friday and officials were to be tested Dur ing clinic boxing matches on saturday night. Most officials Are former boxers or coaches. But they have to make a mental switch when they step into the ring As an official. A the hard part about adjusting from coaching to getting in the ring is knowing that you Are the Only one in full control of what takes place in the ring a Giddens said. A there Are 23 different fouls a Boxer can commit a he said a and if you get 23 different officials you might get 46 Dif Ferent ways to Call the same  an official has to be Able to demonstrate violations in holding slapping hitting below the Belt ducking slipping using the ropes stepping on the toes hitting behind the head he said. It goes on and on a Giddens said on his face. The rules Call for a Manda tory eight count. Safety is a problem then. He a not moving you done to have time for an eight count. You count one a and when you Start dealing with sub novices raw rookies they will teach you new violations that Arentt even in the Book. But you know its  they need Quick judgment. A if a Boxer goes Down suppose you have a Boxer who a knocked Aown Flat take his mouthpiece out and get the doctor into the ring. We want everyone to come into the ring walking and we want everyone to leave the ring walking a he said. A a in be got officials who be been in the business a Long time who have a Broad knowledge of the sport. But to show their interest they keep coming Back for More a he said. A Wall Morrissette