THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, October 1, 1994 TAG: 9410010398
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Medium: 83 lines
Although most of the 21 national and local media members polled view it as a close fight and only one predicts a knockout for McGirt, by a count of 16-5 they forecast a win for Whitaker:
STEVE CARLSON, The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star - Whitaker: ``He's too slick, too quick and he can also stand in and trade blows with McGirt. It's a close fight, but Whitaker's skills will show through.''
BOB MOLINARO, The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star - Whitaker: ``It's going to be a street fight. How can anyone with a street (Whitaker Lane) named after him lose? This is going to go ONE WAY. Sweetpea in a unanimous decision.''
ROBERT SELTZER, Philadelphia Inquirer - Whitaker: ``I think he's just too slick, too fast for him - I think it will be a good fight.''
ED SCHUYLER, Associated Press - Whitaker: ``It's a tough call. It could go either way.''
WALLACE MATTHEWS, New York Post - McGirt: ``I picked him last time when he only had one arm, how can I not pick him now that he has two?''
GREG LOGAN, Newsday - McGirt: ``He really was robbed of the use of the left last time. There's no question about the use of his arm. I believe he's the hungrier fighter and has a lot to prove and, unlike Chavez, he has the hand speed to compete with Pernell.''
RICHARD HOFFER, Sports Illustrated - Whitaker: ``Same old Whitaker and same old McGirt.''
JOE GERGEN, Newsday - Whitaker: ``Anybody who can do what he did to Chavez with that kind of crowd will do fine here. He's at the top of his game.''
RON BORGES, Boston Globe - Whitaker: ``I think he's got too many skills for Buddy. Buddy can't fight any better than he fought the first time. Buddy is what he is - not good enough to beat Whitaker.''
MICHAEL KATZ, New York Daily News - McGirt by knockout in 9: ``It's a mismatch.''
JIM LAMPLEY, HBO - Whitaker: ``I've done probably a half-dozen of Pernell's fights here in Norfolk and I've seldom seen him lose a round. These are two technicians, not knockout punchers, so you expect the fight to go the distance.''
RICHARD FINN, Los Angeles Times correspondent - McGirt: ``I gotta believe somewhat what they've been talking about the last couple days, that although Pernell went 12 rounds with him and won pretty easily, McGirt was fighting with one arm. I think McGirt can hurt him.''
CHARLIE STEINER, ESPN - Whitaker: ``Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home. I think it'll be a terrific fight.''
BERNARD FERNANDEZ, Philadelphia Daily News - Whitaker: ``He's the ultimate tactician. The one loss and one draw on his record obviously should have been victories. He's fought a lot of good fighters and in a lot of fights he's pitched shutouts or virtual shutouts. And there's always a chance that, surgically repaired or not, McGirt's shoulder is going to go out.''
MIKE WISE, New York Times - Whitaker: ``He had to really convince himself that he wanted this fight. If your mind's not into going into the ring and beating somebody from the start, you've got a little lapse there. But I look for Whitaker to win.''
BERT SUGAR, Boxing Illustrated - Whitaker: ``I think it's going to be closer than the last time, but Pernell is still the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, Buddy the third-best ... two arms or one.''
STEVE SNEDDON, Reno Gazette-Journal - McGirt: ``He should be more dangerous with two hands.''
MIKE HARRIS, Richmond Times-Dispatch - Whitaker: ``He's too quick for anybody to hit solidly enough to do any real damage.''
TONY MERCURIO, WGH Radio - Whitaker: ``I think he'll eke out a close, unanimous win. The pressure is on Whitaker more than McGirt fighting in front of his home crowd, and every time I've seen the pressure on Whitaker, he performs at his best.''
SKIP MILLER, Newport News Daily Press - Whitaker: ``Whitaker is just almost flawless in rematches, reverting back to what he did against Ramirez.''
SCOTT CASH, WVEC-TV - Whitaker: ``The first fight I thought could have been Whitaker's toughest fight ever. But I'm just expecting more of the same of what Whitaker did the first time this time. He's still one of the greatest ever at not getting hit.''
Compiled by Steve Carlson
KEYWORDS: PERNELL "SWEETPEA" WHITAKER
by CNB