World Boxing Championships : Inexperienced American Team Grows Up in a Hurry

RENO — Coach Pat Nappi said the American boxing team was too inexperienced to do well in the World Championships at the Reno/Sparks Convention Center this week. And for a few days, he was right. U.S. boxers lost half of their first 12 bouts, while the Cubans were putting together a 22-bout winning streak.

But since bantamweight Johnny Vasquez was beaten in the quarterfinals, the U.S. team has won 12 of 13 fights and today sends half its team--six boxers--into the semifinals. So, the Americans, who a week ago hoped for at least one gold medal here, are now talking of equaling or topping its three gold-medal performance at Munich in 1982.

Cuba, almost a cinch for the team championship, put 11 of 12 boxers into today’s two semifinal sessions, including three-time Olympic champion Teofilo Stevenson, who will fight European super-heavyweight champion Vycheslav Yakolev of the Soviet Union this afternoon.

The Americans pulled off two upsets Wednesday night. Hard-hitting U.S. Army light-heavyweight Loren Ross had a big third round against Soviet champion Nurmagomed Shanavazov and won a 5-0 decision, and heavyweight Michael Bent pulled out a 3-2 decision over the Soviet Union’s Alexander Yagubkin, a 1982 world champion at Munich.

Meanwhile, protests filed by Ecuador and Nigeria Wednesday were denied. Ecuador protested Cuba heavyweight Felix Savon’s being declared a winner after he disabled Ecuadorian Luis Castillo with what appeared to be a low blow. Judges were divided over whether the punch was legal or low.

Nigeria wanted Soviet bantamweight Yuri Alexandrov’s decision over Hakeem Anifowoshe voided because, Nigerian officials claimed, Alexandrov wore a wedding band during the bout.

The U.S. semifinalists’ bouts:

125 pounds--Kelcie Banks, Chicago, vs. Andreas Zuelow, East Germany.

147--Ken Gould, Rockford, Ill., vs. Tibor Molnar, Hungary.

165--Darin Allen, Columbus, Ohio, vs. Julio Quintana, Cuba.

178--Loren Ross, Fort Hood, Tex., vs., Dejan Kirilov, Bulgaria.

201--Michael Bent, Cambria Heights, N.Y., vs. Arnold Van der Lijde, the Netherlands.

201+--Alex Garcia, San Fernando, vs. Biagio Chianese, Italy.