Thursday, Feb. 1, 2001 | 10:18 a.m.
Dean Juipe's boxing notebook appears Thursday. His sports column appears Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Reach him at [email protected] or 259-4084.
The task of heading the organization that oversees amateur boxing in the United States has fallen to Dr. Robert Voy of Las Vegas.
Given the sport's lack of visibility, especially in non-Olympic years, trying to coordinate and promote amateur boxing in this country has never been, nor is it ever apt to be, anything but a difficult job.
"I guess it was my time to step to the plate," Voy said Wednesday, referring to his new role as president of USA Boxing. "I've been at it since the early '70s, so this is sort of a culmination of my work.
"It's time to see what I can do."
Voy has a lengthy association with amateur boxing and sports. He has 18 years in with USA Boxing, including seven years on its board of directors, and he's a former Chief Medical Officer and Director of Sports Medicine for the United States Olympic Committee.
His book, "Drugs, Sports and Politics" remains an intriguing look at the scientific advances and intricacies of drug testing at the Olympic level.
Moving up to the top spot at USA Boxing wasn't made any easier by the country's failure to win a gold medal in the sport at the Sydney Games.
"I thought we had our best team since Los Angeles in 1984," Voy said, "and I think at least eight of our guys will go on to become professional world champions.
"But (not winning any gold medals) does make a difference and it hurts our potential for funding. We did get the four medals we needed to continue our USOC funding, but a gold medal would have made a big difference."
He said USA Boxing's financial situation "is not very good" and is hindered by the fact "corporate America is a little resistant to supporting such an aggressive sport."
In an address to the USA Boxing membership, Voy called for greater unity with an eye toward expanding the organization's membership base. He also stressed the need for additional funding, particularly with insurance costs escalating.
"That is our charge and we must comply to survive," Voy said of raising the necessary funds to fully promote the sport. "We must support one another. It will be part of my duty to remind us of this at every opportunity."
Texas Station has added a March 2 card that will be nationally televised and will offer Jose Luis Lopez and Alex Bunema in its main event. Lopez, 44-4-2, and Bunema, 18-2-1, are scheduled for 10 rounds at 154 pounds and will top a five-bout card promoted by Main Events. ... HBO's three-way contract with Top Rank and Oscar De La Hoya could disrupt the latter's fight with Arturo Gatti, which is scheduled for March 24 at the MGM. With De La Hoya freed from his Top Rank deal, as he was by a California judge three weeks ago, HBO is considering filing a lawsuit to protect its interests. A resolution to the problem appears likely and the Gatti fight remains probable if not secure. ... Although he has been linked to a prospective fight with Johnny Tapia, WBA super bantamweight champ Bones Adams of Las Vegas may, instead, get his mandatory with Venezuela's Robert Ortega out of the way first. No site or date yet but the fight is being discussed.
archive
