The Herald, Wednesday, June 27, 1978, Page 7

_ Three-time heavyweight champion r retires

‘NEWARK, NJ. (AP) —

Heavyweight champion
Muhammad Ali, the only
man to win the crown three
times, confirmed on Tuesday
that he sent a letter to the
World Boxing Assoclation
resigning his title, effective

immediately, .
_ Yea, that's the trath,” Ali
told a news conference by
telephone fram his Los
Angeles home. “I'm in a
poaition that I-can go no
further in boxing.” .

‘that he had actually

Last week, Mike ‘Moy-
timer, the chairman of the ‘
WBA chanipicnships ;
committee, sald in South
‘Afrlea that he received: the

Jetter and that a copy. had ©
‘ been sent te‘ WBA president

Fernando Mandy Galindez.
But Ali could not be
reached for confirmation

letter relinquishing his. tite.

“The only thing I can do to
increase my popularity: is to

sent a -

lose and win the title back for
the fourth time,’ All sald.

“But I'm too old for that, I'm

past 33, which has been the ©
age most heavyweights |
retire, I'm 37, which is a°

-record for heavyweights.”
- I'm the three-time champ,
. which is the best way fo be

remembered."
Ali sald he realizes thin is

the third time he has an-'
‘nounced his retirement, but

this time it's official. The

Lowering draft age

said NHL priority |

NEW YORK (CP) — The
National Hockey League
authorized Tuesday a
committee of owners to
negotiate with the players on
the lowering of the draft age
toe 1 over a two-year period,

drafting of under-age |

juniors was left to the-

collective. bargaining
process between the ownera
and the NHL players’
association, .

The owners and the

ers will meet in Toronto

on Aug..'?4), just prior to the
date set for the draft, to take
a the NHL’a latest proposal

to amend the draft bylaw |

which now allows. only. 20-
year-old players to be
eligible. -

The NHL no longer will
consider the draft stricly
amateur, since some
professionala could be
eligible. .

The board of governors
voted to change the name of

the universal amatuer draft ©
‘drafted and have junior

to simply the NHL entry
draft effective immediately.

- Kt the players approve, the
draft bylaw would be.
amended to include players
eno la year and ip in

“The draft would he
- restricted to six rounds with
21 teams selecting 126
players compared with 234
last June when there were 17
teams. .

Winnipeg Jets, Edmonton
Oilers, aquches Nordiques
and- Hai
the new expansion teams
taking part in the draft.

NHL © president John

Ziegler told a news con"

ference that he looked for

player approval and, if it is
oming, the drafting of

ord Whalers “are”

w-year- ole this raat

would. .-

; pec Aug.

telephone from Montcesl.

The owners’ committee
was authorized to negotiate
for the board of ‘governors .
but committee members
have not been appointed yet.

In changing the name of
the draft, Ziegler said the
word amateur no longer was
descriptive because there
are players who have been-
professionals who are
eligible.

- The under-age drait
question has. plagued the

‘NHL for years, ‘particularly

the drafting of 17-year-olds
by some clube in the defunct
World Hockey Association.

In 1974, the NHL drafted
Y-and 18-year-olde for one

Ziegler said he expects
mixed reaction from the
junior leagues on. the
lowering of the draft age.

Under-age players who are

eligibility left but are signed
to pro contracts would first
have to be offered to .the
junior team if they are not
picked up by the NHL club.

But if the junior club
doesn’t want the player, the
NHL team could assign him
to the minors.

The governors wound up a
two-day meeting at the
Waldorf Asteria Hotel by
agreeing to set up a new.
under-age draft formula that.

’ Ziegler said wait thie best that:
could be expected.

He didn't give all the
details until it is on paper.
Ziegler avoided discussing
how the league skirts legal
implications with ita new
format. .

‘But. it was obvious the

governors, did not want to”

leave themselves open to
lawsuits by not taking action
on the underage situation.

“What we attempted to
do,” sald Ziegler, “was a

sort of phase-in to the’

situation so that the junior
teams are not particularly
harmed as greatly.

“We've restricted the
number of rounds 50 that
there Is no mass drafting -..
and with other restrictions,

we're saying to owners that
you'd better be darn sure
That the. young man has. a
“Shanes to vay for your NHL |
elu

“This is not a carte
blanche graniing of
authority to acquire
negotiating rights to a
player.

In other business, the
governors:

—Approved a request by’

“Kurt Berglund of the.

Swedish Ice Hockey
‘Federation that the fee paid

to the body for future

ers coming to

Swedish pla
be i increased by

NHL teams
$10,000 to $50,000
—Authorized "the

production of a game of the -

week package for cable
television in the United
States. The game would be
shown on Monday nights.

- Approved the packaging
of a Saturday afternoon

game. of. hi wv boi el a
‘or ‘aha e@ TV: iong,:4
The N aald produce

luce and

aeekabe ‘it orient com:

rrercials and offer the pro-

gram to NHL clubs in the

US, who then would package

it commercially through
their own outlets.

Jackson uncertain

NEW. YORK (AP) —
Reggie Jackson's - status
remained uncertain Tuesday
afler the injured New Yor!
Yankee slugger again took
batting practice in empty
Yankee Stadium, :

Jackson, who has been
sidelined since June 2 witha
muscle tear in his left leg,
said he didn’t know if he
would be ready to return to
action for this weekend's
four-game serles against
Boston Red &

“lm questionable a
doubtful,” he said, ‘That's
the tne sity football teams

njured players isn’t
it? Se eabtul's worse than

questionable a0 I'm doubt |

ced if he Was more
doubtful than he had been a
day earlier, Jackson nodded,
On Moray, Yankee owner

‘Jackson was asked,

George Steinbrenner,
rekindled the smoldering
disagreement between
Jackson . and: Yankee
manager Billy Martin when
he told Martin the slugger
had requested a trade Why:

‘would

‘Steinbrenner. do such a
thing?

’ “You'd have to ask that
man," shrugged the slugger,
pointing at the Yankee
executive offices with his
bat, “‘]’m in the middle and I
don’t understand it.”

Steinbrenner was not in
the stadium and was
unavailable for comment.

Jackson said Martin had
been busy during thé seven:
game home stand when he
took over: as Yankee
manager but had told the
veteran outfielder they

would haye a talk, “Billy

‘said, ‘We'll talk when I get

time,’” said Jackson. “T’m
going to listen. "

With waivers withdrawn
on him Monday, Jackson
does not believe he will be
traded fur the rest of the

season. That means about 90 |

more games with Martin and
the Yankees.

“ft can handle that," he
said, “As long as they don't
bother me physically, it
won't bother me. I’m not

ing to bother the man. I'll
do what I’m told.””

Jackson admitted that
Martin's return frightened
him because of the history of
bad feeling between the two
men. “You like to think they
can’t mesa with your head,”
he said, “but I guess they

ve, at)

Penny sila
sO A E26 CF

Ta Peaks ate“),

“UH, CAN T MAKE A SUGGESTION?”

cther two times he also
called the announcements
official, However, this is the
‘first time the necessary
letter of resignation was
sen

“This time I’m thinking
about my. family, my
children, the record books, 1

. think about how Joe Frazier

Goven't fe feel good every day
when he wakes up, how
George Foreman doesn't feel

; aa it's. a terrible thing. It’s

4 Rico (CP) — Canada won

} mixed

‘TABLE
TENNIS

SAN JUAN, Puerto

six of the seven events in
a nine-country table
tennis tournament held as
a prelude to the Pan
American Games,.

Table tennis has the
status of a demonstration
aport at the Games and
the results will. not be
included in the official
medal standings.

The Canadians claimed
the men's and women's
singlea and- ioubles,

|

women’s team titles.

just sports, but it can ruin
your life. Every day I'm
happy. Come hack, for
what?

“1 have other battles to
fight, I'm going to Russia in
two weeks, I'm going to talk
to President Carter, I want

. to set up headquarters in

Washington. There are
things more pleasing to do
than beat up people,” =

The headquarters in
Washington aa is

for a group All has sald he
plans to form called: World ©

Organization for Rights,
. Liberty a

nd Dignity, a non-
political group that’ would
foster good-will
peoples: ;

All, then known aa Cassius
Clay, defeated Sonny Liston
for the heavyweight tite on

Feb. 25, 1064 in Miaml -

Beach, when Liston failed to
answer the: bell for the
seventh round. Al Was.

among 7

stripped of the title in 1968
when he refused Inductlén
into the military. but won it

~ back in a stunalng upset of

George Foreman in Kin-
shasa, Zaire in 1974,

All lost the title In the ring
for the first time last year to
Leon Spinks, the 1976
Olympic light: ‘heavyweight
champion who had only six
prior professional bouts, All

- won the rematch on Sept, 15

fn New Orleans, taking a

‘mnantmous 18-round decision

to become the first three: . ©

time champion. The All
Splinks rematch was recog:
nized only hy the WBA as
title math. The World
Boxing Counell

Holmes,’ as
haaveweight champion.

All said no plans have been
made for an offical
retirement party, though he
said he'd be Interested ina
big affalr.

Newcomer takes | tennis win

. LONDON (AP) —
Pecci, the little-known Para-
guayan who bas soared to
tennis prominence in recent

months, crushed Sherwood”

Stewart in straight sets
Tuesday at Wimbledon.

Pecci won 7-5, 62, 63 and

played the most consistent
tennis seen on the centre
court in two days ‘of action.

“Martina ‘ Navratilova,.

defending women’s cham-
pion, won a tough first-round
match against Tanya

Harford of South Africa, 46, .
6-2, @-1. Navratilova was-
celebrating an emotional .

reunion with her mother,
whom she had not seen since.

Victor -

she defected ‘from

Crechoslovakia four years .
ago,
‘After therain and upsets of :

Monday, when three men's
seeds were toppled, the
courts were drier and the
results more predictable.
Jimmy Connors and Guil-
lermo Vilas, two of the top

. challengers for Bjorn Borg’s

title, won thelr Bret-round

matches
Connors; who led by two .

sets. to ane overnight,

_completed & 62, 67, 7-5, 63 .

win over Jean _Prancols
Caujolie of Franc
Vilas punished British

‘ yeteran left-hander Roger

Taylor 63, 6-2, 6-4 to the
dismay of the 17,000 fans on

_ the centre court.
One seeded . "player ‘felt’ of

Tuesday’ Corrado
Barazzutti of Italy,
squeezed into the seeding list
at No, 16-but plays little on
grass, lost a three-hour
marathon, 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 4-6, 4
4, -to ‘Andrew Pattison, a
Rhodesian now. based in the
United States.

Peccl, surprise finalist in
the French Opon early this
month, has jumped to 19th
from 49th in the world

pomp’ puier rankings in two,

inet. Agalmt Stewart, he

ike a strong COD. |

tenderYor the title. The

' American an could id not handle
pail stream

passing shots, Hitdown the
line P with pinpoint aczuracy.
In another”., mavch,
American Bob Lutz defeated
Rejean Genois of Québec
Oy 6-3, 6-2, 6-2. 2
The two top seeds,

defending champion Borg .

and his young American

rival John McEnroe, beth

cleared their firat hurdies

’ Monday. ~ °

' Chris Evert Lloyd, twice
Wimbledon
crilsed past Marita Re onde
6-4, 62.

emia

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