Welterweight

A change of heart by International Boxing Federation welterweight champion Felix Trinidad has given Baltimore's Vincent Pettway an opportunity to win a second world title in Mexico City on March 7.In the past year, the unbeaten Trinidad (32-0, 28 KOs) said he was having problems making the 147-pound limit and was considering challenging for the junior middleweight crown.The Puerto Rican native was ranked No. 1 by the World Boxing Council in the 154-pound class after stopping Troy Waters in the first round of a title qualifier at Madison Square Garden four months ago.This put Trinidad in position to challenge Keith Mullings, who scored a stunning knockout over WBC champion Terry Norris on Dec. 6. But last week in Florida, Trinidad advised his promoter, Don King, and IBF president Bob Lee that he would prefer to defend his welterweight crown for the 12th time since dethroning Maurice Blocker four years ago."

Vincent Pettway got "sick to his stomach" last weekend watching Paul Vaden get stopped by middleweight champion Keith Holmes and super welterweight king Terry Norris get knocked out by unheralded Keith Mullings."

The primary job of a boxing manager is to maneuver his fighters into a position where they can make the most money and achieve the greatest success at the least risk.Legendary Baltimore boxing figure Mack Lewis has followed this formula expertly the past 12 years in managing the ring career of Vincent Pettway, who meets journeyman Harold Bennett, of Winston-Salem, N.C., in the main event at Teamsters Hall tomorrow night.Pettway, now 39-6, made his professional debut in 1984 as a welterweight.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. -- Officially, George Foreman was stripped of his World Boxing Association heavyweight title yesterday and, unofficially, Pernell Whitaker simply walked away from his WBA junior middleweight belt.Whitaker (35-1-1) waited only a few minutes Saturday night after he captured a unanimous 12-round decision from Julio Cesar Vasquez -- a verdict Vasquez endorsed -- to say, "I'm giving Julio back his belt."Whitaker isn't angry at anyone. He just liked the idea of joining an elite crew that has captured world titles in four different weight classes.

Fight Fodder:Julio Cesar Chavez, a guy who fights about as often as most people fill up the gas tank, headlines another big pay-per-view show out of Las Vegas Saturday night. And if he and his fellow pugilists had their way, he would be back in the ring Monday, Wednesday and Friday of next week. At least.While the unbeaten national hero of Mexico takes on Frankie Randall in a duel he's promising will provide "lots of action because Randall has a very rare style and he doesn't run away," seemingly half the boxers on the five-fight card are biding their time waiting for a shot at Chavez.

NEW YORK -- When Pernell Whitaker challenges Buddy McGirt at Madison Square Garden tomorrow night for both McGirt's welterweight crown and the mythical best fighter-pound-for-pound title, he will remember his pro baptism in this same ring nine years ago.The date Nov. 15, 1984, marked the coming-out party for five 1984 Olympic medal winners and was ballyhooed as a "Night of Gold." But first there would be a final reunion as amateurs for heavyweight Tyrell Biggs, light-heavyweight Evander Holyfield, welterweight Mark Breland, junior-welterweight Meldrick Taylor and Whitaker, a lightweight, at an Italian restaurant a few blocks from the Garden.

LAS VEGAS -- Such good friends, Simon Brown and Maurice Blocker, two boxing champions entwined by bonds of friendship and sharing the same ambition -- to be the best welterweight in the world.They are neighbors in Germantown, Md., they socialize regularly with their wives and children, even baby-sitting at times. Brown was Blocker's best man at his wedding."I cursed Simon when I wasn't his best man, but he had a real small affair," Blocker said. "We're like brothers, maybe closer. If I drop by in the afternoon to say hello to Simon, I'll usually wind up staying until 3 in the morning, just talking about good times and carrying on like a couple of kids."

Baltimore welterweight Eddie Van Kirk is his own worst critic.After fighting an eight-round draw with Henry Hughes of Cleveland, the inaugural boxing show at Michael's in Glen DTC Burnie, Van Kirk said: "I thought I stunk tonight. If I hadn't trained so hard and been in such good condition, after a performance like this I would have said, 'Give it up. Quit!' "But Van Kirk (23-7-2), who has not looked impressive since being stopped by world-ranked Vincent Pettway in April, still harbors title ambitions.

Maryland attorney Mike Trainer, who manages Sugar Ray Leonard's boxing career, discounted a news report out of Detroit yesterday that Leonard and archrival Thomas Hearns were close to signing for a third fight.Leonard won the first match in 1981, stopping Hearns in the 14th round to win the undisputed welterweight crown. They battled to a 12-round draw in June 1989, with Leonard conceding that Hearns, who floored him twice, deserved the decision."The rematch is imminent," Hearns had told the Detroit News.

A memorial service for Edward Victor Berenbrok Sr., a former champion welterweight boxer, will be at 7 tonight at the Howard K. McComas III Funeral Home in Abingdon.Mr. Berenbrok, a retired General Motors maintenance worker, died Thursday at his home in Churchville after a short illness.He had celebrated his 90th birthday a week ago.During the 1920s, Mr. Berenbrok was known as a hard-hitting welterweight boxer and won 85 fights -- 65 of them by knockouts. In his first 53 bouts, he won 44 by knockout, 17 in the first round.

Eddie VanKirk settled scores with his fists as he grew up on the tough streets of Southwest Baltimore. He went on to box professionally for 13 years as a welterweight and confidently took on competitors. Mr. VanKirk died Sunday at the University of Maryland Medical Center of complications from an infection. He was 45. The circumstances of his death mirrored the ups and downs in his life. He was recuperating from a gunshot wound that he suffered in November last year during a home invasion in the 300 block of Parrish St. Police said the gunman demanded money and drugs.

CANASTOTA, N.Y. -- He has a resume that could stand beside the greatest in his sport. Yet, Larry Holmes always seemed to have to justify himself as a champion. There was no need for explanations yesterday. Holmes received the ultimate validation when he was selected to be in the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Joining him in the 2008 class were 11 other boxers and ring personalities chosen by members of the Boxing Writers Association and a panel of international boxing historians. He will be enshrined as the longest reigning world heavyweight champion in history, holding the title for nearly seven years (1978-1985)

Carlos Baldomir was game, just as advertised. Floyd Mayweather Jr. was brilliant, just as expected. Mayweather dominated nearly every minute of every round last night in Las Vegas, winning the welterweight title with a lopsided decision to remain unbeaten and set up a possible megafight next year against Oscar De La Hoya. Baldomir never went down and never appeared in trouble, but his face was bloodied from the first round on and he took punch after punch to the face from the much quicker and much more skilled Mayweather.

A change of heart by International Boxing Federation welterweight champion Felix Trinidad has given Baltimore's Vincent Pettway an opportunity to win a second world title in Mexico City on March 7.In the past year, the unbeaten Trinidad (32-0, 28 KOs) said he was having problems making the 147-pound limit and was considering challenging for the junior middleweight crown.The Puerto Rican native was ranked No. 1 by the World Boxing Council in the 154-pound class after stopping Troy Waters in the first round of a title qualifier at Madison Square Garden four months ago.This put Trinidad in position to challenge Keith Mullings, who scored a stunning knockout over WBC champion Terry Norris on Dec. 6. But last week in Florida, Trinidad advised his promoter, Don King, and IBF president Bob Lee that he would prefer to defend his welterweight crown for the 12th time since dethroning Maurice Blocker four years ago."

Vincent Pettway got "sick to his stomach" last weekend watching Paul Vaden get stopped by middleweight champion Keith Holmes and super welterweight king Terry Norris get knocked out by unheralded Keith Mullings."

The primary job of a boxing manager is to maneuver his fighters into a position where they can make the most money and achieve the greatest success at the least risk.Legendary Baltimore boxing figure Mack Lewis has followed this formula expertly the past 12 years in managing the ring career of Vincent Pettway, who meets journeyman Harold Bennett, of Winston-Salem, N.C., in the main event at Teamsters Hall tomorrow night.Pettway, now 39-6, made his professional debut in 1984 as a welterweight.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. -- Officially, George Foreman was stripped of his World Boxing Association heavyweight title yesterday and, unofficially, Pernell Whitaker simply walked away from his WBA junior middleweight belt.Whitaker (35-1-1) waited only a few minutes Saturday night after he captured a unanimous 12-round decision from Julio Cesar Vasquez -- a verdict Vasquez endorsed -- to say, "I'm giving Julio back his belt."Whitaker isn't angry at anyone. He just liked the idea of joining an elite crew that has captured world titles in four different weight classes.

Fight Fodder:Julio Cesar Chavez, a guy who fights about as often as most people fill up the gas tank, headlines another big pay-per-view show out of Las Vegas Saturday night. And if he and his fellow pugilists had their way, he would be back in the ring Monday, Wednesday and Friday of next week. At least.While the unbeaten national hero of Mexico takes on Frankie Randall in a duel he's promising will provide "lots of action because Randall has a very rare style and he doesn't run away," seemingly half the boxers on the five-fight card are biding their time waiting for a shot at Chavez.

NEW YORK -- When Pernell Whitaker challenges Buddy McGirt at Madison Square Garden tomorrow night for both McGirt's welterweight crown and the mythical best fighter-pound-for-pound title, he will remember his pro baptism in this same ring nine years ago.The date Nov. 15, 1984, marked the coming-out party for five 1984 Olympic medal winners and was ballyhooed as a "Night of Gold." But first there would be a final reunion as amateurs for heavyweight Tyrell Biggs, light-heavyweight Evander Holyfield, welterweight Mark Breland, junior-welterweight Meldrick Taylor and Whitaker, a lightweight, at an Italian restaurant a few blocks from the Garden.

Baltimore welterweight Eddie Van Kirk is his own worst critic.After fighting an eight-round draw with Henry Hughes of Cleveland, the inaugural boxing show at Michael's in Glen DTC Burnie, Van Kirk said: "I thought I stunk tonight. If I hadn't trained so hard and been in such good condition, after a performance like this I would have said, 'Give it up. Quit!' "But Van Kirk (23-7-2), who has not looked impressive since being stopped by world-ranked Vincent Pettway in April, still harbors title ambitions.