THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, March 2, 1995 TAG: 9503020602
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines
Pernell ``Sweetpea'' Whitaker, moving up in weight to fight for Julio Cesar Vasquez's 154-pound title, faces a big challenge Saturday.
How big depends on whom you believe.
According to the hype machine promoting the fight, World Boxing Association junior middleweight champion Vasquez has a 5-inch height advantage and 9-inch reach advantage on Whitaker.
``This is the toughest fight of Pernell's career because (Vasquez) is so much bigger,'' promoter Dan Duva said.
The tale of the tape put out by Duva's Main Events company lists Vasquez (52-1) at 5-foot-10 1/2, with a 76-inch reach. Virginia Beach's Whitaker, meanwhile, is listed at 5-5 1/2, with a 67-inch reach.
Curiously, when he fought James ``Buddy'' McGirt at Scope in October, Whitaker was listed at 5-6 with a 69-inch reach.
``They're shrinking me,'' Whitaker said with a smile.
His measurements are not the only ones that are questionable. Ronnie Shields, Whitaker's trainer, has studied tapes of Vasquez and said the Argentinian is about 5-8 and has maybe a 3- or 4-inch reach advantage.
``I think they got him mixed up with somebody else,'' Shields said. ``I don't know how they got this guy 5-11 and so big, unless they put another fighter in there we don't know about.''
WEIGHT UPDATE: Whitaker said Wednesday that he weighs 152 pounds and does not expect to reach the junior middleweight maximum of 154. The weigh-in is Friday at 5 p.m., which means Vasquez could be in the neighborhood of 160 pounds by the time they meet - about 10:15 p.m. Saturday in an Atlantic City Convention Center ballroom (TV: HBO).
``At this point, it doesn't really matter,'' Whitaker said. ``I don't care if he's 170, it's not going to help him.''
A HIT WITH GERALDO: Whitaker lounged around his hotel Wednesday wearing a ``Broadcast Boxing Club'' sweatshirt. That was the New York gym where he sparred Monday with television personality Geraldo Rivera.
``I went in there and showed him this is not as easy as he thinks it is,'' Whitaker said. ``Those three minutes are very real - and they're long.''
According to publicist Mike Boorman of Main Events, Whitaker mostly clowned around during the sparring session, Boorman's brainchild to help promote the fight. But Boorman said Whitaker did hit Rivera with a couple punches that were ``almost dangerous.''
Boorman said after they were done, Rivera was concerned about his TV looks and asked someone in the gym, ``How's my nose look?''
NICE COMPANY: According to Phill Marder of Fight Fax, whose company annually publishes the comprehensive Boxing Record Book, no boxer has ever won more than six world titles. If Whitaker wins Saturday, he will join Thomas Hearns and Sugar Ray Leonard as fighters who have worn six different belts. Marder said records are sketchy, but he does not think anyone else has won six.
One of Hearns' titles was from the World Boxing Organization, which generally is not regarded as highly as the WBA, World Boxing Council and International Boxing Federation.
Whitaker is the WBC's welterweight champion, a title he will retain and continue to defend regardless of what happens Saturday. Previously, Whitaker was IBF, WBC and WBA lightweight champ and IBF junior welterweight title holder. by CNB