European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 06, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The stars and stripes ports february 1993 a Page 36 Bowe is a 16-1 favorite by de Schuyler  York a Michael pokes would like to be a Killjoy at Riddic Bowe s Garden party saturday night. The Odds however Are that the 25-year-old Bowe s Homecoming will also be the last Hurrah for the 34-year-old , of Brooklyn was a 16-1 favorite for his first defense of the heavyweight championship in his Madison Square Garden  s been a longtime dream of mine to go Back to the Garden As a professional said bowl who won four new Yor Golden gloves titles at the Arena in198588. It s Beautiful to go to the Garden and fight for the  will be a near sellout crowd capacity 18,929and the attraction appear to be Bowe and the excitement of a heavyweight bowl title fight in a City where big match shave become few and far Between. The last heavyweight title fight in the Garden was on dec. 12, 1986, Between Aba Champion Tim Witherspoon an James Bon Crusher Smith who was substituting for Tony Tubbs on a week notice. Witherspoon was feuding with promoter Don King and manager Carling Don s son and it was Uncertain the match would be held until the Day before. Smith stopped Witherspoon in the first round before a crowd of 5,032. Docs was part of the last heavyweight fight in the Garden when he was knocked cold in the fourth round by Donovan razor Ruddock on april 4, 1990, be fore a crowd of 12,624. Docs whose career has been plagued by drug problems has won his last nine fights nut it was t the winning Streak Smuch As being the right person in the right place at the right time for the right Price $750,000 that got him his first title shot since he lost the wj3a championship in 1983. Ever time he comes to fight Bow said of Dokes. Therefore i m not taking him  Speed has always been one of Dokes main strengths along with inability to fight Well inside. On the other hand Bowe has Good hand Speed an fights Well inside for a Man of his size. The 6-foot-5 Champion weighed in officially at 243 pounds thursday. He weighed 235 when he won the title from Evandor Holyfield nov. 13. \ ,.\ of what a night Bird s retirement party packs Garden by Gene Wojciechowsk ithe los Angeles times Boston it was t a Farewell Butan event for the Ages As the Boston cel tics threw a retirement party thursday evening for one of their own a trans planted Small town Guy from Rural Indi Ana named Larry Joe Bird. Officially called Larry Bird night the ceremony was a combination of cel tic pomp and circumstance the Basket Ball equivalent of a Kennedy wedding. But in keeping with the Bird Persona it also included Blue Collar tributes from fans and former teammates and coaches Bird mania transfixed this sports crazed town As the Date grew near. The Boston Globe published a special Section on Bird thick enough to pin an Arm to the ground. Commemorative to shirts sold for $15.50.autographed photographs of Bird sold for $245. Larry Bird limited edition coins Complete with an easy payment plan went for As much As $995. Auto graphed plaques had $139 Price tags. The retirement party had become cottage Industry but in this Case All the net proceeds from the sales went to the celtic charitable foundation of which Bird is a key  you could t secure one of the 14,890 scats available for the night s festivities scalpers were More than Happy to part with a ticket for up to $500, de ending on the location. According Tot even Riley the celtics vice president of sales Larry Bird night was the Tough est ticket to get since the seventh game of the 1984 Aba  the Garden in t the House that Bird built but at the very least he strengthened its foundation. So pathetic was the franchise before Bird s arrival in1979, that team officials used to sneak Over to Fenway Park during red so games and place celtic season ticket applications under each car s wiper  did t work but Bird did. By the end of his Rookie year season ticket sales had increased from 4,800 to about 10,000. Suddenly it did t matter if you had on of the 1,000 obstructed View scats or if you were forced to watch from Rafter Sedge. A glimpse of the great Bird was better than no glimpse at  is the building where Bird led the celtics to three Aba championships which is All that Ever truly mattered to him. Anything less was so unfulfilling so. Ordinary. But not to worry. During the Bird Era the place almost always Reck Edof the smell from red Auerbach s championship  had insisted that if there were to be such a ceremony As the one thursday and incl you he had to be convinced it would and should take place Only atthe magical rat Friendly ancient Boston  All this is where he made his professional debut scoring 14 Points and10 rebounds against the Houston Rock ets. It is where he battled with Julius Erv ing and magic Johnson. Where he left bits and pieces of himself on the ancients Ooden floor. Where he celebrated. Where he  the oven roasted heat of the Garden in 1984, where the lakers and celtics played game five of the Aba finals in 97-degree temperatures Bird scored 34points 15 for 20 from the Field and collected 17 rebounds in the Victory. The lakers gasped for oxygen referee Hugh Evans collapsed from dehydration. Audbird he flicked the sweat from his brow As if he were born to play on hell s  Garden was basketball Home to a sad Larry Bird plagued by Back problems near the end of his 13-year Aba career is shown Here announcing his retirement at a news conference in Boston last August. Bird. It was Safe familiar lovable. He did not leave it without first making sure there were enough moments to  last year when his Back throbbed with pain and retirement was a disheartening reality Bird did what he could. In a March 15 game against the Portland Trail blazers he scored 49 Points and the celtics won in double overtime. There was no shortage of basketball dignitaries thursday night. This was an evening for him to cherish an affirmation that the celtic family he helped create and nurture was anything but myth. Nearly every notable former celtic player or coach was there , Carr Don Chancy Satch Sanders Jojo White John Havlicek Bill Fitch Scott Wedman Rick Robey Bill Sharman de Macauley Frank Ramsey Gerald Henderson Quinn Buckner Tom Heinsohn tiny Archibald will Walton Dennis Johnson . Jones Jerry Sichting Artis Gilmore Rick Carlisle and Dave Cowens among others. Even Cedric Maxwell traded away an bitter Over the dismissal returned to Pav tribute to Bird. In fact Maxwell was the first sex celtic to respond to the invitation. Bobby Orr the former Boston Bruin great was at the Garden too. It was Bird s habit before every Home game to stare up toward the rafters As the nation Al Anthem was played. From those rafters Hung Orr s retired Jersey number. Bir used it As inspiration. Now Bird s number joins Orr s number High in the Garden heavens. Some of the evening s most treasure moments came after magic who also shed his suit in favor of Laker warm ups with a celtic to shirt underneath took his place on the stage. Returning the favor when Bird attended his retirement party in los Angeles last year Johnson presented his Friend with a framed piece of the forum court. He also brought other gifts mainly Golden memories. You know you caused me a lot of sleepless nights said Johnson shortly after receiving a two minute standing ovation from the Garden audience. It was an ironic comment considering that Bird has recently confessed that he still dreams about basketball and that Johnson is almost always in those dreams Bird returned to the stage and addressed the audience. Occasionally his remarks were interrupted by cries of we love you Larry and thank you  his voice Rich with emotion Bird said final Farewell. I say goodnight Boston and May godless each and every one of you he said. 0"246850"qq0351i