clarinews@clarinet.com (B.J. DEL CONTE) (02/02/90)
_U_P_I_ _S_p_o_r_t_s_F_e_a_t_u_r_e another shot at title TORONTO (UPI) -- Former World Boxing Council light-heavyweight champion Donny Lalonde now says it's alright to beat up opponents while he crusades on behalf of battered children. The Canadian-born fighter, who resides in Guilford, Conn., plans to end a two-year retirement he imposed on himself because he couldn't handle aims he found contradictory. ``I've come to terms with that dichotomy,'' said Lalonde, in Toronto for a meeting of the Donny Lalonde Child Abuse Fund of Canada. Lalonde was abused as a child. ``I'm not fighting as a crusade. My focus now is to enjoy my last years as an athlete,'' said Lalonde, 29, who also heads a New York-based anti-abuse program bearing his name in the United States. ``I'm coming back with the sole purpose of fulfilling myself as an athlete. Nothing fulfills me like this,'' said Lalonde, who retired with a 31-3 record, including 26 knockouts. Lalonde retired in April, 1989 while training for a scheduled match against WBC light-heavyweight champion Dennis Andries, saying he couldn't square his violent activities in the ring with his humanitarian ones outside it. ``I didn't feel right about doing it. I'd be training and I'd hit someone and if I hurt him, I'd back off,'' Lalonde said. ``When I was training, I'd be searching for reasons to get in the ring. It was definitely a dilemma.'' Lalonde, who has pursued opportunities in real estate as well as television and movie offers during his retirement, said he now sees the difference between willing opponents hitting each other and the abuse of defenseless children. Lalonde said while his non-boxing activities have kept him busy, ``boxing is my love and what got me here in the first place.'' Lalonde won the vacant WBC light-heavyweight title in Trinidad in November, 1987, knocking out Eddie Davis in the second round. He then lost it a year later to Sugar Ray Leonard on a ninth-round technical knockout -- after knocking Leonard down in the fourth round. Lalonde is training again and said he has sparred several times. He is back eating the red meat he gave up and is having no problems with a pin inserted in his left shoulder 10 years ago. Lalonde said complications stymied a tentative April fight with WBC light-heavyweight champ Jeff Harding of Australia. Lalonde wants to be fighting again, ``no later than May'', and says that should he win the title he'd like to defend it at the SkyDome in Toronto and keep fighting for a few more years. ``Once I get the title back, I'll have more say on where I fight,'' Lalonde said. Lalonde needs to drop 10 pounds to reach his best fighting weight of 175. He said that he was too light in the Leonard match, fought with a 168-pound weight limit so Leonard was eligible to win two titles simultaneously. ``I want to fight as a light-heavyweight and no lower,'' Lalonde said. Despite the loss to Leonard, for which he made more than $5 million, Lalonde said he remains marketable because he's white and good looking. ``It's a rarity. It makes it worth more money,'' said Lalonde, who formerly dyed his sandy-brown hair blonde, wore gold-colored trunks and billed himself as ``The Golden Boy.'' While returning to the ring, Lalonde plans to continue his fight against child abuse. He will tour Canadian schools, talking to kids about child abuse and, ``trying to give them some direction and hope''. Lalonde will also be filming public service announcements to be shown in movie theatres, while the Oak Ridge Boys will give a series of fundraising concerts. _a_d_v_ _w_e_e_k_e_n_d_ _e_d_i_t_i_o_n_s_ _F_e_b_._ _3_-_4