THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, September 29, 1994 TAG: 9409290588
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 82 lines
In James ``Buddy'' McGirt's words, Pernell Whitaker is nothing but a ``punk.''
Wednesday, we found out Sweetpea is much worse.
``You sold your soul to the devil, and I'm the devil - I'm Satan,'' Whitaker said Wednesday at the final press conference for Saturday's World Boxing Council welterweight title fight at Scope.
Whitaker repeated the line several times later to newspaper writers, finally prompting the query of just when he became Satan, and how long he will continue to be.
``About two days ago, and until Sunday,'' Whitaker said. ``Then I'm back to being easy.''
There's nothing easy about enduring these dog-and-pony-show press conferences boxing relishes. This is a matchup that would seemingly not necessitate much hype - Whitaker is 33-1-1 with five world titles, while McGirt is 64-3-1 with two world titles - but Wednesday the hype came in flurries.
At one point Whitaker, his head resting on his hands, appeared close to nodding off. McGirt doodled on the tabletop while the managers filled the room with bluster.
Lou Duva punctuated the performance by shoving a whipped-cream pie in the face of McGirt manager Al Certo. Then he shoved the pie into his own face as well.
``That's the only punch they're going to land,'' Certo bellowed.
At one time it would have seemed like a pie-in-the-sky prospect for Norfolk to land this matchup between two of the fighters regarded as the world's best, pound-for-pound. But Norfolk got the call.
``This is probably the most significant fight ever in the state,'' said Doug Beavers, the boxing commissioner since 1981.
Promoter Dan Duva said a sellout crowd is expected.
``It will be one of those very, very rare occasions when the best are truly fighting the best,'' Dan Duva said. ``This is the biggest fight in the state of Virginia since the Civil War.''
The war of words between the fighters has been a fairly steady battle since their first bout 19 months ago at Madison Square Garden. Whitaker took the welterweight title from McGirt that night, with the judges scoring it fairly close at 115-113, 117-111 and 115-114.
McGirt said he was a one-armed fighter that night. Whitaker refused to acknowledge that, calling it an excuse, and said McGirt had to beg for a rematch. McGirt called Whitaker a punk in a television interview. Whitaker said McGirt cheated the fans in the last fight because he shouldn't have taken the $1 million payday if he was hurt.
All of which makes for better than run-of-the-mill prefight sub-plots to a good matchup.
``We're going to go out and lock butts for 12 rounds,'' McGirt said.
Butts, horns ... would you want to lock anything with Satan?
Dan Duva said signs point to Whitaker turning into a brawler Saturday because of the seemingly legitimate bad blood.
``I think the corner is going to have a hell of a problem with Pete,'' Dan Duva said. ``He's going to go out and fight like Joe Frazier.''
Certo asserted that with two good arms, McGirt can't lose.
McGirt claims that a doctor erred in diagnosing tendinitis before the last fight, in which his left arm was virtually useless. He had rotator cuff surgery nine days after the fight.
``It was like trying to swim up a waterfall,'' McGirt said of fighting with one arm. ``You can't do it, but you can try and try and try.''
McGirt said that with his injury, comeback and quest to win his title back, there is more at stake for him in this fight. He believes he's hungrier than Whitaker, and more focused.
McGirt seemed slightly out of focus when he stood up at the podium shortly after lunch Wednesday and said: ``Good evening, good afternoon - whatever.''
Come Saturday, Whitaker expects McGirt may be saying good night.
``The only excuse you might have for him this time is `Why didn't he beat the count?' '' Whitaker said. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
LAWRNECE JACKSON STAFF/Staff
James ``Buddy'' McGirt ignores Pernell ``Sweetpea'' Whitaker during
a prefight hypefest. The two meet Saturday for the WBC welterweight
title.
by CNB