Boxing : U.S. Team Beaten, 8-3, by Soviets

BUFFALO, N.Y. — A veteran squad of boxers from the Soviet Union, surprised Sunday by a U.S. team that split 12 decisions in Reno, Nev., built up a lead in the lighter weights and scored an 8-3 decision over the American team Tuesday night.

The U.S. team, comprised of a different group of fighters than those who boxed Sunday, managed victories only in the light-flyweight, light-welterweight and middleweight divisions.

In the first bout, Arthur Johnson of East St. Louis scored a split-decision victory over Nshan Munchan in the 106-pound division.

The Soviets evened it up at one victory each when former Soviet junior champion Lernik Papyan outpointed Richard Duran of Sacramento, Calif., in the 112-pound division.

Runnell Doll of Fort Bragg, N.C., and Serik Nurkazov battled evenly for the first round in the 125-pound weight class, but Nurkazov took control of the fight in the last two rounds to get a unanimous decision.

In the most punch-filled bout, Obie Beard of Jackson, Tenn., battled Nurlan Abdykalykov in the 132-pound class. Both fighters landed many hard punches, but Beard may have lost the split-decision when a point was deducted from his score in the first round for holding.

Akron, Ohio, native Todd Hickman, despite being knocked down late in the second round with a flurry of inside punches, decisioned Erik Khakomov in the 139-pound class.