U.S. OLYMPIC FESTIVAL LOS ANGELES 1991 : NOTEBOOK
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Boxing game: Pat Nappi, three times the head coach of U.S. Olympic boxing teams, had a practical joke prepared for Saturday’s opening session of the Festival boxing tournament.
He even had a prop--a $5 bill.
He was expecting an old friend, heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield, to be present at Saturday’s Loyola Marymount University session. But Holyfield, who participated in the opening ceremony Friday night, left early Saturday for New York on business.
Nappi coached Holyfield at numerous amateur events, including some on overseas trips. Last week, Holyfield signed to fight Mike Tyson for a guarantee of $30 million.
“I was going to go up to Evander, hand him the five, and say: ‘Here’s your per diem,’ ” Nappi said.
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