A golden punch for Viloria, Juarez

Compiled by Globe Staff, 09/15/2000

WHEN: Sept. 29 (light flyweight, bantamweight, lightweight, welterweight, middleweight, heavyweight), Sept. 30 (flyweight, featherweight, light welterweight, light middleweight, light heavyweight, super heavyweight)

US ENTRIES: Olanda Anderson (light heavyweight), Michael Bennett (heavyweight), Calvin Brock (super heavyweight), Dante Craig (welterweight), David Jackson (lightweight), Ricardo Juarez (featherweight), Jeff Lacy (middleweight), Jose Navarro (flyweight), Jermain Taylor (light middleweight), Brian Viloria (light flyweight), Clarence Vinson (bantamweight), Ricardo Williams (light welterweight).

FAVORITES:

• Light flyweight: 1. Brian Viloria, US; 2. Maikro Romero, Cuba; 3. Sergei Kazakov, Russia
• Flyweight: 1. Bolat Zhumadilov, Kazakhstan; 2. Manuel Mantilla, Cuba; 3. Ormar Narvaez, Argentina
• Bantamweight: 1. Crinu Olteanu, Romania; 2. Guillermo Rigondeaux, Cuba; 3. Agasi Agaguloglu, Turkey
• Featherweight: 1. Rocky Juarez, US; 2. Tulkunbay Turgonov, Uzbekistan; 3. Ramaz Paliani, Turkey
• Lightweight: 1. Mario Kindelan, Cuba; 2. George Lungu, Romania; 3. Aleksandr Maletin, Russia
• Light welterweight: 1. Mahamatkodir Abdullayev, Uzbekistan; 2. Willy Blain, France; 3. Diogenes Luna, Cuba
• Welterweight: 1. Roberto Guerra, Cuba; 2. Oleg Saitov, Russia; 3. Dorel Simion, Romania
• Light middleweight: 1. Juan Hernandez, Cuba; 2. Marian Simion, Romania; 3. Yermakhan Ibraimov, Kazakhstan
• Middleweight: 1. Jorge Gutierrez, Cuba; 2. Zsolt Erdei, Hungary; 3. Jeff Lacy, US
• Light heavyweight: 1. Aleksandr Lebziak, Russia; 2. Isael cq Alvarez, Cuba; 3. John Dovi, France
• Heavyweight: 1. Felix Savon, Cuba; 2. Michael Bennett, US; 3. Sultan Ibraghimov, Russia
• Super heavyweight: 1. Aleksei Lezin, Russia; 2. Alexis Rubalcaba, Cuba; 3. Paolo Vidoz, Italy.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: The US is coming off one of its best showings at the World Championships where the Americans won four titles and tied the Cubans for the team title. Two of those winners, Brian Viloria and Ricardo Juarez, are almost locks to win gold. Viloria, who is attempting to become the first Hawaiian-born medalist, is the best in the light flyweight class. Juarez is the fight to beat in featherweight. But Michael Bennett who won the heavyweight title at worlds has a roadblock in Cuba's Felix Savon, who sat out the event. Savon is back for the Olympics trying to match countryman Teofilo Stevenson's mark of three Olympic golds. The showdown between Bennett and Savon won't come in the final, however. They are set to meet in the third round after Thursday's draw. The other US world champion, light heavyweight Michael Simms, was kicked off the team in the spring for being a ``bad influence.'' Middleweight Jeff Lacy is the other US medal contender. Cuba, which only won two titles at the world championships, is trying to get back on top after skipping the Atlanta Olympics. The Cuban coach predicted golds in all 12 classes but that may be more bravado than reality as Russia, Turkey, France and Romania are fielding medal contenders.