Saturday, 4 May 2024
HOFFENHEIM SNAPS LEIPZIG'S WINNING RUN WITH LAST MINUTE EQUALISER
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| Andrej Kramaric's goal earned a point for Hoffenheim. |
Hoffenheim scored a 90th minute equaliser through Andrej Kramaric to snatch a 1-1 draw against visitors RB Leipzig on Friday, snapping their opponents' four-game winning run in the Bundesliga and leaving them in fourth place.
Benjamin Sesko headed in after 38 minutes -- his fifth league goal with a header this season -- to give Leipzig, who have already secured next season's Champions League participation, the lead.
The visitors, however, were left with 10 men when Xavi Simons was sent off with a second yellow card in the 72nd minute and Hoffenheim made the extra man count when Kramaric headed in the equaliser from a Marius Buelter cross.
Leipzig are fourth on 63 points, one behind VfB Stuttgart who are in action against Bayern Munich on Saturday.
MLB ROUNDUP: TWINS DOWN RED SOX FOR 11TH STRAIGHT WIN
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| USA TODAY Sports |
Edouard Julien and Ryan Jeffers drove in two runs apiece, and the Minnesota Twins held on for a 5-2 win over the Boston Red Sox on Friday night in Minneapolis.
Willi Castro went 2-for-3 with a double for Minnesota, which won its 11th game in a row. The Twins have not lost since April 21 against the Detroit Tigers.
Rafael Devers went 2-for-3 with two doubles and two RBIs to lead Boston. Ceddanne Rafaela and Jarren Duran recorded the only other hits for the Red Sox.
Twins right-hander Chris Paddack (3-1) allowed two hits in six scoreless innings. He walked one and struck out six. Red Sox right-hander Tanner Houck (3-3) gave up four runs on six hits in six-plus innings. He walked two and struck out five.
Dodgers 4, Braves 3 (11 innings)
Rookie Andy Pages capped his first career four-hit performance with a game-ending single in the 11th inning as Los Angeles walked away with a victory over visiting Atlanta in the opener of a three-game series.
Teoscar Hernandez hit a home run, Shohei Ohtani drove in a run in the 10th and Gavin Stone went five strong innings as the Dodgers improved to 8-2 since going 3-6 on their previous homestand while losing all three series. Michael Grove (1-1) picked up the win for the Dodgers with a scoreless 11th.
Austin Riley and Ronald Acuna Jr. hit home runs and right-hander Charlie Morton gave up two runs on five hits over six innings as the Braves lost for the fourth time in their last six games and fell to 1-3 on a six-game West Coast road trip.
Brewers 3, Cubs 1
Willy Adames headlined a three-run rally with a go-ahead RBI single in the eighth as Milwaukee beat host Chicago in the opener of a three-game series.
Brice Turang went 2-for-4 for the Brewers, who pushed their winning streak to three games.
Nico Hoerner, Ian Happ and Michael Busch each had two hits as Chicago's offensive struggles continued. The Cubs have averaged just 2.4 runs over their past seven games.
Phillies 4, Giants 3
Brandon Marsh drove in two runs, Alec Bohm extended his hitting streak to 16 games with a run-scoring single, and Philadelphia opened a four-game series against visiting San Francisco with a win.
Trea Turner had two hits before exiting with left hamstring soreness for Philadelphia, which won its third straight and improved to a season-best 11 games over .500 at 22-11. Aaron Nola allowed two runs and four hits over four innings before yielding to Matt Strahm (2-0), Seranthony Dominguez, Orion Kerkering and Jeff Hoffman. Jose Alvarado worked around a leadoff single in the ninth for his sixth save.
San Francisco went 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position and lost for the third time in its last four games. The Giants have scored a total of 19 runs over their last eight games.
Yankees 2, Tigers 1
Anthony Rizzo hit a walk-off single with nobody out in the ninth inning as host New York rallied past Detroit.
On the verge of being shut out for the sixth time this season, the Yankees earned their first walk-off win of the season thanks to rallying against Detroit closer Jason Foley (2-1), who blew his first save of the season.
Riley Green went 3-for-4 for the Tigers, who were held to five hits and saw their two-game win streak come to an end.
Rays 10, Mets 8
Harold Ramirez and Amed Rosario each went 3-for-5 for Tampa Bay, which scored five times in the third inning in a win against visiting New York in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Shawn Armstrong (1-1) came on in relief in the fifth inning, allowing two hits and striking out two in 1 1/3 innings. Jason Adam allowed one run on two hits in the ninth for his second save of the season.
Mets starter Jose Quintana (1-3) allowed eight runs on 10 hits in 2 2/3 innings. He struck out two and walked one.
Athletics 3, Marlins 1
Miami kicked off the post-Luis Arraez era with a whimper, accumulating just seven hits off JP Sears and three relievers as host Oakland opened a three-game interleague series with a victory.
Arraez, the defending National League batting champion, was scratched from the lineup minutes before the first pitch, reportedly having been dealt to the San Diego Padres for four prospects. Miami then saw a three-game winning streak end when Brent Rooker smacked a two-run homer, Sears worked 6 1/3 shutout innings and the A's recorded a season-best fifth straight win.
Rooker's homer came off Miami starter Ryan Weathers (2-3), who dueled Sears into the last of the fourth before allowing his first hit of the game -- a single by Abraham Toro. Rooker followed with his sixth homer of the season. Weathers was pulled after six innings, having allowed three runs and five hits. He struck out five and didn't walk anyone.
Nationals 9, Blue Jays 3
Pinch hitter Luis Garcia Jr. hit a three-run home run in a four-run seventh and Washington defeated visiting Toronto.
Beginning a five-game homestand, the Nationals overcame a 3-0 deficit to take the opener of a three-game series.
The Blue Jays, who began a five-game road trip, have lost three games in a row and eight of their past 10.
Orioles 3, Reds 0
Cole Irvin extended his scoreless innings streak by allowing just two hits over 6 1/3 innings, combining with three relievers as Baltimore shut out Cincinnati in the opener of a three-game interleague series.
Adley Rutschman snapped a scoreless tie with a seventh-inning RBI double and scored on a homer by Ryan O'Hearn as the Orioles won for the fourth time in five games. The Reds have lost three straight and six of eight.
Irvin (3-1) walked none and struck out four. He hasn't allowed a run in his last 20 innings dating back to the fourth inning of an April 15 start. Reds starter Hunter Greene gave up five hits and four walks while striking out five over 5 2/3 innings. He has thrown 14 2/3 straight scoreless innings dating back to April 22.
Rockies 3, Pirates 2
Ryan McMahon homered to spark a three-run sixth inning, Cal Quantrill pitched strongly into the eighth and Colorado beat host Pittsburgh.
Colorado snapped a five-game skid and ended a string that saw it set a major league record by trailing at some point in each of their first 31 games. McMahon, Ezequiel Tovar, Elias Diaz and Jacob Stallings finished with two hits each for Colorado. Quantrill (1-3) gave up three hits, struck out nine and didn't walk a batter in 7 2/3 innings.
Oneil Cruz homered and Jared Triolo had two hits for Pittsburgh, which has lost five in a row and eight of nine. The Rockies managed just five singles against Pirates starter Martin Perez (1-2) through five innings but broke out in the sixth. McMahon led off with his fifth home run, a 445-foot shot into the Allegheny River beyond the seats in right field.
Angels 6, Guardians 0
Jose Soriano threw six stellar innings to continue his road dominance and Mickey Moniak launched a three-run homer as visiting Los Angeles beat Cleveland.
Nolan Schanuel homered for one of his three hits, and Willie Calhoun also had three in his season debut for the Angels, who won for just the third time in 14 games. Soriano (1-4), who allowed five hits and a walk, has yielded one earned run over 17 innings of his three 2024 road starts.
Los Angeles roughed up Cleveland starter Tanner Bibee (2-1) for all six runs, plus eight hits allowed, in five innings. Steven Kwan had two hits for the AL Central-leading Guardians, who have lost two straight and are 3-6 since winning five in a row.
Astros 5, Mariners 3
Jose Altuve deposited a perfect bunt single down the third base line with two outs in the seventh inning, the lone run-scoring hit of a four-run frame that lifted Houston to a victory over visiting Seattle.
Trailing 3-1 entering the bottom of the seventh, the Astros recorded five walks, two singles and a sacrifice fly to forge ahead. Astros closer Josh Hader recorded his third save with a pair of strikeouts in the ninth.
The Mariners forged their lead with a pair of homers off Astros starter Ronel Blanco, who worked six innings and allowed three runs on five hits and two walks with six strikeouts. Jorge Polanco smoked a two-out, solo shot to right-center in the third and Dylan Moore ripped a two-run blast in the fifth.
Royals 7, Rangers 1
Salvador Perez and Hunter Renfroe homered as host Kansas City rallied past Texas.
With one out in the fifth, Renfroe belted Michael Lorenzen's slider down the left-field line for his third homer of the year to tie the score 1-1. Then Kansas City scored six times in the seventh, capped by Perez's three-run homer. Reliever John Schreiber (3-0) allowed two hits and two walks in the seventh but escaped damage by striking out Marcus Semien with the bases loaded to end the inning.
In the third inning, Semien hit a two-out double and Corey Seager followed with a single to left, scoring the first run of the game. Seager had two of the Rangers' seven hits. Losing pitcher Cole Winn (0-1) gave up four runs on four hits in one-third of an inning.
Cardinals 3, White Sox 0
Sonny Gray, JoJo Romero and Ryan Helsley combined for a three-hitter as St. Louis blanked visiting Chicago.
Gray (4-1) allowed those three hits in seven innings. He struck out six and walked one while lowering his season ERA to 0.89 in 30 1/3 innings. Romero handled the White Sox in the eighth inning, and Helsley closed out the ninth for his 11th save.
Nolan Arenado drove in three runs with two doubles and Willson Contreras went 3-for-3 with a walk, a steal and two runs for St. Louis. Brad Keller (0-1) allowed three runs on five hits in 4 2/3 innings for the White Sox, who lost for the 11th time in 14 games.
Padres 7, Diamondbacks 1
Fernando Tatis Jr. homered and drove in three runs, Dylan Cease pitched 6 2/3 innings and San Diego opened a three-game weekend series with a win over Arizona in Phoenix.
Tatis collected three hits and scored twice, while Jake Cronenworth and Manny Machado also slugged homers as San Diego won its third straight game. The Padres finished with 12 hits and scored at least six runs for the fourth time in five games. Cease (4-2) allowed three hits and one run with no walks and eight strikeouts.
Slade Cecconi (1-2) retired the first nine batters he faced for Arizona but was hit hard his second time through the order. He was removed after Tatis' RBI single in the fifth made it 5-0. Cecconi gave up six runs on five hits and two walks in 4 1/3 innings, striking out four.
- Reuters
ARTUR BETERBIEV INJURED, TITLE BOUT VS. DMITRY BIVOL POSTPONED
Artur Beterbiev suffered a ruptured meniscus and his undisputed light heavyweight championship fight vs. Dmitry Bivol on June 1 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, has been postponed, it was announced Friday.
Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, told ESPN a replacement opponent is being sought for Bivol on the June 1 card.
Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs) will undergo knee surgery and is expected to be sidelined until at least September, sources said. The hope is for Beterbiev-Bivol to be rescheduled later this year.
Alalshikh announced that the stacked undercard that features five boxers promoted by Matchroom vs. five Queensberry fighters will proceed June 1 as planned.
The series of fights is highlighted by a bout between former heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder vs. Zhilei Zhang. Both boxers are coming off losses to Joseph Parker. Wilder needs an impressive performance to move on to a planned Aug. 3 bout with Jared Anderson in Los Angeles.
Filip Hrgovic will meet Daniel Dubois for the vacant IBF heavyweight title, and Ray Ford will defend his WBA featherweight title against Nick Ball. The other two fights are Ammo Williams-Hamzah Sheeraz and Willy Hutchinson-Craig Richards.
But the most anticipated fight of all was the long-awaited summit meeting between Beterbiev and Bivol.
Bivol (22-0, 11 KOs) is ESPN's No. 5 pound-for-pound boxer while Beterbiev is No. 6. Bivol owns a victory over boxing's top star, Canelo Alvarez, and holds the WBA title at 175 pounds.
Beterbiev, the WBO, WBC and IBF champion at 175 pounds, is ESPN's No. 1 light heavyweight (Bivol is No. 2).
Beterbiev, 39, and Bivol, 33, both are from Russia, though Beterbiev now lives in Quebec. That's where he returned in January with a seventh-round TKO victory over former super middleweight champion Callum Smith, a win that kept him on a collision course with Bivol.
The victory came in Beterbiev's first action since January 2023, when he scored a seventh-round TKO over Anthony Yarde.
Beterbiev is boxing's only champion with a 100% KO rate.
Bivol, though, owns the most impressive win between the pair with his May 2022 decision victory over Alvarez. It was a dominant performance that displayed Bivol's elite jab, footwork and ring smarts. Beterbiev also possesses an excellent jab and is arguably boxing's most dangerous picker.
The matchup is among the most anticipated in the history of the light heavyweight division and presents a fascinating clash of styles: Bivol is a classical boxer, Beterbiev is a boxer-puncher.
Bivol's last fight came in December in Riyadh, where he scored a shutout decision over Lyndon Arthur.
- Mike Coppinger, ESPN
'A DIFFERENT ERA FOR ME': CANELO'S NEW APPROACH ISN'T TO SATISFY HIS CRITICS
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| Canelo Alvarez, above, is facing Jaime Munguia on Saturday, the first time two fighters from Mexico will compete for an undisputed championship in the four-belt era. Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images |
LAS VEGAS -- Canelo Alvarez removed his designer sunglasses to reveal the sort of deadly serious expression that's all too familiar to his 39 knockout opponents.
Only this time, the target of his white-hot rage wasn't another fighter -- at least not an active one -- but Oscar De La Hoya, the Hall of Fame boxer who promoted Alvarez from 2010 until their ugly breakup in 2020.
For the first time since November 2019, Alvarez and De La Hoya shared a stage during fight week as Alvarez prepares to defend his undisputed super middleweight championship against fellow Mexican Jaime Munguia on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena (8 p.m. ET, Prime Video PPV).
Munguia (43-0, 34 KOs) is co-promoted by De La Hoya, who once occupied Canelo's position as the face of boxing for much of the 1990s and 2000s. And while "The Golden Boy" taunted Alvarez with digging remarks about the star fighter's character, taking aim at Alvarez's failed drug test ahead of his 2018 rematch with Gennadiy Golovkin, Munguia could only laugh.
"Yes, there were times that work was not my priority based on my mental health, which I had neglected for so long," De La Hoya told Alvarez. "But that doesn't change the fact that Golden Boy built Canelo over this period."
Alvarez (60-2-2, 39 KOs) responded with an expletive-laced tirade on the "idiot" he despises, saying, "try not to forget that I was already Canelo when I came to the United States and that he only profited from my name. He never lost a single cent, but instead made money. Have you already paid Golovkin what you wanted to steal from him?"
De La Hoya told ESPN on Wednesday that GGG was paid "everything he's owed" following Golovkin's 2022 lawsuit against Golden Boy Promotions, which sought upward of $3 million. On Thursday, De La Hoya sent Alvarez a legal letter demanding that Canelo cease and desist from further "defamatory allegations" and retract his comments.
Alvarez showed Wednesday he still has plenty of fight left in him -- a burning desire after all these years to hit back at foes inside and outside the ring. In an era where boxers usually train near the comforts of home, Alvarez once again went away for training camp to his cabin in the mountains of California near Lake Tahoe in Truckee.
Alvarez now appears to be entering a different stage of his career, where he flexes his muscle as the sole face of boxing. During his storied career, he often sought out the sport's most-avoided fighters -- Dmitry Bivol, Austin Trout and Erislandy Lara among them -- in search of legacy.
Days ahead of his 65th pro fight and two months shy of his 34th birthday, Alvarez's place in boxing history is undoubtedly secured. He'll be a first-ballot Hall of Famer whenever he retires, with a chance to surpass Julio Cesar Chavez as Mexico's all-time greatest boxer.
Canelo has been a staple of boxing's pound-for-pound list (currently ESPN's No. 4) for two decades, delivering matchups fans clamored for, most notably a classic trilogy with GGG. Lately, he's resisted increasing public demand for a clash with rising star David Benavidez, who occupies the No. 2 position in ESPN's super middleweight rankings.
But rather than Benavidez, Alvarez will defend his 168-pound crown vs. Munguia on Cinco de Mayo weekend. The champion is a -550 favorite, per ESPN BET, to turn back ESPN's No. 4 168-pounder.
"[Benavidez] brings nothing to the table for me," Alvarez said in March at a news conference in Beverly Hills, California. "He just brings 25 extra pounds on the night of the fight. That's it. ... If a promoter who I work with offers $150 to $200 million, then I'll fight tomorrow. That's the only reason I'll fight with him."
De La Hoya earned hundreds of millions during his run, just like Alvarez after him, and faced the same pressure to continue taking on the toughest challenges.
"When a fighter mentions a number that high, $150, $200 million, in other words, I don't want to fight him," De La Hoya told ESPN last month. " ... Canelo comes in after [Floyd] Mayweather [as boxing's top star] and he's setting the example that it's about the payday. ... The whole world wishes that he would fight Benavidez and lead by example.
"That fight must happen. We're on a good roll right now with having good fights, and we must continue to make those big fights happen. And for the first time in a long time, the casual fan is asking for this fight. It's kind of like Mayweather-[Manny] Pacquiao. It's that type of situation. So it'll be a shame if Canelo doesn't [fight Benavidez]."
EARLY IN HIS career, Alvarez built a reputation for chasing risky fights. At age 20, he squeezed past Trout, a tricky southpaw who was virtually unknown. Months later, in September 2013, Alvarez challenged his predecessor as boxing's top star, "Money" Mayweather.
Alvarez was still developing and not in his prime yet, but he was already a star. Still, he made weight concessions (a catchweight of 152 pounds) to land the career-best opportunity with Mayweather and was soundly dominated. Alvarez later credited that junior middleweight title fight defeat as a learning experience that would carry him to the top of the sport, and keep him there.
It was another nine years until Alvarez would lose again. He found himself in a much different position but nonetheless pursued the more challenging matchups. Rather than defend his four 168-pound titles vs. Jermall Charlo, a middleweight, Alvarez elected to challenge Bivol for his 175-pound championship in May 2022.
Like Trout, the Russian boxer possessed talent that far exceeded his profile. Bivol went on to rout Alvarez in a fight that knocked Alvarez from his pound-for-pound perch. That's why, it appears, Alvarez has no problem saying no this time around to Benavidez.
He absorbed criticism for the setback despite it being just his second fight at 175 pounds. The loss still eats at Alvarez; Canelo told ESPN he remains interested in a Bivol rematch at light heavyweight.
"Everybody say 'no, it's an easy fight,' but I knew [Bivol] was a really good fighter and another weight class," Alvarez said. "So I take my risk. And I always fight with every single fighter ... and I always prove myself there and I always prove [to] everybody. But not anymore. I'm tired of that because it's never is going to be enough for them. I'm going to do this for me, for my people and that's it."
Indeed, fans will always lobby to see another new fighter land the Alvarez matchup. That's the nature of boxing when you're the top star. It's with good reason that an Alvarez-Benavidez fight is so highly anticipated.
"I think it is a different era for me," Alvarez told ESPN last month. " ... If you see my history, it's always somebody else [fans want me to face] when I have a fight. ... Right now with Benavidez. It's always there. So I don't really focus on that anymore because it's never going to be enough for some people."
"I always fight the best out there and I'm happy with my career and I'm in a position [where] I can do whatever I want because I fight for it," he added. " ... I sacrifice myself and ... I deserve this position because of everything I did before."
Alvarez still appears near the peak of his powers following a pair of dominant victories last year over John Ryder and Jermell Charlo. Alvarez broke Ryder's nose in a Mexico homecoming last May, and four months later outboxed Charlo, who refused to engage. Canelo floored both opponents.
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| David Benavidez, left, ESPN's No. 2-ranked super middleweight, has been clamoring for a fight against Canelo Alvarez. David Becker/Getty Images |
Benavidez, too, enjoyed a banner 2023 in what amounted to a breakout campaign. In March, he outpointed Caleb Plant, whom Alvarez stopped in November 2021, and TKO'd Demetrius Andrade in November. Benavidez doled out brutal beatings in both bouts, raising the volume on the calls for a summit meeting with Alvarez.
"I'm not going to be waiting on Canelo," Benavidez told ESPN in March. "After I fight Canelo, my career doesn't end. It's frustrating, but it gives me a bad name at the end of the day, too. ... The reason why this fight is not happening is because Canelo doesn't want it to happen, plain and simple."
There's little doubt Benavidez -- a volume-punching machine with power in both hands -- would present a dangerous challenge. He's much bigger than Canelo, for one. Alvarez won his first title at 154 pounds and is 5-foot-8. Benavidez is 10 years younger, 36 fights fresher and is a career 168-pounder at 6-foot-2 with a 4-inch reach advantage over Alvarez.
When he couldn't entice Canelo into the ring, Benavidez moved up to 175 pounds for a June 15 bout with former champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk.
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| Canelo Alvarez, right, defeated Jermell Charlo, who moved up two divisions for the fight, by unanimous decision in late September. EPA/ETIENNE LAURENT |
WHEN ALVAREZ SIGNED a three-fight deal with PBC last June, hope grew that the move would lead to an eventual clash with Benavidez, a longtime PBC boxer. Alvarez went on to face Jermell Charlo in the first fight of the deal, with plans to meet his twin brother in the second bout of the agreement on Saturday. But after Jermell's listless performance, the fight against Jermall became a hard sell.
"What Jermell did in the last fight is not going to be good for the eyes on the people," Alvarez said. "It's going to be the same guy. Oh, his brother did a really bad fight. And I think this fight with Munguia is better than the Charlo fight. I think he deserved the fight. He win good fights, he improve a lot and he's very respectful to me. So I think he deserve it more."
As Canelo advances to the latter part of his career, respect appears more important to him than ever before. He's always shown respect to his opponents, and isn't looking to reward fighters, he said, who don't reciprocate. He laughs at the thought he should punish disrespectful fighters by gifting them the career-high payday that accompanies a shot at the sport's top star.
"Let me beat you, give you big-money payday," Alvarez said mockingly. "No, not anymore. ... Respect is important. And I know it's a fight, but when I fight, I fight with a lot of fighters who talk a lot of s---, talk a lot of things, and they don't do s--- in the ring."
Plant earned a career-high $10 million, and Munguia will exceed that amount. Benavidez has never earned more than around $3 million. Alvarez isn't concerned with critics at this stage, especially his former promoter-turned-rival. De La Hoya offers a unique perspective as a fighter who starred atop the sport -- from his 1992 Olympic gold medal win to his final fight against Pacquiao in December 2008.
"The way I saw it was whoever I have to fight, and he's the best, I fight," De La Hoya said. "I didn't worry about no payday [for the opponent]. I always put my legacy first. What is it going to take for me to get to the top? What is it going to take for me to be considered the best? Well, I have to fight the best."
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| Jaime Munguia, left, and his promoter, Oscar De La Hoya are very confident they can beat Canelo Alvarez. Cris Esqueda/Golden Boy/Getty Images |
MUNGUIA MIGHT BE a consolation prize in Benavidez's absence on the right side of the marquee, yet it's still an anticipated matchup, especially for Mexican fans. Munguia represents Alvarez's first countryman foe since Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in May 2017.
Canelo has long said he doesn't wish to fight fellow Mexicans but made an exception for Munguia. "This is history for Mexico because it's the first time two Mexicans, they going to fight for four belts."
"Munguia is a really good fighter," Alvarez added. "It's a young fighter who throws a lot of punches, who is strong, who is hungry. So it's a risk for me."
A risk, perhaps, but a small one compared to the perils of fighting Benavidez.
"Fighters usually know, absolutely," De La Hoya said. "... There's a tiny fear in every fighter. There has to be. Even Mike Tyson will say there's a tiny fear, and that fear is always losing. [Benavidez is] a younger guy, he's the bigger guy, he's fast, he's strong, he throws a lot of punches. See anybody throwing punches and punches will be a problem for Canelo at this point of his career. ... He'll get knocked out. He will get beat.
"Obviously he's a businessman," he added. "That's exactly what he is at the fourth quarter of his career ... and there's nothing wrong with that, but at least have some balls to fight the best guy in front of you."
Alvarez will head into Saturday's fight looking to maintain his undisputed super middleweight championship, his No. 4 spot on ESPN's pound-for-pound list and, most of all, his ironclad claim as the face of boxing.
A win over Munguia likely won't come as easily as his two previous victories. After all, Munguia is fresh, strong, unbeaten and determined to dethrone a man he's long dreamed of fighting.
The former junior middleweight titleholder is coming off a career-best victory, a ninth-round TKO of Ryder in January. Munguia's previous outing was named ESPN's 2023 Fight of the Year, a bout against Sergiy Derevyanchenko where a final-round knockdown earned Munguia the decision.
It's also a full-circle moment for Munguia. As a 21-year-old, he agreed to replace Alvarez following his PED suspension and fight GGG, only for the Nevada commission to decline approval, citing Munguia's inexperience. Six years to the day later, Munguia has his life-altering opportunity, and he's much more prepared for the shot.
"Working with the legend Freddie Roach has really motivated me," Munguia said last month following a workout at Roach's Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, California. "He has my confidence very high and ... he's brought a lot of peace and tranquility to my corner."
Canelo is at peace, too. At peace with his legacy, his standing in the sport and, most of all, his freedom to fight whomever he pleases.
"I just want to do whatever I want and put obviously really good fights out there," Alvarez said. " ... I think when you deserve it, when you did everything, when you fight with everybody, when you do the correct things, I think you can do whatever you want."
- Mike Coppinger, ESPN
LAKERS FIRE HEAD COACH DARVIN HAM AFTER 2 SEASONS
The Los Angeles Lakers fired head coach Darvin Ham on Friday after two seasons and a 90-74 regular-season record.
"We greatly appreciate Darvin's efforts on behalf of the Lakers and recognize the many accomplishments achieved over the past two seasons including last year's remarkable run to the Western Conference finals," general manager Rob Pelinka said in a team-released statement.
"We all want to thank Darvin for his dedication and positivity. While this was a difficult decision to make, it is the best course of action following a full review of the season. This organization will remain unwavering in its commitment to deliver championship-caliber basketball to Lakers fans around the world."
The Lakers finished the regular season with a 47-35 mark, good enough for only an eighth-place finish in the Western Conference. They defeated the New Orleans Pelicans in the play-in round to earn the No. 7 seed in the playoffs but were bounced by the Denver Nuggets in the opening round, 4-1.
The Nuggets also defeated the Lakers last season in the conference finals on the way to their first NBA title.
All had seemed optimistic in Lakers land when the team roared to the title in the NBA in-season tournament with a 123-109 victory over the Indiana Pacers at Las Vegas on Dec. 9.
But a 3-9 stretch followed, and reports emerged of growing unrest between the players and Ham, 50.
The Lakers hired Ham on June 3, 2022, to replace Frank Vogel following a 33-49 record in 2021-22, two years removed from winning the NBA championship. It was Ham's first NBA head coaching job.
Lakers fans chanted "Fire Darvin Ham" in Game 3 of the series with the Nuggets. After the game, All-Star Anthony Davis said the Lakers "don't know what we're doing on both ends of the floor" for stretches of games.
"It's been a hell of a two years sitting in this seat, I'll tell you that. It's been a hell of a two years," Ham said Monday after the Game 5 loss.
- Reuters
KYRIE IRVING VANQUISHES CLIPPERS IN GAME 6 AS MAVERICKS MOVE ON
DALLAS -- Kyrie Irving danced with his dribble, crossing over a few times in front of Clippers forward P.J. Tucker, before sidestepping and launching a 3-pointer from the corner in front of the Mavericks' bench.
The Mavs were up 20 midway through the fourth quarter, putting the Clippers on the brink of elimination, and Irving was putting the exclamation point on his spectacular closeout performance. He got fouled by Tucker as he launched the jumper and mobbed by his teammates when the shot splashed through the net.
It was an instantly iconic moment, the most memorable highlight of Irving's scorching second half in the Mavs' series-clinching 114-101 win Friday night at the American Airlines Center.
"I was on the floor looking, kind of squinting and seeing if it went in," Irving said after improving his record to 13-0 when his team can clinch a series during his career, the best record in closeout games in NBA history. "Just seeing my teammates' reactions, that was the best part of it. We knew that was kind of like the dagger in the series."
Irving scored 28 of his 30 points after halftime as the Mavs earned the right to advance to face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals. That matched the most of any playoff half of his career, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.
MVP candidate Luka Doncic finally got the best of the Clippers, the franchise that eliminated Doncic's Mavs in the first two playoff series of his career, in large part because of Irving's poise and brilliance. Doncic struggled by his standards in the series while dealing with a right knee sprain he anticipates won't fully recover until he can rest this summer, averaging 29.8 points, 8.8 rebounds and 9.5 assists but shooting only 40.5% from the floor in the six games.
Irving excelled throughout the series, averaging 26.5 points on 51.4% shooting -- and he was especially dominant after halftime. He averaged 20.0 points in the second halves of the six games, shooting 60% from the floor and 53% from 3-point range.
"I would say unbelievable," Doncic said after scoring 28 points on 9-of-26 shooting while adding seven rebounds and 13 assists in the elimination game. "So it's even more special, but just to have the guy like that on your team, it's a pleasure. Just working with him, just playing with him, it's a pleasure no matter what. He's always positive energy, always. Not even one second of negative energy, which helps a lot, helps everybody and we're so happy to have him."
The score was tied at halftime after Irving scored only two points on 1-of-6 shooting in the first two quarters.
At one point in the second quarter, Doncic was making a concerted effort to get Irving more involved. Irving calmly assured his co-star that he would find his groove within the flow of the game.
"Never a doubt with Kai," Doncic said with a smile.
"He don't force anything," Mavs forward Derrick Jones Jr. said. "He lets the game come to him and he knows the perfect moments where he should be more ultra-aggressive."
Irving and the Mavs seized control of the game immediately after halftime. Dallas opened the third quarter with an 8-0 run to take the lead for good. The spurt started with Irving finishing a fast break with a layup off a feed from Doncic and ended with an Irving 3 in transition.
"You give someone like Kai those looks, that basket gets bigger and bigger," Clippers star Paul George said. "I thought that was really all he needed to see. Everything else was a playground for him."
Irving scored 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting in the third quarter as the Mavs pushed their lead to 15 points. He had 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting in the fourth quarter as Dallas prevented the Clippers from ever mounting a comeback threat.
"It was like 2K," Mavs forward P.J. Washington said. "He had a Mamba takeover. He was just doing what he does. He's special, and I'm just glad to be on his team."
Irving also dominated on the defensive end of the floor. According to ESPN Stats & Information tracking, the Clippers were 2-of-18 from the floor with Irving as the primary defender in Game 6.
"I just got to get there to that point to be able to be ready to have the other team submit," Irving said. "One of the hardest things to do as a competitor is to have your opponent concede or submit. And I do want to take this time to give respectful shoutout and also show my respect to the Clippers organization and the players. It's always fun, and they got me better."
- Tim MacMahon, ESPN Staff Writer
Friday, 3 May 2024
CHELSEA'S POCHETTINO CALLS FOR 'STUPID' EXIT RUMOURS TO STOP
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| Mauricio Pochettino expects to be in the Chelsea dugout next season despite the club's disappointing season. Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images |
Mauricio Pochettino has called for "stupid rumours" around his Chelsea future to stop and insisted he will see out the final year of his contract unless told otherwise by the club.
The 52-year-old has endured a tumultuous first season at Stamford Bridge with Chelsea scrambling to qualify for Europe next season, despite owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital spending more than £1 billion ($1.25bn) on new players since their 2022 takeover.
Pochettino has faced chants to be sacked from disgruntled supporters -- who have also chanted the name of former coach José Mourinho -- but Thursday's 2-0 win over Tottenham leaves Chelsea just two points off seventh place, which would be enough to secure a Europa Conference League spot next term.
Speculation persists that Pochettino's job could be at risk and he told Sky Sports after beating Spurs that "it was difficult to see every single week that I am under scrutiny."
Pushed further on this issue, Pochettino said: "We were talking about the judgement at the end of the season, if I feel I am under scrutiny.
"That was the question from the people. But it is like [we have] to prove, after all these circumstances and all of this situation, that we deserve to be here next season. I say, "Who is going to judge me?
"I need to judge myself and all the players, and of course with all the circumstances [of the season].
"But I wanted to say that it is enough with these type of rumours. If I have one more year on my contract here, and no one says nothing, [I] suppose that I am going to be here. [That changes] only if we then finish the season and someone says to me, 'ciao.'
"Because we don't know at the moment. I suppose I have one more year on my contract and that I am going to be here. But enough about the stupid rumours. You need to ask the club if they want me to keep going or not -- not to write things that have no sense."
- James Olley, Senior Writer, ESPN FC
ARSENAL FORWARD WON'T LEAVE THIS SUMMER - ARTETA
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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said on Friday the club have no intention of allowing striker Gabriel Jesus to leave the club this summer.
Reports earlier this week suggested that Arsenal would be willing to listen to offers for the 27-year-old, who will have three years remaining on his contract at the end of the season.
Jesus has scored eight goals in 33 appearances this season playing primarily as a striker but also out wide.
The Brazil international has struggled with knee problems since undergoing surgery for an injury sustained at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. He underwent a second minor operation in January and admitted last month he couldn't "remember the last day I played football without pain."
Kai Havertz has assumed a key role in leading Arsenal's attack at the expense of Jesus of late but when asked on Friday about speculation the Brazil international could leave the club, Arteta said: "I don't know where this is coming from."
Sources have told ESPN that Arsenal are prepared to sell several fringe players to help boost their summer transfer budget.
Pushed on whether he had any intention of letting Jesus, who joined Arsenal from Manchester City for £45 million ($56.5m) in 2022, move on at the end of the campaign, Arteta replied: "No, no."
Arteta stated his hope that Jorginho would soon agree a new deal as talks continue over an extension.
The 32-year-old's contract expires at the end of the season and the Italy international is thought to be keen on staying at the club he joined from Chelsea for £12 million in January last year.
"I would love to keep him,"Arteta said. "He knows that. The club is fully supportive of that. He's a really important player with us, on and off the field. He makes us better so we want him to stay."
Arteta has a fully fit squad to choose from ahead of Saturday's visit of Bournemouth and the Arsenal boss is weighing up whether to include Jurriën Timber after two appearances for Arsenal under-21s having been sidelined since August following knee surgery.
"We won't know [if Timber is ready] until we throw him in there," Arteta added.
"It's tricky because there are only three games to go and he has missed eight months of football, he's played only 150 minutes of football with the U21s, it's a question that can only be resolved by throwing him on the pitch and we will see what happens, we have to try to nail that decision when [we take it]."
- James Olley, Senior Writer, ESPN FC
CLATTENBURG LEAVES NOTTINGHAM FOREST ROLE AFTER VAR BACKLASH
Mark Clattenburg has left his role as Nottingham Forest's refereeing consultant, the Premier League club announced on Friday.
"Since February this year, I have been proud to have done so under a consultancy agreement between NFFC and Referee Consultant Ltd," Clattenburg said in a statement.
"I performed my services under the consultancy agreement in good faith, to the best of my abilities and in the hope of using my extensive experience as a match official to help NFFC understand how decisions in relation to key match incidents are made amid the workings of VAR.
"However, it is now clear that the existence and performance of these consultancy services has caused unintended friction between NFFC and other participants, to the extent that it has become more of a hinderance than help to NFFC. It has also led to the unmerited targeting of me, personally, by certain participants and pundits.
"Such reactions and outcome was not expected and is regrettable, as it is my sincere belief that there is a place for and value in such a role in the modern game.
"I am grateful to NFFC and wish them all the best during the remainder of the season and in the future. It's been an honour."
- ESPN
RICCARDO: NO APOLOGY FROM STROLL FOR CHINESE GP CRASH
MIAMI - Daniel Ricciardo said Lance Stroll did not reach out to apologise for their collision behind the safety car at the Chinese Grand Prix two weeks ago.
Stroll drove into the back of Ricciardo's car as the pack slowed ahead of a restart in Shanghai.
Ricciardo said Stroll had "made his blood boil" in the immediate aftermath of the incident when he found out the Canadian had suggested he was at fault.
In the two weeks since, Ricciardo said there has been no attempt from Stroll to reach out.
When asked if he would seek Stroll out to talk about the incident, Ricciardo said: "I would say no, because I feel it's not going to go anywhere. "If he texted just saying, 'Yeah, you know, my bad', whatever... I can accept an apology, I'm not that much of an asshole. But the fact that there's not even that...
"He clearly doesn't think he did anything wrong. So I guess there's not much to say.
"Obviously, if we sit next to each other in the drivers' briefing and he wants to chat, I'm not going to ignore him or anything."
Meanwhile, Stroll refused to engage journalists when asked about the situation in a news conference on Thursday ahead of the weekend's Miami Grand Prix.
He said: "Those talks are not for this room. It's for behind closed doors," and did not comment further on the matter.
THE KNICKS.ADVANCE TO THE EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIS WITH A 118-115 GAME 6 WIN OVER THE 76ERS
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| AP Photo |
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Josh Hart raised his arms and extended three fingers on each hand on his go-ahead 3-pointer from the top of the arc with 24.4 seconds left that was finally enough to send the New York Knicks past the Philadelphia 76ers 118-115 in Game 6 on Thursday night and into the second round of the playoffs.
Jalen Brunson had 41 points and 12 assists to lead the Knicks, who are set for an Eastern Conference semifinal matchup with Indiana. The Pacers beat Milwaukee in six games and advanced to the second round for the first time in 10 years.
Game 1 is Monday in New York.
The Knicks are through to the second round in consecutive years for the first time since the postseasons from 1992-2000.
In a series defined by tight games, Hart hit the clutch shot that again had “Let’s go Knicks!” chants echoing throughout Philly’s home court. Joel Embiid scored a bucket but fouled out on the next possession. Donte DiVincenzo sealed New York's win with two free throws.
Naturally, it was the former Villanova Wildcats trio of Hart, DiVincenzo and Jalen Brunson that saved the Knicks from a first-half collapse that was nearly enough to force a Game 7. DiVincenzo scored 23 points and Hart had 16.
Embiid finished with 39 points and 13 rebounds. Buddy Hield had 20 points. After dropping 45 points in Game 5, Tyrese Maxey was a non-factor in the first half and finished with 17.
- DAN GELSTON
BENCH PLAYERS OBI TOPPIN, T.J. MCCONNELL LEAD PACERS INTO SEMIS
INDIANAPOLIS -- Obi Toppin scored 21 points, T.J. McConnell had 20 points and nine assists and the Indiana Pacers won a playoff series for the first time in a decade, beating the Milwaukee Bucks 120-98 in Game 6 on Thursday night.
The Pacers will face the winner of the Philadelphia-New York series in the Eastern Conference semifinals. New York took a 3-2 lead into Game 6.
"I've said for two years now, we're a franchise with big dreams," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. "We don't know exactly where this is going to go from here. We don't know who the opponent is. You have to have big dreams and aspirations to continue to grow and to continue to push yourself."
Toppin and McConnell are the first duo in Pacers playoff history to each score 20 or more points off the bench in the same game, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
It's the third time since starters began being tracked in 1970-71 that a team had a series-clinching victory with their two highest scorers coming off the bench, according to ESPN research. (The last time it happened was in 2020, when Norman Powell and Serge Ibaka led the Raptors over the Nets in the first round.)
"Obi came in and played with unbelievable energy, T.J.'s energy was amazing, our benches' energy, it was flowing the whole game," two-time All-Star Tyrese Haliburton said.
Indiana's milestone victory came exactly 30 years after it swept Orlando 3-0 to advance in the NBA playoffs for the first time in franchise history, and it came on a night the Bucks again were without Giannis Antetokounmpo. The two-time league MVP never played after straining his left calf April 9.
Damian Lillard, meanwhile, returned from a right Achilles injury and played well but was not nearly as dominant as he was in the first two games when he scored 69 points. Lillard finished with 28 points on 7-of-16 shooting.
Bobby Portis Jr. added 20 points and 15 rebounds for Milwaukee. Brook Lopez also had 20 points, and Khris Middleton had 14 points and eight rebounds.
Haliburton had 17 points, 10 assists and 6 rebounds for Indiana, and Pascal Siakam finished with 19 points and seven rebounds. Toppin and McConnell each had playoff career-high scoring totals, and McConnell also had four steals.
Indiana went 8-3 against the Bucks this season and handed Milwaukee its second straight first-round exit.
Easy? Not a chance. Indiana turned the game with a 23-3 first-quarter spurt that made it 29-19 and the Pacers never trailed again.
But every time the Bucks charged back, the Pacers had an answer.
When Milwaukee cut it to 38-34 early in the second quarter, Indiana scored seven straight points. When the Bucks opened the second half on a 9-4 run to close to 63-56, Indiana responded with a 10-5 run to extend the margin to 12. When Milwaukee got to 85-78 with 6:05 left in the third, McConnell capped an 11-0 run with back-to-back 3-pointers to make it 96-78 early in the fourth.
And the Bucks never recovered as the Pacers extended the lead to 104-84 with 8:07 to play. From that point, it was a festive atmosphere at Gainbridge Fieldhouse with Pacers players being serenaded off the court to a standing ovation.
"Obviously we had guys out and all that, and that's hard, but just give them credit," Bucks coach Doc Rivers said. "I thought they played terrific, a terrific city, a terrific franchise."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
- ESPN News Services
Thursday, 2 May 2024
SOCCER JERSEY DISPUTE BETWEEN ALGERIA AND MOROCCO CLUBS OVER WESTERN SAHARA GOES TO SPORTS COURT
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| AP Photo |
GENEVA (AP) — A soccer politics dispute between Algeria and Morocco over a map of disputed Western Sahara territory on a team jersey will go to a full appeal hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The court said Thursday the two sides “are currently exchanging written submissions” and set no timetable for appointing a panel of judges and setting a date for a hearing.
The Algerian soccer federation and the USM Alger club from Algiers are challenging a decision by the Confederation of African Football to let Moroccan club RS Berkane wear a team jersey that includes disputed territory on a map of Morocco.
The dispute already affected the teams’ semifinal of the CAF Confederation Cup, in which USM Alger is the defending champion. Neither semifinal game scheduled on April 21 and 28 was played and both were awarded by CAF as 3-0 wins to Berkane.
Berkane is scheduled to play the two-leg final on May 12 and 19 — against Zamalek of Egypt — and the court did not indicate Thursday if the Algerian appeal will be judged before those games.
Western Sahara is a former Spanish colony annexed by Morocco in 1975. The United Nations brokered a cease-fire between Morocco and the pro-independence Polisario Front, which is supported by Algeria, that held until four years ago.
Algeria cut diplomatic ties with Morocco in 2021.
The laws of soccer state that “equipment must not have any political, religious or personal slogans, statements or images.”
Berkane arrived for the April 21 game in Algiers and had its team uniforms seized at the airport by Algerian authorities.
CAF refused an Algerian request to prohibit the shirts and, after Berkane refused to wear replacement shirts provided by USM Alger, the game did not go ahead. CAF ruled the Algerian club was in breach of competition rules and Berkane was awarded a 3-0 win by default.
An urgent appeal by the Algerians to suspend CAF's ruling on the shirt was denied last week by the sports court in Lausanne, Switzerland.
On April 28, USM Alger went to Berkane’s stadium for the second leg but refused to play if the hosts wore the jerseys with the map. CAF awarded a second default win to Berkane.
The full appeal in the case has now been brought against CAF, the Moroccan soccer federation and Berkane. One of the African soccer body’s most influential officials, FIFA Council member Fouzi Lekjaa, is president of the Moroccan federation and a former president of the Berkane club.
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