Hill wins: Rematch with Mormeck could be next

By Jeff Kolpack

July 05, 2003 at 11:00 PM

WINNIPEG, Manitoba -- Bill Sorensen sounded like a confident manager after Virgil Hill beat up Donny Lalonde Saturday night.

Sorensen said Hill, the No. 3-ranked cruiserweight contender in the World Boxing Association, should move to at least the vacant No. 2 slot.

He's also talking with a familiar name in boxing for Hill's next fight: Don King.

Sorensen would like to get a rematch with Jean-Marc Mormeck, who is managed by King, a rematch. Mormeck knocked Hill out in the ninth round last year.

"We've had several conversations," Sorensen said. "We are fighting champions, Mother Nature and Father Time. We want it done soon."

Sorensen is shooting for two more fights in the next calendar year, with one being a major money title fight.

He said the cruiserweight division, long a dead-beat division, is waking up. He threw out names of Roy Jones Jr., Dariusz Michaelczewski and James Toney -- all of whom are talking about cruiserweight fights, Sorensen said.

"It's gone from a nothing division to one of the hottest divisions," Sorensen said.

Fan causes stir

Fans at CanWest came to a boxing match, and a hockey game broke out. A man tried to storm the ring before the 10th round, causing a ruckus that injured an ESPN technician. The man appeared to target referee Ray Carona, who was seated at ringside next to the ESPN crew. He was immediately mobbed by security and escorted from the field.

"This guy got the worst of it," Carona said, looking at the unnamed ESPN worker soaking his thumb in a bag of ice. "I'm all right."

Moments later, while the fight was stopped, Lalonde started egging the crowd to cheer. Hill responded by raising his arms and motioning to the crowd as if to say, "What about me?"

Jabs

Lalonde said he is probably done fighting in the cruiserweight division, and will probably move back down to light heavyweight. "I'm clearly not strong enough for cruiserweight," he said. ... The crowd of around 3,894 was below what WinBox Promotions was hoping, especially considering the near-perfect weather conditions. It was hoping for close to 6,000. ... Hill showed no signs of facial bruises after the fight.

Readers can reach Forum reporter Jeff Kolpack at (701) 241-5546

By Jeff Kolpack

Jeff would like to dispel the notion he was around when Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press, but he is on his third decade of reporting with Forum Communications. The son of a reporter and an English teacher, and the brother of a reporter, Jeff has worked at the Jamestown Sun, Bismarck Tribune and since 1990 The Forum, where he's covered North Dakota State athletics since 1995.
Jeff has covered all nine of NDSU's Division I FCS national football titles and has written three books: "Horns Up," "North Dakota Tough" and "Covid Kids." He is the radio host of "The Golf Show with Jeff Kolpack" April through August.

Hill wins: Rematch with Mormeck could be next

WINNIPEG, Manitoba -- Bill Sorensen sounded like a confident manager after Virgil Hill beat up Donny Lalonde Saturday night. Sorensen said Hill, the No. 3-ranked cruiserweight contender in the World Boxing Association, should move to at least the...