Friday, February 25, 2000
Local boxer 1 win from Olympics
BY JOHN ERARDI
The Cincinnati Enquirer
MASHANTUCKET, Conn. — Cincinnatian Dante Craig rallied with a superb final round here Thursday night, jabbing and straight right-handing his way to an 8-7 decision over Larry Mosley that leaves Craig only one victory from making the U.S. Olympic boxing team.
Craig, 21, a Woodward High graduate, needs to beat Mosley again Saturday here at the U.S. Olympic Trials Box-offs to gain the 147-pounder's spot on the national team.
“I'm going to fight him even better Saturday,” said Craig, who trailed 3-0 after the first round Thursday. He still trailed 6-4 going into the fourth and final round. He won that round, 4-1.
“I'm going to pick it up early Saturday; I'm going to get him tired again, and I'm going to beat him even worse this time,” Craig said.
Going into Thursday's bout, Mosley was the nation's No.1-ranked 147-pounder. He had lived up to that ranking two weeks ago, beating Craig 15-5 en route to winning the U.S. Olympic Boxing Trials in Tampa, Fla.. Craig was the winner of the loser's bracket in the double-elimination tournament in Tampa, which is why he must beat Mosley twice here to dethrone him.
In the three bouts previous to Craig's fight Thursday, none of the challengers had won.
“I knew that,” Craig said. “I said to myself going into the ring, "I'm going to be the first guy to beat a champion.'”
He felt the turning point was when he landed some hard right hands in the third round and felt Mosley tiring.
“I knew I had a lot left for the fourth round,” Craig said. “I tried to stay on the outside of him and throw a lot of one-two's, so the judge could see that right hand land. I tried to add a left hook to the one-two, and I landed some of them.”
Craig was a different fighter than he was against Mosley in Tampa. Craig pressed the fight, but unlike in Tampa, this time he threw punches only when he had an opening. He fought smart. He is taller than Mosley and has a longer reach, and he used it to his advantage.
And he wasn't getting hit as much this time.
“He's a good boxer,” Mosley said. “He took the fight more to me this time. I wasn't using my jab as much. That'll change Saturday.”
Craig's buddy and sparring partner, Ricardo Williams Jr., exhorted Craig from ringside before the fourth to stick a hard right hand into Mosley's face.
“We work harder in the gym!” Williams yelled at Craig. “How long, Dante? How long? There ain't no tomorrow, Dante!”
Williams fights Jose Celaya during the 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. matches today at Foxwoods Casino. If Williams wins — he's already 3-0 against Celaya — he locks up the 139-pounder's spot on the Olympic team.
“I know he's been watching tapes of me,” Williams said. “I might press him a little bit more this time. If he makes any mistakes, he might go to sleep.”
The 24 boxers here who are vying for 12 spots on the Olympic team hail from 22 different cities. Only two cities — Cincinnati and Los Angeles — have two representatives. And Craig defeated one of those L.A. guys Thursday night.
“If two guys from Cincinnati make the Olympic team, it's going to make a statement — that we have one of the best amateur boxing programs in the nation, probably in the world,” Williams said.
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