clarinews@clarinet.com (LISA HARRIS, UPI Sports Writer) (01/15/90)
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (UPI) -- Tyrone Trice, throwing nearly 1,200 punches, survived a 12-round war with Kevin Pompey Sunday night to escape with a stratlingly close unanimous decision. Trice, who lost an International Boxing Federation title bout to Simon Brown in 1988, is that organization's top-ranked contender and rated fifth by the World Boxing Council and seventh by the World Boxing Association. The 26-year-old who lives in Milwaukee, Wis., and trains in Detroit, improved to 35-2 with 31 knockouts against Pompey in what he called his second-toughest bout to the loss to Brown. He won the WBA Americas title and his camp says he's due for a mandatory rematch with Brown early this year. ``I wouldn't say opponent but adversary,'' Trice said of Pompey. ``He was in excellent condition and took a hell of a punch. This fight should give Kevin Pompey some recognition in the top 10.'' Pompey, who turns 25 Friday, dropped to 17-3-1, with nine knockouts. ``I don't know why he doesn't have more knockouts the way he throws a punch,'' said Trice, who ended the fight at the ropes as Pompey was still swinging. ``My legs felt pretty good,'' he said to the suggestion that they didn't in the late going, ``but when you've got a guy with a good power punch, I didn't want to waste them on moving.'' The total 1,898 punches thrown by both fighters and Trice's 1182 set records for a 12-round fight in the six years that CompuBox has kept punch statistics. Trice's total broke the previous mark by 202 punches. ``The decision made me kind of unhappy,'' said Pompey, of Troy, New York, ``but I'm pleased about the fight. Tyrone was the better man tonight.'' Trice cut him off: ``Not better man, better fighter. We're both equal.'' Pompey's eye was cut in the third round and bled heavily in the seventh but both fighter's thought Trice's body punches made the difference. Trice said he was hurt momentarily by Pompey's flurries in the 10th. ``I think I put on a good show,'' Pompey understated. ``I hope it gets me some respect.'' Trice again jumped in: ``I respect you,'' he said, prompting one of several handshakes and hugs between the fighters. Promoter Bob Arum gave each fighter a $1,000 bonus for the performance. On the same card, middleweight Nigel Benn, of London, struggled to a 10-round split decision over Sanderline Williams, of Cleveland. Benn, 25-1 with 23 knockouts, was wild with his punches and the decision angered the crowd, who chanted derisively when the deciding score of 98-92 was announced. The other judges had 97-93 for Benn and 96-94 for Willimas. ``Of course I think I won the fight,'' said Williams, 24-10 with 14 knockouts. ``He should not depend on his punch, basically I feel his punch will not be his bread and butter.'' Benn, 26 next week, is ranked sixth by the WBA, eighth by the IBF and ninth by the WBC, admitted it was a sub-par fight but thought the bigger name middleweights better suit his punching style. ``I underestimated him,'' Benn said. ``This fighter's very slippery.