THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, April 19, 1996 TAG: 9604190687
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DWIGHT FOXX, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: AUGUSTA, GA. LENGTH: Medium: 51 lines
Zahir Raheem refuses to be satisfied.
The 119-pound bantamweight became the first member of the 1996 U.S. Olympic team with a 16-4 win over Norfolk-based Navy fighter Steve Carter on Thursday night at the Olympic box-offs at the Augusta-Richmond County Civic Center.
Raheem earned the right to become the first boxer to make the team when Albert Guardado, Jr. forced a second bout with Jauquin Gallardo with a 15-11 win in the 106-pound division. The two will meet at noon Saturday for the Olympic berth.
That opened the door for Raheem, the winner's bracket champion of the Team Trials in Oakland, against Carter, the challenger's bracket survivor, in the second bout of the night.
Raheem and Carter were tied 3-3 after the first round, but the 19-year-old Philadelphia native would dominate the final two rounds.
``I got a little frustrated (after the first round) because the guy was running a little bit,'' Raheem said. ``He (Lou Duva) kept me relaxed and told me to keep using my jab.''
Raheem outscored Carter 7-0 in the second round by cutting off the ring and throwing jabs at angles that denied Carter a chance to counter.
As a member of Duva's camp, Raheem trains with WBC welterweight champion Pernell ``Sweetpea'' Whitaker. Duva has been with Raheem for six months.
``This kid is going to be another Willie Pep,'' Duva said. ``He has the same kind of legs. He's got that footwork, the fast hands, and he's a good thinker. You know what else I like? He listens.''
The 19-year-old said it means a lot to him to be the first boxer to make the team but his job isn't finished: ``My ultimate goal is to get the gold medal in the Olympics.''
Carter said Raheem never let him get into a rhythm.
``I couldn't get my timing right in the first and second rounds,'' said Carter, who plans to turn pro in September. ``I knew I had to pick it up in the third round, and I did. He's a real good defensive fighter, and it was hard for me to connect because he was so far away.''
Ronald Simms of Langley Air Force Base also lost. Simms, 32, was outboxed by Rhoshii Wells, 19, of Riverside, Calif.
In other fights, Nate Jones, 22, of Chicago, outscored Davarryl Williams of Washington, D.C., and scored a 19-10 decision at 201 pounds; Terrance Cauthen of Philadelphia outpointed Jermaine Fields of Washington at 132, and David Reid decisioned Darnell Wilson of Chicago at 156. by CNB