PAGE 4, THE HERALD, Friday, February, 17, 1979 : eh title, said ‘'1°ll be back,’’ “Pil be the first man to win “the world championship times.’’ three * All has backed up his boasts many times. But maybe an era really hag en _ Leon Spinks, a 24-year-old with. seven previous pro fights, stripped the title from pare aeoined night after ap -preasure for 15 roumis, Ali waareeling at the final bell and Spinks gained a split decision. It was a stimning upset matching Ali’s triumph over Sonny Liston when he won the heavyweight title for the first time im 1964 and his Imockout af Geo Foreman when he won it for - the second time 10 years later, “I ied hard,” said Spinks who overcame Ali's ad- vantages dn size and ex- perience grim. deter- mination. He never los! his cool as so many of Ali's opponents did in the past. tried hard, - @'Tll give All another Already, promot + Promotional in- fighting~~often more vicious than the fighting in the ls under way. TO FIGHT NORTON Jose Sulaiman, president of the World Boxing Council, said Spinks and Ali made an agreement that the winner would sign by April? for a defence against No. l-ranked Ken Norton within 90 days, “A ea you kidding?" said Bob Arum, whe promoted Wednesday night's fight and has a promtlonal contract for Spinks’ next six fights. “Sulaiman is a joke. Fge Spinks will fight somebody respectable next and then the WBC edict, and South Africans Kaille Knoetze, who recently knocked out Duane Bobick, and Gerria Coetze. “T gave the best I could, sald Ali. “I knew he wag a fighter. It ‘was a close - t, He was the aggressor. It could have gone ether way." : - Judge Art Lurie scord it 143-142 for All under the 10. . point must system and when his decision was announced, - good Spinks’ handlers. looked stunned. But then the an-- mouncer read off the cards of Harold Buck, 144141, and - Lou Cabat, 145-140, and an- | - mounced, - “the ; new heavyweight champion of the world, Leon Spinks.” AWARDED ‘ROUNDS The Associated Press scored [t 143-142 for Ali but gave Spinks the last three fight Aliagain. Spinkshaen’t reunds a agreed to an The battle to provide his Spinks’ next opponent, if it is not Norton, should be royal. Possible opponents include Bernardo Mercardo of Colombia, whom Ali might have fought in defiance of &'What surprised me was atrength rete as e braw! ] e final three rounds and who looked much older than 36 at the end. - Ali, trying to make Spinks Champ bleeds on | historic night a _ There are times when one realizes that he is sitting in ona transcendent moment in history. There sat the man the world for 14 years had hailed aa The Champ. Yet here he was slumped in a chair in the upstairs room of the Hilton Pavilion, his lower lip pursed with blood, a nasty knot over his eye, ugly bruises blemishing what he always called “the prettiest face that ever was,’* At his feet sat_his slim, beautiful wife, Veronica, She stroked his robed, tired muscles, She said nothing. Bundini Brown, & longtime aide, cried unashamedly. i.e a Pa ites zee body that stripped him of his world heavyweight cham- pionship. It was a tough, 24- year-old ex-Marine, Leon Spinks, only seven peo fights under his belt, less than two years out of amateur ranks. KID WAS TOUGH The savagely-fought, 15- round battle was a close one. © The kid was tough. But everybody at ringside knew that, as he had done 60 many times in the past, Muham- . mad would call upon some invisible:. reservoir: of strength and rescue the” decision in the final round. : All recognized the possible | consequences. His 36-year- old ‘legs tiring, his body surrendering to aches and pains, he plunged headlong into ‘the fight—jabbing, lashing out with his lightening rights, hanging on. Co This time, a8 so many others had done, his young adversary didn’t fold, In- stead, Spinks lashed back;. eving abpntbed.t for evary one be: abpprbed, backed All: Sara a ae ce ety “altnost’ fiatited ‘Tiina ‘befote: the final bell. . ‘ ‘There was a sadness about the scene—and a beauty.’ “Surprised you,- didn’t he?” Ali needled the few reporters who crashed his room, " aed me, too. I underestimated. his. his will to win and PLAN FAILED "thought I could tire him -out in the early rounds and then beat him. My didn't work. Next time ripe in better shape. I will be downto 215 (he weighed In at 244), I'll stay in the corners and I'll come out fast in the first round Like 1th." be a next time? aneed cna a: aAmpion promised, “I will be the first ' heavywelght champion -to win the title three times.” Muhammad Ali has given us .many memorable Moments and unending | entertainment, not only with . his remarkable boxing skills _ 1 ‘put -also with ‘his fourth-, grade poetry, boyish charm. y oa abaiity” to mesmerize peasants ad potentates alike 2 : Spinks, a bearded youth with two big gaps in front of his mouth where teeth used to-be, took the fight to the champion, a great but aging - -champion,. and made ‘the King eat leather: Canadians break record for unbeaten streaks — Montreal Canadiens have finally broken the National Hockey League’s unbeaten streak record. Led by the two-goal, two- assist effort of Guy Lafleur, the Canadiens extended their undefeated streak to 24 games by clipping St. Louis Blues ¢-2 in one of five NHL games Wednesday night. In other action, Boston Bruins defeated Toronte Maple Leafs 4-2, Cleveland Barons tied Atlanta Flames - $5, Colorado Rockles and Chicago Black Hawks. battled to a 2-2 tle, and New York Rangers outscored Vancouver Canucks 6-3, The Canadiens had 21 straight wing in the last two seasons before lucking out, The previous mark of 23 wins was set by Boston Bruins during the 134041 season. It was tied by Philadelphia Flyers during the 1975-76 campaign and equalled by the Canadiens when they downed. the ers 5-3 in New York on Sunday night. | ; Meanwhile, third-perlod’ goals by defenceman - Al Sims and centge Pete Mc- , Nab gave the Bruins the vietory which snapped Toronto’s sevengame un- beaten siring, HOLDS NARROW LEAD ‘The victory gave Boston 77. polnts for a two-point -lead - | over second-place Buffalo in the Adama Division. | The Barons récovered from a 5-1 deficit to gain the draw with the Flames. - Mike Fidler scored two goals in the third period to complete the comeback for the Barons, now winless in thelr last six starts. «ok goal by John Marks in the second period Nited Chicago into the tle against Colorado and extended the Black Hawks’ unbeaten string at Home to 10 games.” The Hawke increased thelr Smythe Division. lead to 16 points over. Vancouver. The Canucks lost thelr. fourth game in five starts against the Rangers, Yan- Kings couver hasa victory and four Jets beat Oilers 6-5 WINNIPEG (CP) — Sill Lesuk scored twice in the third period on shots. that . deflected off defenceman to give Winnipeg Jets a 65 win over Edmonton Ollers in a - ' Anders Hedberg and Bobby World Hockey Association: game played Wednesday before 8,303 spectators, - Lesuk scored at 1:43 on a. shot that deflected off Al: Hamilton's leg and got: the eventual winner at“ 19:23~ when his shot bounced off Ron Busan uk and ‘behind goaltender Dave Dryden.~ Lesuk had a chance for a third goal in the final minute - Rockies entertain losses during their current seven-game road trip. ' In tonight's action, the the Islanders, Philadelphia is at home to- Minnesota, the are in Buflalo and Atlanta goes to Detroit. ‘ with the Edmontonngoal empty but couldn't. get hia close-in shot past Hamilton. Winnipeg's other goals were scored by Lars-Erik Sjoberg, Kent Nilsson, Hull. Norm Ferguson sopred -twice for Edmonton, when Shots deflected off him past ‘Winnipeg goalie Joe Daley. Joe Michelettl also had two, ais for Edmonton with uda Widing getting the other, . ’ Winnipeg outshot Ed- monton 39-50 and took five -12 minor penalties. a Leave railroad tracks — ANN, “for trains|: and stamina,” - I did in the .