The big man in U.S. amateur boxing continues to be little Eric Griffin.
He simply dominated his 106-pound foes at the Olympic Trials in the Centrum as he has dominated international competition at the weight since 1989."I don't think anyone in the world can compete with me," said the 24-year-old Griffin from Jasper, Tenn.
If that statement seems cocky, it should be noted that Griffin won titles at the World Championships in Moscow in 1989 and in Sydney, Australia, in 1991. He also is 5-0 in bouts against Rogelio Marcelo of Cuba, the world's second-ranked light flyweight.
Griffin beat Mario Bueno of the Army at Fort Huachuca, Ariz., 70-16 in the final Saturday. In his two last bouts in the trials, Griffin was credited with 164 scoring blows.
He will now go to the box-offs June 26-28 at Phoenix, where the 12 trials winners will meet selected opponents to determine the Olympic team.
Accompanying Griffin to Phoenix will be six of his teammates from the 1991 World Championships squad.
Team members winning finals Sunday were Tim Austin of Cincinnati, 112; Oscar de la Hoya of Los Angeles, 132; Vernon Forrest of Augusta, Ga., 139; Raul Marquez of Houston, 156, and Larry Donald of Cincinnati, super heavyweight.
The team member who lost Sunday was Ivan Robinson of Philadelphia, 125.
Chris Byrd of Flint, Mich., a member of both the 1989 and 1991 World Championships teams and a three-time U.S. champion, won the 165-pound title Saturday with a 41-17 decison over Michael DeMoss of the Marines at Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Julian Wheeler of the Navy at Little Creek, Va., a U.S. champion, beat Robinson 35-20. The decision was roundly booed, but the three-man jury, whose score counts if there is a computer malfunction, also favored Wheeler 3-0.
"They don't seem to score body punches today," said Robinson, who added, "I can't take anything away from him. I'll go home, look at the tape and work harder."
"It could have gone either way," Wheeler said.
Forrest, a silver medalist at the World Championships, trailed Steve Johnston, a Pan American champion from Colorado Springs, Colo., 21-20 after two rounds. He then rallied with solid right jabs and hooks and won 39-31. "If it had gone the other way, I wouldn't have cried about it," Forrest said.