Les Johnson

"Put everything into it, Les! Throw them hands! Throw them hands! Uppercut!Come on, punch! Punch! Punch! Come on, Les, work! To the body! Punch! Punch!Come on, Les, work!"-- his handlers to Les Johnson,middleweight boxerAt the moment he climbed the steps, leaned through the ropes and entered the corona of white light in the old, dark armory in Pikesville, Les Johnson, a square-jawed, flat-faced, razor-cut kid with a white towel on his shoulders, looked like the lead in a Fifties fight film.

Baltimore welterweight Ed Griffin (10-0) kept his unbeaten streak intact at Martin's West last night, but this one was strictly gift-wrapped.Robert West, a clever boxer-puncher from Youngstown, Ohio, took Griffin to school in the early rounds and withstood a late rally to deserve an eight-round verdict. Instead, he stood in disbelief as the ring announcer informed him he had lost by a split decision.The crowd of 1,800 howled in disapproval as judges Ray Klingmeyer and Sylvester Cash both favored the hometown fighter, 77-75.

They're talking about a sellout for the boxing show at the Pikesville Armory next Wednesday night, and judging from the ratings just released by the U.S. Boxing Association, the joint should be packed.When Vincent Pettway (34-4) climbs into the ring to oppose Gilbert Baptist (23-12), the vacant junior-middleweight title will be on the line and the fighters are rated No. 2 and 3, respectively, by that organization.There's a strong rumor that the winner stands a strong chance of getting a shot at the IBF 154-pound crown held by Gianfranco Rosi of Italy.

For the lack of a sign outside his gym, Mack Lewis almost lost one of his brightest ring prospects."When I was a senior at Lake Clifton," Ed Griffin recalled, "my homeroom teacher found out I was interested in fighting and told me about this gym down on Broadway."So I went down there the next week but couldn't find the entrance -- the side door on Eager Street with the old rusty gate. I went home and didn't come back till three months later."But Griffin (9-0) has made up for lost time. The junior welterweight, 23, will be co-featured tonight at Martin's West when he meets Robert West (8-2-1)

Baltimore welterweight Ed Griffin (10-0) kept his unbeaten streak intact at Martin's West last night, but this one was strictly gift-wrapped.Robert West, a clever boxer-puncher from Youngstown, Ohio, took Griffin to school in the early rounds and withstood a late rally to deserve an eight-round verdict. Instead, he stood in disbelief as the ring announcer informed him he had lost by a split decision.The crowd of 1,800 howled in disapproval as judges Ray Klingmeyer and Sylvester Cash both favored the hometown fighter, 77-75.

It was labeled a make-or-break fight for veteran Houston cruiserweight Vincent Boulware, who has lost in three title bids in the 175- and 190-pound divisions.But Boulware, 30, looking for one more championship shot, found a surprisingly stubborn rival in Virginia slugger Jason Waller in the main event at Martin's West last night before he survived with a 10-round majority decision.Judge Chris Wolleson called it a 95-95 draw, but Leo Schumaker favored Boulware 96-94 and Larry Barrett cast a 98-92 vote for Boulware.

For the lack of a sign outside his gym, Mack Lewis almost lost one of his brightest ring prospects."When I was a senior at Lake Clifton," Ed Griffin recalled, "my homeroom teacher found out I was interested in fighting and told me about this gym down on Broadway."So I went down there the next week but couldn't find the entrance -- the side door on Eager Street with the old rusty gate. I went home and didn't come back till three months later."But Griffin (9-0) has made up for lost time. The junior welterweight, 23, will be co-featured tonight at Martin's West when he meets Robert West (8-2-1)

Boxing returned to Baltimore last night. I mean, really returned, harkening back to the days when Leo Saenz, Larry Middleton and Buddy Boggs used to pack them in at Steelworker's Hall.At 9:30, they were still queueing up for tickets for a show that started two hours earlier. The capacity for Pikesville Armory is 1,800, but maybe a few more than that squeezed in to see:* Vincent Pettway get by a final obstacle to a world title shot in a bruising split-decision victory over Gilbert Baptist.

Reading Time, two minutes: Tell you what's special about the Winter Olympics in case you didn't pick up on it the last couple of weeks or decades: The Games are too small and out of the way to become a platform for world politics. Look, we sent Dan Quayle and it didn't even turn out to be a funeral with our athletes picking up 11 medals.Truth to tell, that Us vs. Them mentality has never been eviden at the Games unless, when the hockey teams met, media types wanted to read something extra into it. After all, during the height of the Cold War, the former Soviet Union always had a team over here looking to pick up rubles and blue jeans, and no one boycotts the February Frolic.

Japanese firm to own NHL's Tampa Bay clubA Japanese real estate company has acquired majority ownership of the NHL expansion Tampa Bay Lightning, a company official said yesterday. The $50 million deal, which was approved by the NHL last month, is to be formally announced in Tampa, Fla., tomorrow, said Kokusai Green Co. board member Isamu Motojima.According to Motojima, Kokusai Green will take a 60-percent fTC stake in the team. He said the other 40 percent will be divided among the Nippon Meat Packers Co., Tokyo Tower, George Steinbrenner and others.

Reading Time: Two Minutes.Let's hear it for the Orioles, naming a full-fledged adult to the position of co-manager of the ballclub.Dave Johnson, if he wasn't so confident of landing the job, should have stuck around commanding space and time in the newspapers, television and radio instead of taking part in a silly fishing trip. Some strategist he turned out to be.* If an ordinance in Raritan, N.J., banning cursing catches on and sweeps the country, it could be the beginning of the end for all sports as we know them.

It was labeled a make-or-break fight for veteran Houston cruiserweight Vincent Boulware, who has lost in three title bids in the 175- and 190-pound divisions.But Boulware, 30, looking for one more championship shot, found a surprisingly stubborn rival in Virginia slugger Jason Waller in the main event at Martin's West last night before he survived with a 10-round majority decision.Judge Chris Wolleson called it a 95-95 draw, but Leo Schumaker favored Boulware 96-94 and Larry Barrett cast a 98-92 vote for Boulware.

"Put everything into it, Les! Throw them hands! Throw them hands! Uppercut!Come on, punch! Punch! Punch! Come on, Les, work! To the body! Punch! Punch!Come on, Les, work!"-- his handlers to Les Johnson,middleweight boxerAt the moment he climbed the steps, leaned through the ropes and entered the corona of white light in the old, dark armory in Pikesville, Les Johnson, a square-jawed, flat-faced, razor-cut kid with a white towel on his shoulders, looked like the lead in a Fifties fight film.

Just got my copy of "Spectator Wind Comfort and Baseball Trajectory Studies for Camden Yards Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland" and, I tell you, it's a page-turner. Microclimate specialists Rowan Williams Davies & Irwin Inc. of Guelph, Ontario, did the study and its findings read like Agatha Christie.* OK, Dan Rodricks, you've had it. The cityside columnist for The Evening Sun has gone much too far by suggesting that what Oriole Park at Camden Yards (alias Big Jake's Place) needs is an organ. He suggests such a move would be "providing a classic finishing touch" to OPACY.

News from the Cauliflower Patch: Either Ron Essett is the luckiest fighter since Chuck Davey or the super middleweight who used to fight out of this precinct is getting very close to becoming what in boxing is referred to as an "opponent."Unsuccessful in earlier bids for the WBA and WBC 168-pound titles, the latter coming last summer in Sicily, Essett gets another chance April 25 in London. Chris Eubanks' WBO crown will be at stake this time.Baltimorean Tommy Rothe manages the Florida fighter and he had pretty well given up after Essett turned in such an uninspired performance against WBC champ Mauro Galvano.

Reading Time, two minutes: Tell you what's special about the Winter Olympics in case you didn't pick up on it the last couple of weeks or decades: The Games are too small and out of the way to become a platform for world politics. Look, we sent Dan Quayle and it didn't even turn out to be a funeral with our athletes picking up 11 medals.Truth to tell, that Us vs. Them mentality has never been eviden at the Games unless, when the hockey teams met, media types wanted to read something extra into it. After all, during the height of the Cold War, the former Soviet Union always had a team over here looking to pick up rubles and blue jeans, and no one boycotts the February Frolic.

Just got my copy of "Spectator Wind Comfort and Baseball Trajectory Studies for Camden Yards Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland" and, I tell you, it's a page-turner. Microclimate specialists Rowan Williams Davies & Irwin Inc. of Guelph, Ontario, did the study and its findings read like Agatha Christie.* OK, Dan Rodricks, you've had it. The cityside columnist for The Evening Sun has gone much too far by suggesting that what Oriole Park at Camden Yards (alias Big Jake's Place) needs is an organ. He suggests such a move would be "providing a classic finishing touch" to OPACY.

Reading Time: Two Minutes.Let's hear it for the Orioles, naming a full-fledged adult to the position of co-manager of the ballclub.Dave Johnson, if he wasn't so confident of landing the job, should have stuck around commanding space and time in the newspapers, television and radio instead of taking part in a silly fishing trip. Some strategist he turned out to be.* If an ordinance in Raritan, N.J., banning cursing catches on and sweeps the country, it could be the beginning of the end for all sports as we know them.

Boxing returned to Baltimore last night. I mean, really returned, harkening back to the days when Leo Saenz, Larry Middleton and Buddy Boggs used to pack them in at Steelworker's Hall.At 9:30, they were still queueing up for tickets for a show that started two hours earlier. The capacity for Pikesville Armory is 1,800, but maybe a few more than that squeezed in to see:* Vincent Pettway get by a final obstacle to a world title shot in a bruising split-decision victory over Gilbert Baptist.

They're talking about a sellout for the boxing show at the Pikesville Armory next Wednesday night, and judging from the ratings just released by the U.S. Boxing Association, the joint should be packed.When Vincent Pettway (34-4) climbs into the ring to oppose Gilbert Baptist (23-12), the vacant junior-middleweight title will be on the line and the fighters are rated No. 2 and 3, respectively, by that organization.There's a strong rumor that the winner stands a strong chance of getting a shot at the IBF 154-pound crown held by Gianfranco Rosi of Italy.