THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, March 6, 1996 TAG: 9603060684
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DAVE ADDIS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 77 lines
Roger E. Belch II, a Virginia Beach commercial diver who put up $1,500 to face Pernell ``Sweetpea'' Whitaker in the ring, took home some stinging ribs and a well-earned bloody towel Wednesday night after the welterweight king of the world gave him a peek at what boxing is all about at the championship level.
Whitaker had clowned his way through exhibition rounds with three local TV sportscasters at a fight card at Scope last night. Even at that, he accidentally knocked one of them off his feet with a punch that wouldn't have dented a paper plate.
He played it differently with Belch, though.
``This is the one I've really been waiting for,'' Whitaker told the crowd as Belch, clad all in black, made his way to the ring. ``I've been warmin' up for this guy.''
Belch had vowed in a newspaper story and TV and radio interviews that he would get every dime's worth of his charity donation by going after Whitaker for a full three minutes, that he was going to try to nail the champ.
He'd dreamed of the fight for years, he said, and had been working out at home for weeks. He would go right at Whitaker and he wasn't scared a bit, he said.
And Whitaker took him at his word. He'd played around with the TV talkers, dancing with his hands at his knees, mugging and jiving, tossing out little pitty-pat jabs. But when the bell rang for Belch's round, Whitaker came out of his corner with his hands up and his chin tucked, ready for work.
Belch was good to his word, too. He opened up with a left jab that Whitaker slipped, then followed with a right that the champ took on the gloves. Then Whitaker ripped into Belch's ribs with a couple of genuine, championship-caliber hooks. Midway through the round he tagged Belch in the nose hard enough to start blood flowing.
Earlier in the evening, a young pro had hit the canvas on less damage than Belch endured.
Belch stayed game the whole way, though, and kept throwing punches. Some of them landed, none did any damage, and Whitaker ducked and parried the rest. With blood flowing, though, the champ backed off in the last minute, dropping his hands and staying in place, letting Belch swing away at will.
``That felt great,'' Belch said as he left the ring, staunching the flow of blood from his nose. ``I loved it. I'd like to do it again.''
``I think you're really good,'' said his wife, Tonya, meeting him at the ring apron.
So did his buddies from Crofton Diving Corp., which put up $1,200, and his pals from the bowling alley, who'd raised another $300, all of which went to The Virginian-Pilot's Joy Fund.
Belch's quest had become such an issue that his company's crosstown rivals, Precon Marine Inc., raised an equal amount for Whitaker to wear one of their shirts in the ring.
``When he hit me in the nose, man, I knew right away it was gonna bleed,'' Belch said in his dressing room, when it was all over. ``But that wasn't so bad. When he hit me in the side, though, that's when I felt it. It took me a minute there to get my second wind.
``But I clocked him a couple, though, you saw that. A caught him a couple of shots. I did just like I thought, I went toe to toe with him, just like in my dream.
``And I didn't run.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
BILL TIERNAN/The Virginian-Pilot
Roger E. Belch II leaves the ring bloodied but unbowed. ``I loved
it. I'd like to do it again,'' said Belch.
Photo
BILL TIERNAN/The Virginian-Pilot
Roger E. Belch II, left, and Sweetpea Whitaker exchange punches
during their exhibition bout Tuesday at Scope.
by CNB