Controversy Floors Norris Bout : Boxing: State Commission refuses to sanction Lawhorne because of his condition, lack of recent fight record.

By DAVE McKIBBEN

April 30, 1992 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

SAN DIEGO — With the Sports Arena boxing promoters attempting to build the crowds of its monthly shows, the last thing they needed was a controversy.

But that’s what they got when the State Athletic Commission would not sanction Arthel Lawhorne to fight Orlin Norris in the co-main event Wednesday night.

Steve English, the assistant executive officer for the State Athletic Commission, said he would not sanction Lawhorne because was 30 pounds overweight and he hadn’t fought in 2 1/2 years.

“Orlin Norris is ranked No. 1 and he has been very active,” English said. “That coupled with Lawhorne’s made it it an unapproved fight.”

The 2,394 fans were notified of the cancellation and were offered refunds, but only a few took them.

“That’s a good statement about the commitment of boxing fans,” said Richard Esquinas, president and general manager of the Sports Arena.

Esquinas said he doesn’t wonder how long boxing fans in San Diego will be committed to his monthly cards.

“This doesn’t help, but my zeal, my enthusiasm to make this work and go hasn’t been tainted,” he said. “We’re excited about our monthly shows. We’re still committed to the project.

“We’re going to have our problems. We’re going to have our highs, like the Terry Norris fight. We’re going to have our lows. This would be what I would consider to be a low.”

Lawhorne, 28, weighed in Wednesday morning at 255 pounds, 30 pounds more than he weighed for his last bout, a fourth-round knockout loss to Ray Mercer, in September of 1989. Norris weighed in at 209 pounds.

Co-promoter Scott Woodworth said he was told by Lawhorne’s management that he would weigh 235 pounds or less. But Lawhorne, who flew to San Diego from his hometown of Detroit Monday, said he does not have a manager.

Lawhorne (27-15-2) said he was disappointed the fight was canceled.

“Orlin Norris is a good fighter, but I was going to beat him,” Lawhorne said. “They could have at least told me what was going on. I missed a three days of work. They could have at least paid me for those two days. I even had to pay my own way into the fights.”

Lawhorne, who works as a security guard for boxer Thomas Hearns, said he would have been paid $3,500 for the fight. Norris was originally supposed to fight Isias Lucero of Mexico City, who pulled out last week because he couldn’t come to financial terms with the promoters. Lawhorne was the last of six prospective opponents for Norris.

English said Woodworth violated four athletic commission rules. English said he never received a contract for Orlin Norris or any of his opponents from promoters.

“I was not even aware that Orlin Norris was going to fight until the press conference Monday,” English said.

English said without both main event fighters being approved by the commission the press conference should not have been held, tickets should not have been sold and the bout should not have been advertised.

“We had some misunderstandings that I feel probably translated into violations,” co-promoter Dan Goossen said. “It boils down to a lack of communication. They thing is, it won’t happen again. The lines of communication are intact.”

Said Woodworth: “I made a mistake. We can’t make mistakes like that. I try to be a guy that learns from his mistakes.”

English also would not approve a bout on the undercard between Marro Felix of Mexico City and Engels Pedroza of Las Vegas. Felix weighed 163 pounds, 15 pounds more than Pedroza.

English said boxer must be within 13 pounds of each other for that weight class.

In the other scheduled main event, San Jose’s David Vedder floored San Diego’s Ramzi Hassan twice in the third round, then finished him with a devastating left hook 2 minutes 36 seconds into the eight round.

Vedder (15-10) was in control throughout and claimed the World Boxing Council’s Continental Americas light heavyweight title with his victory.

Hassan (33-7) came back in the fifth, sixth and seventh rounds but he never appeared to hurt Vedder.

“I was coasting,” Vedder said. “I was just taking my time.”

San Diego middleweight Paul Vaden raised his record to 10-0 with an eighth-round knockout of Fred Thomas (5-5) of Los Angeles.

Vaden knocked Thomas down at the end of the fourth, but couldn’t finish him until the eighth.

“It was a foreign situation for me,” Vaden said of the fourth round. “I didn’t want to run into anything. Some fighters are most dangerous when they are hurt. He came straight in. He was relentless, but I got his respect.’

Vaden stopped Thomas in the eighth with a combination.

“My right hand, left hook worked because I was quick,” Vaden said. “Now I’ve got that on my resume.”

In other undercard bouts, middleweight Tom Clark (3-2) of Phoenix knocked out Felix (20-7) at 2:13 of the third round. Junior middleweight Richie Evans (8-4) of Campo put down Bruce Pearson (10-9) of Los Angeles at 2:24 of the fifth round and Rickey Quiles (10-1) of San Diego won a six-round unanimous decision from Russell Mosley (5-7) of Campo in a lightweight bout.