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August 24, 2004 11:20 pm

Ward upsets Russian to stay in boxing medal hunt

By NORM FRAUENHEIM

The Arizona Republic

ATHENS, Greece — An angry crowd waited, a spot on history’s trash heap loomed and embarrassing comments lingered.

It’s no fun to be an American boxer at the 2004 Olympics.

Still, the fight goes on, thanks to light-heavyweight Andre Ward, who made a lonely last stand Tuesday in a hostile arena where American humiliation is almost as popular as ouzo.

Ward put the humiliation on hold for at least awhile with a gutsy upset of a 6-foot-6 Russian, two-time world-champion Evgeny Makarenko. History will have to wait until at least Wednesday, when middleweight Andre Dirrell meets Cuban Yordani Despaigne in a quarterfinal bout that will assure the winner of at least bronze.

If Dirrell wins, the United States can count on two medals. Only gold can make them memorable. With the upset of Makarenko, Ward has at least bronze and maybe a real shot at gold. But two medals of any kind would at least allow the Americans to forget about Athens. It’s up to Dirrell. Only he can keep this U.S. team from joining its 1948 ancestors, who won only a lone silver at the London Games.

"I’ve been very conscious of the history," U.S. coach Basheer Abdullah said. "I’ve read what’s been written. I wanted to use it and prove everybody wrong. But it hasn’t worked out that way."

Ward was ready, despite anti-American sentiment in the crowd and comments from super-heavyweight Jason Estrada. After Estrada lost Monday to a Cuban, he said he didn’t care about the loss or the Olympics. Athens, he said, was just a stop toward a big contract, although none of the major promoters seem interested in any of the fighters at these Olympics. Unlike prior Olympiads, neither Bob Arum nor Don King, nor any of their representatives, are here.

Estrada, Abdullah said, "didn’t show any class, any pride or any respect. He embarrassed our country, our national governing body and the USOC."

But he might have motivated Ward, who beat Makarenko, 23-16.

"Hopefully we can bring some pride back to the USA," said Ward, who faces Utkirbek Haydarov of Uzbekistan Friday in the semifinals.

Ward, who is deeply religious, read his Bible before opening bell. He read about David and Goliath. He imagined himself as David against a Russian Goliath who was at least six inches taller than he. For the crowd, however, the hated giant was anybody in red, white and blue.

"I could hear the boos as I stood behind the curtain waiting to walk in," said Ward, an Oakland, Calif., fighter whose dad died two years ago.

Family and friends attempted to cheer for Ward, but their USA chants were drowned out by Greeks who jammed the seats at Peristeri Hall to watch native son Elias Pavlidis in a later bout against Egyptian Ahmed Ismail.

Police had to clear the arena when Pavlidis lost as the result of a cut in the third round. Pavlidis was leading 18-12 when the referee stopped it.

The crowd began to throw debris. Ismail and his trainers had to race from the ring and out of the arena, or they might have shed some blood, too.

They must have felt like Americans.

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