Moorer

On March 4, 2004, GEORGE MOORER, SR; beloved husband of Hedy Moorer. On Monday friends may call at the VAUGHN C. GREENE FUNERAL SERVICE, 4101 Edmondson Avenue, from 4 to 7:30 P.M., at which time funeral services will begin. Inquiries to (410) 945-2700.

Ben Pfinsgraff and Michael Meagher made all the pitches and their teammates made all the right plays yesterday as Maryland defeated top-ranked Georgia Tech, 2-1, in baseball. Pfinsgraff gave up just five hits and one run in 7 2/3 innings against one of the nation's top hitting teams, and Meagher closed the door by retiring all four batters he faced. Truan Mehl was 3-for-3 and drove in both Maryland runs. The Terps left just four men on base in the game. Maryland (14-15, 4-10 Atlantic Coast Conference)

Facing mounting pressure from the International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Association, heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield has agreed to make his next title defense against unbeaten Michael Moorer in April or June with Las Vegas as the likely site.Holyfield, who reclaimed the IBF and WBA championship belts by upsetting Riddick Bowe in November, had hoped to fight World Boxing Council champion Lennox Lewis in a unifying title match this spring. But both the IBF and WBA insisted that he first face Moorer, their mandatory challenger, or risk having his titles stripped by their sanctioning bodies.

On March 4, 2004, GEORGE MOORER, SR; beloved husband of Hedy Moorer. On Monday friends may call at the VAUGHN C. GREENE FUNERAL SERVICE, 4101 Edmondson Avenue, from 4 to 7:30 P.M., at which time funeral services will begin. Inquiries to (410) 945-2700.

There will be a decided left-handed slant on things when undefeated Michael Moorer challenges Evander Holyfield for his International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Association heavyweight titles April 22 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.No left-handed fighter has ever reigned as heavyweight king. Las Vegas oddsmakers have established Holyfield as an early 2-1 favorite.It has been 18 years since a left-handed fighter, England's Richard Dunn, challenged then-champion Muhammad Ali. Dunn lasted only five rounds.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. -- It was a cleansing by blood, four rounds and change of the violence that uplifts boxing every now and then, that purifies the alphabets and closes the doors on the back rooms. For four rounds and change Friday night, Michael Moorer and Bert Cooper could make you forget Don King and fighters being ripped off, it was that exhilarating.If you didn't like this fight, you don't think boxing is about blood and guts, that there is something socially redeeming about two young men refusing to quit.

LAS VEGAS -- An HB0 promo being used to stimulate interest for Michael Moorer's heavyweight title defense against 45-year-old George Foreman at the MGM Grand Garden tomorrow night tells all you need to know about the current IBF and WBA champion.The commercial begins with Moorer flattening a procession of nondescript rivals. It ends with his 2-year-old son, Michael Jr., tucking his father into bed. In repose, the unbeaten champion (35-0) looks at total peace with himself in being so removed from the violence of the ring.

DETROIT -- Heavyweight boxing contender Michael Moorer spat at and beat on two men in the lobby of a Detroit restaurant in a weekend melee that sent customers fleeing, police and witnesses said yesterday."

Facing mounting pressure from the International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Association, heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield has agreed to make his next title defense against unbeaten Michael Moorer in April or June with Las Vegas as the likely site.Holyfield, who reclaimed the IBF and WBA championship belts by upsetting Riddick Bowe in November, had hoped to fight World Boxing Council champion Lennox Lewis in a unifying title match this spring. But both the IBF and WBA insisted that he first face Moorer, their mandatory challenger, or risk having his titles stripped by their sanctioning bodies.

LAS VEGAS -- Evander Holyfield, feeling and acting invincible, says life is considerably better the second time around as heavyweight champion of the world.2 Promoters: Main Events Inc. and Caesars Palace

John Hench, 95, a longtime Disney artist and the official portrait painter of Mickey Mouse, died of heart failure yesterday in Burbank, Calif., the Walt Disney Co. announced. Mr. Hench, whose work were featured in both the company's animated films and theme parks, designed such attractions as Disneyland's Space Mountain. He began his career with Disney in May 1939 as a sketch artist on Fantasia, later working on story editing, layout and special effects for such classic Disney films as Dumbo, Peter Pan and Cinderella.

LAS VEGAS -- Evander Holyfield attracted some 8,000 witnesses Thursday night to his "Holy Warrior" religious crusade at a minor-league ballpark that rocked with gospel singing and prayers.Saturday night, Holyfield rocked the Thomas & Mack Center, dropping Michael Moorer five times on the way to an eighth-round knockout that unified the World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation heavyweight titles."I've won two belts now, one for Jesus and one for the Holy Spirit," said Holyfield, who hopes to complete the unification of the heavyweight crown when he fights World Boxing Council champion Lennox Lewis of England next spring.

LAS VEGAS -- This time there would be no talk of a failing heart, a sore shoulder, a cut eye or a lack of motivation.Evander Holyfield buried the frustration of losing his heavyweight title to Michael Moorer three years ago and firmly established himself as the world's premier heavyweight by dropping Moorer five times last night before ring doctor Flip Homansky advised referee Mitch Halpern to stop the brutal bout at the end of the eighth round.Holyfield, 35, the World Boxing Association champion, picked up Moorer's International Boxing Federation championship belt last night and now will strive to become the undisputed champion by challenging World Boxing Council champion Lennox Lewis next spring, if boxing's politics can be surmounted.

LAS VEGAS -- Some 30 months ago, Evander Holyfield stunned the boxing world by announcing his retirement from the ring at age 31."Yes, I'm quitting," he said, in the bizarre aftermath of losing his heavyweight championship to Michael Moorer at Caesars Palace. Bloodied, beaten and badly dehydrated, Holyfield was diagnosed as suffering from a "stiff heart," a condition that resulted in extreme fatigue.His personal physician, Dr. J. Roland Stephens, said it was "a miracle" he was able to finish the 12-round fight.

LAS VEGAS -- Michael Moorer acts as if he has a chip on his shoulder as big as George Foreman, the only man to have whipped him.The International Boxing Federation heavyweight champion, who meets World Boxing Association king Evander Holyfield in a rematch here tomorrow night, can act cold and remote in his dealings with the media, daring anyone to find a soft spot behind his icy demeanor.But as one New York columnist who saw through Moorer's tough guy persona noted, "He speaks in what he thinks are protective riddles, but what really are public confessions.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. -- For the brief period he has owned a piece of the fragmented heavyweight title, Lennox Lewis had gotten no respect. Not in his English homeland, and even less from boxing critics on this side of the Atlantic.But all that changed in 95 electrifying seconds at Convention Hall Saturday night, when Lewis stopped Andrew Golota in successfully defending his World Boxing Council crown.Now everyone is jumping aboard the Lewis bandwagon, wanting a piece of the 32-year-old champion who may have the explosive punching power to resurrect a near-moribund heavyweight division, which is searching for another Mike Tyson.

LAS VEGAS -- Angelo Dundee, the trainer who was in Muhammad Ali's corner the night he upset George Foreman in rTC Zaire 20 years ago, will be working with Foreman tonight when the former champion challenges Michael Moorer."

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. -- Don't bother reminding George Foreman that heavyweight legend Jack Johnson was still fighting at 60 or that former light-heavyweight king Archie Moore ended his legendary ring career at 49 with a third-round knockout."

So, you've had it with the Orioles' inconsistent, and sometimes indifferent play. You want action and you want it now, eh?Well, put a cork in that anxiety, says, former Oriole Ken Singleton, who visits this weekend to analyze tomorrow's game with Kansas City for Fox (Channel 45, 1 p.m.)"