THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, September 27, 1994 TAG: 9409270417
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 68 lines
Pernell ``Sweetpea'' Whitaker could always count on three things when he went into the ring: the faces in his corner.
Lou Duva, George Benton and Ace Marotta - manager, trainer and cut man. They have been a trio as dependable during Whitaker's professional career as the sunrise.
But on Saturday, when Whitaker defends his World Boxing Council welterweight title against James ``Buddy'' McGirt, there will be a change. Marotta lost a 1 1/2-year bout with cancer 10 days ago. Marotta was 76.
Marotta missed just one of Whitaker's 35 professional fights, a tuneup in Spain. Saturday at Scope, he will be replaced by Joe Souza, from San Antonio.
Replaced, but not forgotten.
``He'll be in there with me Saturday night,'' Whitaker said. ``He'll be there.''
Whitaker and the entire training camp were there last week for Marotta's funeral service and burial in Totowa, N.J., taking a brief break from training to say goodbye to one of their own. Saturday, Whitaker will wear ``Ace'' on his trunks, and his cornermen also will pay tribute to Marotta by wearing his name on their shirts.
``Ace was a beautiful person,'' Benton said. ``You're used to having the same guy in your corner all the time. It bothers a fighter to have a stranger in your corner.''
Whitaker rarely got cut, so Marotta's job was usually to reduce swelling. In a business where the people involved often suffer from swelled heads, Marotta was a humble, quiet man who was the spiritual backbone of the team.
``George would be mumbling in the corner, I'd be hollering and Ace would be praying,'' Duva said. ``Everyone's going to miss him. We worked as a team for 20 years.''
STILL `THE FIGHT': Whitaker still has just one fighter on his mind if he beats McGirt. He wants Julio Cesar Chavez, the man he fought to a controversial draw last September.
``After this one, I probably won't fight anyone else unless it's him,'' said Whitaker, who watched Chavez stop his friend Meldrick Taylor last week. ``He should be ready to do it.''
Duva said promoter Don King is talking about an elimination bout between Whitaker and Frankie Randall - who handed Chavez his only defeat - for the right to fight the Mexican star. Duva said there's been no discussion about pitting Whitaker against Randall.
``There's only one fight we'd like to do,'' Duva said. ``We want to fight Chavez. Of course, there's no Chavez and there's no Randall unless we beat Buddy McGirt.''
In addition to Randall, there's been talk of pitting Whitaker against International Boxing Federation champ Felix Trinidad.
``They'd have to give me a whole lot of money to fight either of those guys,'' Whitaker said.
FAMILIAR FACE: Benton said he's seen only one of McGirt's five fights since his return from shoulder surgery. It was when Benton was in the corner for Nick Rupa in McGirt's first fight following rotator cuff surgery after the Whitaker bout almost 19 months ago.
Benton said McGirt ``out-cuted me'' in the fight with Rupa, a frequent sparring partner of Whitaker's.
``Nick gave him a hell of a fight,'' Benton said. ``But Nick didn't have nothing to hurt him with. Pernell can hurt him.''
JABS: Duva said Whitaker will earn $2.5 million Saturday, while McGirt will make $600,000. ... The $100 ringside seats have sold out. ... McGirt is working out this week at the PAC Gym in Portsmouth. by CNB