
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, August 27, 1995                   TAG: 9508280094
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: D-9   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: ATLANTIC CITY, N.J.                                LENGTH: Short

WHITAKER KEEPS HIS WELTERWEIGHT CROWN

Pernell ``Sweet Pea'' Whitaker retained his World Boxing Council welterweight crown Saturday night with a unanimous 12-round decision over Scottish southpaw Gary Jacobs at the Convention Center.

Whitaker (36-1-1, 15 KOs) dazed the top-ranked contender with overhand lefts and hard right jabs, but he did not razzle-dazzle him with his signature showboating until the final round.

Whitaker knocked Jacobs down twice in the 12th, the second time at 2:55. The first knockdown was on an overhand left, the second a left-right combination.

Whitaker, 31, considered by many to be the world's finest fighter, was on the canvas twice, but was never hurt.

Jacobs (41-6, 23 KOs) tackled him in the second round. In the 11th, Whitaker swung a wild left, missed and seemed to slip forward. But referee Ron Lipton gave him a standing 8-count.

Judges Gus Mercurio scored the fight 118-109; Takeaki Kanaya scored it 117-109; and Tamotosu Tomihara had it 118-107. Jacobs had one point taken away for holding in the 12th.

by CNB