Ed Griffin

Vincent Pettway has stumbled several times in recent years on the way to a boxing title.But last night the Baltimore fighter took the final step, winning a split decision over Gilbert Baptist of San Diego to capture the United States Boxing Association's junior-middleweight championship.The overflow crowd of 2,000 that lined the walls of the Pikesville Armory was kept in suspense by ring announcer Rex Barney. The first two judges' cards announced were Chris Wollenson of Virginia, who backed Pettway, 116-112, and Patricia Montgomery of Washington, who favored Baptist, 115-113.

For bizarre and sudden endings, it would be difficult to top last night's scheduled 10-round heavyweight match at Martin's West between Jason Waller and Joel Humm that was declared a "technical draw" after only one round of fighting.Humm (16-6-1), a Pittsburgh fighter who was regarded as simply steppingstone for the youthful Waller, rushed out of his corner at the opening bell and landed punches at will for close to three minutes.In the final seconds of the round, Waller of Virginia appeared to land several right hands.

Lightweight Chuckie Sturm spent last week psyching himself for a 10-round fight with former title contender Charlie "White Lightning" Brown."I had pictures and clippings of Brown's career all over my bedroom," said Sturm. "I was really ready."But the Baltimore boxer had to change his mind-set and strategy at Martin's West last night when he found himself in the ring with cross-town rival Tracy Muse, a late substitute in the feature bout that was reduced to eight rounds.It took Sturm (27-3, 10 knockouts)

Visiting the United States in the early 19th century, French statesman Alexis de Tocqueville was struck by the gregarious nature of its inhabitants: "Americans of all ages, all stations of life, and all types of disposition," he wrote in his classic Democracy in America, "are forever forming associations."Nearly two centuries later, some 87,000 U.S. associations represent everything from retired Americans to hardware manufacturers to hand surgeons -- and new ones form at the rate of 1,000 a year.

This past Halloween, on an unseasonably warm evening, the new Mack Lewis Boxing Gym, nestled in the shadows of Johns Hopkins Hospital in the 900 block of North Bond Street, was alive with its usual activity. The night's soundtrack: the thud of padded fists crashing into heavy bags, a buzzer that sounds every three minutes, the grunts and groans of men pushing themselves to their physical limits and the staccato wisp of jump ropes. Seated in a corner near the entrance, wearing a radiant smile, was Lewis himself.

This past Halloween, on an unseasonably warm evening, the new Mack Lewis Boxing Gym, nestled in the shadows of Johns Hopkins Hospital in the 900 block of North Bond Street, was alive with its usual activity. The night's soundtrack: the thud of padded fists crashing into heavy bags, a buzzer that sounds every three minutes, the grunts and groans of men pushing themselves to their physical limits and the staccato wisp of jump ropes. Seated in a corner near the entrance, wearing a radiant smile, was Lewis himself.

Just six months before completion of the Baltimore Convention Center expansion, giddy anticipation is tempered by mounting doubts about whether the center will reach its potential to fill hotel rooms, generate millions of dollars in new tax revenue and create thousands of jobs.The $150 million expansion, one of the most expensive publicly financed projects ever in Baltimore, is at risk of falling far short of expectations mainly because of a lack of marketing money, say tourism experts, business leaders, lawmakers and industry analysts.