European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 27, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Wednesday november 27, 1991 the stars and stripes Page 25 Cooper s flurry pales alongside Power of Tyson by Jim Litke the associated press Atlanta a he looked menacing Short and thick and dressed in Black topped off by that crazy smile. He packed a right hand with the kick of a mule. He knocked evander Holyfield Down for the first time in his professional career. And he Wasny to even the genuine article. A but i knew Quot Holyfield said a that he Wasny to Good thing too. Because if it had been Mike Tyson in the ring with him saturday night instead of smoking Bert Cooper Holyfield would still be recovering and no longer the heavyweight Champion of the world. It s that simple. Cooper took the bout on a weeks notice but it took him considerably less time than that to make Good on the Promise embroidered across the Back of his Cor Nermen a shirts a a the smoke is no and right about the Middle of the third round is when he stopped being funny. Deflecting Holyfield a punches with crossed arms Cooper exploded from a peek a boo stance a yet one More Tyson trademark a and delivered two vicious right hands that put the Champion out on his feet. Unfortunately for Cooper it was at just that moment As Holyfield staggered along the ropes and referee Mills Lane launched a mandatory eight count that Cooper stopped being like Mike. Now granted there Are plenty of bad things you can say about Tyson As a Boxer and most of them have already been said though just 25, his desire is waning and his skills Are declining. He has lost his Jab and his patience and with those his Abil commentary Ity to work the body effectively. He throws fewer combinations and clinches More frequently. He is easier to hit. He moves less Side to Side and comes in More and More with his head straight up. But there should be no doubt that Tyson would not have made the same mistake that Cooper made. Tyson would not have made the same desperate lunging and ultimately ineffective rushes at Holyfield that Cooper did. He would not have punched himself out wind milling lefts and rights until the Breeze behind them expired giving the Champion a badly needed Chance at recovery. Like Cooper Tyson would have been on Holyfield like a pit Bull chasing a Tbone unlike Cooper he would not have panicked. Tyson proved that As recently As last july when he dismantled razor Ruddock for the second time. He had to absorb nearly 100 Power punches in the bargain but he patiently stalked his Quarry. And once he has the Steak Tyson remembers to lock his jaws. Even if he is Only 75 percent of the fighter he was just a few Short intimidating years ago he is still the Best finisher id the business. Even Holyfield does no to doubt that. A i know How Strong Tyson is. I know what people say about him a he said. A a in a a Boxer who does a lot of different things. Where there is a will there a a Way. 1 just have to search inside me and get that will and find that Holyfield was Able to do that against Cooper As Early As the last minute of that fateful third round. As his tiring opponent retreated Back into the peek a last minute opponent Bert Cooper nearly wrapped up a staggering upset saturday boo stance Holyfield very coolly sized up the situation and began attacking his Chin from the South. He set Coopers head to snapping with one right uppercut after another often following it with a Short Crisp left Hook. It worked to such effect that a few seconds before the Bell ended the round Cooper turned his Back cast a wild glance Back Over his shoulder and walked toward a Neutral Corner As though he were about to quit. And yet it Wasny to until another four rounds had elapsed that Holyfield was Able to employ that same combination to Anchor a 20-punch unanswered flurry and turn Cooper the contender into just another pretender. �?o1 was t disappointed a Holyfield said. Quot he fought a hard Tough fight and he took a lot of the Champion said pretty much the same thing after he could do no belter than gain a 12-round decision Over ancient George Foreman in Atlantic City in his last title defense. And remember Holyfield got rocked in that one As Well. Viewed As a package those two fights reveal Holyfield to be a Brave resourceful and improving fighter who can hit with modest Power but nonetheless can be hit. Against Tyson a if the bout Ever comes off a that is not going to be s wide open at Barcelona games by de Schuyler or. A boxing writer Sydney Australia a results at the world Amateur boxing championships indicate the Competition at the 1992 olympics will be wide open. Twenty countries won medals at the tournament that ended saturday night at the state sports Centre. The . Team won Only one Gold medal one Silver and one Bronze but easily could have gotten two or three other medals. Cuba led with four golds and nine total medals but several of its boxers appeared to be slipping and its program subsidized by Money from the soviet Union is in trouble because of turmoil in the soviet Union. Five soviet boxers reached the finals in the 12 weight classes but Only one won a Konstantin Tsuyu at 139 pounds. Tsuyu however said he expects to turn pro before the olympics july 25-aug. 9 at Barcelona. The makeup of the soviet team also could be affected by the breakup of the country into republics. Germany with seven of 11 boxers being from the former East German team won four medals two of them Gold. Bulgaria showed surprising strength with its six Man team earning two golds a Silver and two bronzes. Eric Griffin of Broussard la., perhaps the Best Amateur Boxer in the world won the Gold at 106 pounds As he did in the 1989 championships at Moscow. Vernon Forrest of Augusta ga., lost to Tsuyu and got a Silver while Larry Donald of Cincinnati earned a Bronze after losing 19-17 to Sevilen Russinoff in a super heavyweight semifinal. With a Little More Confidence Donald could become a serious Gold medal contender at Barcelona. Tim Robinson of Philadelphia showed Gold medal form at 125 pounds but lost in the second round because of Odd scoring and strange refereeing. Inept officiating also Cost Raul Marquez of Houston in his 156-Pound bout against a norwegian who was allowed to hold the Shorter american throughout the bout. Tim Austin 112, of Cincinnati boxed Well in two bouts losing the second 29-28 to eventual Gold medallist Istvan Koncs of Hungary. A i think this will make the team More determined for 1992,�?� Robinson said of the controversy. . National coach Pat Nappi said he fell the United states had a nucleus for a Good olympic team. As to the makeup of that team he said Quot. In an olympic year they come out of the the nucleus would seem to be Griffin Austin Robinson Marquez Donald and Oscar de la Hoya of los Angeles at 132. The 18-year-old de la Lloya was tight and lost in the opening round for his first defeat since 1987. Robinson claims spurs Are just san Antonio Texas apr Center David Robinson has written an a open letter to san Antonio spurs owner red Mccombs criticizing him for not chartering planes for the team on out of town trips. The letter issued sunday and printed monday in the san Antonio Light and san Antonio express news intensifies a Long running disagreement Between Robinson and team management Over Ai plane Charters. A to a Man we re All very insulted a Robinson said sunday night. A a we re not running this organization like we have a Chance to win. And that does no to make sense. This team is too Robinson raised the Issue last season and said in the letter he spoke with Mccombx a month ago about that and other matters. Quot what it would Cost to get a plane would be less than acquiring another player of Only average ability a Robinson cheap Robinson said san Antonio commercial flights to other Aba cities usually Are not direct and connect through other cities. Leaving hotels Early to catch commercial flights a puts us at a distinct disadvantage especially when every other team that has a legitimate shot at winning a world championship has their own plane and Are sleeping in their own Beds a Robinson said. Robinson denied he was requesting luxury or pampering Hul wants what most other Aba teams have
