King Disputes Accountant’s Fraud Claims

In testimony in his New York trial Thursday, boxing promoter Don King said claims that he ordered employees to cheat Lloyd’s of London were “lunacy.”

King loudly, firmly and at times angrily denounced the testimony of his former accountant, Joseph Maffia, that King had told him to make up $350,000 in training expenses that were never paid to boxer Julio Cesar Chavez for a planned 1991 bout and send the claim to Lloyd’s.

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Marc Ratner, executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, said X-rays of Mike Tyson’s right thumb clearly show a fracture, answering those who were skeptical about the injury that prompted the postponement of his fight against Buster Mathis Jr. on Saturday night in Las Vegas.

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Lawyers for Lennox Lewis argued in a London court that the World Boxing Council would be breaking a contract with the former world champion by authorizing a Tyson-Frank Bruno title fight, which is scheduled for Las Vegas on March 16.

Tennis

Lindsay Davenport opened with an ace and ended with a flourish in a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Tami Whitlinger Jones in the second round of the Bank of the West Classic at Oakland. Davenport, seeded third, will face seventh-seeded Helena Sukova in the quarterfinals today. Fifteen-year-old Venus Williams will face second-seeded Magdalena Maleeva in another quarterfinal.

Top-seeded Pete Sampras defeated Jan Siemerink, 6-3, 6-4, and three-time champion Boris Becker defeated Todd Martin, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5, in third-round matches at the Paris Open.

Basketball

Jackson State has put women’s assistant George Ivory on administrative leave while officials investigate former player Melika Jett’s allegations that Ivory coerced her into having sex with him by promising her increased playing time.

Miscellany

Gary McCord, better known as a CBS golf commentator, shot a seven-under-par 66 over the longer Plantation Course on the first day of the Kapalua Invitational in Hawaii. Jim Furyk, Mike Standly and Ireland’s Darren Clarke played the par-71 Bay Course and were in at six-under 65.

Florence Griffith Joyner and Valerie Brisco were among six athletes and coaches elected to the National Track and Field Hall of Fame. Others elected were miler Marty Liquori, distance runner Don Lash, high jumper Louise Ritter and coach Mel Rosen.

A 15-year-old U.S. swimmer from Long Island tested positive for banned drugs in the U.S. Swimming National Championships in Pasadena in August. Officials would not identify the swimmer, but the Atlanta Journal and Constitution said it was Jessica Fonschi, a freestyler who was found with muscle-building steroids in her system. She faces a possible two-year suspension or probation from competition.

The prospect of light to moderate winds over the 804 nautical miles awaits 24 entries that will start the Long Beach Yacht Club’s 16th race to Cabo San Lucas, starting today and Saturday. The record is 3 days 3 hours 46 minutes set by Bill Martin’s Santa Cruz 70 Blondie in 1985.

The crew of a sport fishing boat from which Daily News reporter Jim Bertken was lost at sea on Aug. 25 was cited by the Coast Guard for marijuana use and other problems but the Coast Guard said it was unclear whether the violations led to the accident.

Jurisprudence

Two University of Cincinnati basketball players, Art Long and Danny Fortson, were found not guilty of all charges stemming from a May 3 confrontation with a mounted police officer.