Names in the game for August 16, 2005

Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2005 | 9:21 a.m.

Evander Holyfield

Former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield was banned from fighting in New York by the state's athletic commission, the Daily News reported this morning.

The New York State Athletic Commission suspended the 42-year-old Holyfield's boxing license because of his "diminished skills and poor performance," the newspaper reported. The commission also lifted a medical suspension that had blocked him from fighting in other states.

"We are the boxer's last line of defense," State Athletic Commissioner Ron Stevens said.

Holyfield lost to Larry Donald last Nov. 13, and is 2-5-2 since 1999.

Holyfield's manager, Alex Krys, told the newspaper he is already looking to set up a match in Europe for the former heavyweight champion.

Fred Couples

He played his best golf this year in the two tournaments where Jack Nicklaus said farewell. Now Fred Couples gets to play in the Presidents Cup where Nicklaus will be captain for the last time.

Nicklaus selected Couples and Justin Leonard to fill out the U.S. team, while International captain Gary Player took Peter Lonard of Australia and Trevor Immelman of South Africa, a pick that caught some by surprise.

The Presidents Cup will be played Sept. 22-25 at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in northern Virginia, where the United States has never lost in three tries.

Carlos Perez

Former Dodgers pitcher Carlos Perez was found liable in a civil sexual assault trial in Miami and ordered to pay $15 million in damages.

Perez was not in court Thursday when a six-member, all female jury ordered him to pay Miami resident Amy McQuillin $9 million in punitive damages and $6 million in compensatory damages as a result of an incident that took place in 1999 in Vero Beach, Fla. Perez was with the Dodgers during spring training at the time.

Perez did not attend the two-day trial, and is believed to be living and pitching in the Dominican Republic. Thursday marked at least the third time Perez had failed to appear for court-ordered proceedings.

-- Sun wire services