THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, March 4, 1995 TAG: 9503040562
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. LENGTH: Medium: 57 lines
Julio Cesar Vasquez has walked the streets of his native Argentina and heard people call out, ``Hey, Chavez, how are you?''
Wrong Julio Cesar. Julio Cesar Chavez is from Mexico and a boxing icon. Julio Cesar Vasquez is from Argentina and virtually unknown, despite being the World Boxing Association junior middleweight champion.
Vasquez hopes to change that tonight when he meets Pernell Whitaker, the best fighter in the world pound-for-pound according to both The Ring and Boxing Illustrated magazines. Vasquez will make good money and get exposure on American TV, and knows the big money in boxing can be made in the U.S.
``But the most important thing is to fight a fighter with the experience and reputation Whitaker has,'' Vasquez said through an interpreter the other day at Julius Caesars Palace in Atlantic City. ``He is really good, but in the world there are a lot of good fighters.''
Vasquez aims to prove that's true even in his corner of the world, where the majority of his 53 fights have taken place. He made $3 for his first pro fight in 1986.
The southpaw has lost just once, to Verno Phillips, on a disqualification when Vasquez's trainer came into the ring. But Vasquez said the Phillips bout was ``a bad night for me from the start.''
He is confident tonight will be the start of big things, even if it doesn't make him the premier Julio Cesar in boxing.
``If I beat Whitaker, Chavez will still be the greatest Julio Cesar in the world,'' Vasquez said. ``But I am tranquil and confident that I will beat Whitaker, and my triumph will open doors for me in the United States.''
RISKY BUSINESS: Whitaker said his thoughts are with Gerald McClellan, the boxer who had a blood clot removed from his brain after a bout last week with Nigel Benn. But he said he cannot dwell on the inherent dangers his sport poses.
``I feel sorry for him and I wish luck for him and his family,'' Whitaker said. ``It doesn't affect me. You can't go in the ring thinking if you take a big shot you might suffer brain damage. If that's the case, you need to get a day job.''
WEIGH-IN CIRCUS: Vasquez turned Friday's weigh-in at Caesars into a wait-in. He showed up almost an hour late, incurring a $150 fine from New Jersey commissioner Larry Hazzard.
``Why is this guy late?'' Hazzard said before Vasquez showed up. ``He's not coming from home, he's in the hotel.''
Both fighters weighed 153 3/4 pounds. When Whitaker got on the scale, Hazzard misread it and called out 154 3/4, which would have put him over the junior middleweight limit.
``I had let him eat stuff and drink stuff to get close to 154,'' Whitaker conditioning coach Bob Wareing said. ``When he said 154 3/4, I said, `Oh (shoot).' '' by CNB