THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, August 26, 1995 TAG: 9508260503
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. LENGTH: Medium: 60 lines
Pernell ``Sweetpea'' Whitaker and Roy Jones Jr. are going to settle this pound-for-pound thing once and for all the way it should be done, mano a mano.
In a charity basketball game in Pensacola, Fla., in December.
``I'm going to score 50 on him,'' Whitaker said this week.
The other score, best fighter in the world pound-for-pound, is a split decision. The Ring and KO magazines give the nod to Whitaker, Boxing Illustrated recently elevated Jones, a super middleweight, to the perch after he beat Vinny Pazienza.
Whitaker doesn't agree that Jones has surpassed him for the only title Whitaker now claims to care about.
``He's going to be one of the great fighters,'' Whitaker said of Jones, who will work as a ringside commentator tonight for HBO. ``He'll have his chance after I retire from the game.''
The fighters are separated by 20 pounds, so they will never get to settle this - other than on the basketball court. But Whitaker's handlers say it's ridiculous to rate Jones pound-for-pound ahead of Whitaker when the only respectable fighter he has beaten is James Toney.
``Roy Jones is a great fighter, but Pernell Whitaker is still the best,'' said president Dino Duva of Main Events, which promotes Whitaker.
Protecting his pound-for-pound title, Whitaker said, is one reason he is eager to put on a good show in a mandatory defense of his World Boxing Council welterweight title tonight against Scotsman Gary Jacobs.
``That's a motivator for him,'' trainer Ronnie Shields said. ``He still has to go out and show people he still is pound-for-pound the best in the world.''
CHAVEZ UPDATE: Although Julio Cesar Chavez told a Chicago newspaper a couple months ago he would like his 100th career victory - a mark he could reach within a year - to be over Whitaker, don't hold your breath for a rematch of the dubious 1993 draw. Whitaker's handlers say they have tried repeatedly to make the fight, only to be put off by Chavez promoter Don King.
``I don't think it's ever going to happen,'' Shields said.
``We've pretty much given up hope on Julio Cesar Chavez because it's apparent he's afraid to get in the ring with Pernell Whitaker,'' said Dino Duva.
Duva said Chavez has been offered $8 million for a rematch.``It's obvious Chavez wants no part of Pernell Whitaker,'' he said.
NO SHENANIGANS: Whitaker co-manager Lou Duva said there will be no repeat of last week's fiasco in Mike Tyson's return. Duva said he and Jacobs manager Mickey Duff ``have taken a vow on a stack of Italian menus that neither one of us will jump into the ring if our fighter is so-called hurt.''
JABS: This is the final fight of Whitaker's four-bout, $18 million contract with HBO. Expect another deal to be signed soon. ... Jacobs acknowledged Whitaker is good at what he does, but Jacobs doesn't care for the way he does it. ``He's not an exciting fighter to watch,'' Jacobs said. ... Whitaker hasn't lost since 1988, a string of 21 bouts. Jacobs' last loss was in 1992. by CNB