Columnist Ron Kantowski: Boxing hits another low with battle of the sexes

Tuesday, Oct. 12, 1999 | 10:39 a.m.

Ron Kantowski's notes column appears Tuesday and Thursday. Reach him at ron@vegas.com or 259-4088.

Whenever something dubious would happen in boxing -- such as a bloated George Foreman clubbing dents in some unsuspecting can of tomato paste during his ring renaissance -- a former colleague used to sound off like a carnival barker.

"Bring on the two-headed calf," he would say.

Well, the two-headed calf reared its ugly head -- er, heads -- again this past weekend.

The ring debut of Muhammad Ali's daughter was bizarre unto itself, what with the former champ propped up nearly comatose at ringside to watch, the ravages of Parkinson's Disease having transformed him into a tragic figure.

But Laila Ali couldn't compete with the sideshow in Seattle, where Margaret McGregor, billed as a female boxer, was allowed to trade blows (in theory) with Loi Chow, billed as ... well, a man.

He certainly didn't fight like one. Chow fought more like an ex- jockey, which is what he is, although it's safe to say Laffit Pincay could wipe the stables clean with this guy.

Chow spotted McGregor a huge edge in reach, but, I'm sorry, there's no way a man (especially one as muscular as Chow) should lose a unanimous four-round decision to a woman, unless the woman is built like Bea Arthur. Outside of trying to bull forward a couple of times (jockeying for position?), Chow did nothing but duck and cover-up.

But he might have been in the ultimate no-win situation, fighting a woman. Or (dare we think it?) maybe he simply was on the take. As McGregor's manager pointed out, Chow appeared totally stressed out prior to the fight. In fact, his blood pressure was so high officials almost didn't let the fight go on.

Well, at least that's what the wire service said.

* AROUND THE HORN: There is more drama in a "Dick Van Dyke" rerun than what Game 4 of the Red Sox-Indians division playoff series offered Sunday night. Playoff baseball games are supposed to be taut 2-1 or 3-2 affairs, not 23-7 (or even 12-8). Did you know that on Sunday the Bosox outscored 19 of the 26 NFL teams that were in action on the same day and pushed with another? ...

Remember that West Coast Hockey League franchise that was supposed to begin play in Las Vegas next season? Of course you don't. Anyway, the brawling WCHL did indicate it would put a team here next season, but local sources say those plans are on hold for at least a year, until a suitable arena can be built. Meanwhile, the IHL, about 19 rungs ahead of the WCHL on hockey's professional ladder, is said to still be committed to Las Vegas, last year's demise of the Thunder notwithstanding. According to sources, just as soon as a suitable arena is built (or the end of time, whichever comes first), the IHL will be back in town (under new ownership) and even will retain the Thunder colors and logo, a la the Cleveland Browns. ...

Thunder alumnus Radek Bonk, who indicated this summer he would sit out the NHL season over a contract dispute and play in his native Czech Republic, instead spent the first week of the NHL season skating Salkows and triple-toe loops around the Ottawa Senators' competition. Senators star Alexei Yashin, who also spent some time with the Thunder as a result of a contract hassle, is back on the sidelines for the same reason, so Bonk (who re-upped with the Senators after all) is off the checking line and centering a scoring line. He had three goals and an assist last week. ...

Although UNLV's victory over Wyoming should put even more butts in the seats for next week's Rebels-Brigham Young game, the Sam Boyd Stadium attendance record of 41,238 will not be in jeopardy, as suggested in this space last week. It turns out the new stadium configuration only allows for 37,000-plus spectators (the exact figure will be announced shortly), and the only way the record could fall is hauling out and filling the temporary bleachers under the scoreboard. The extra grandstand won't be set up for the BYU game, according to UNLV officials. ...

The Rebels were a bigger underdog at Wyoming (25 points) than the Mean Machine was vs. the Prison Guards, so it's time to declare what pretty much was obvious from the start: The hiring of John Robinson was a shrewd move by UNLV athletic director Charlie Cavagnaro and all concerned. Just wait 'til Robinson brings in a few refrigerators and lines them up at offensive tackle. ...

And finally, remember that scene in "Parenthood" where Steve Martin's little kid kept smashing his head into things because he liked it? Well, I think I know what happened to that kid. He grew up to be Louis Fowlkes, who along with his buddy, Mark Dixon, watch NASCAR races at Martinsville (Va.) with their noses pressed right up against the retaining fence and gaze at the 3,400-pound stock cars as if they were puppies at the local PetSmart.

Fowlkes once was hit right between the eyes with a lug nut. He called it his fondest memory in 17 years of following NASCAR.