■SWITZERLAND
Klitschko retains WBC title
Vitali Klitschko retained his WBC heavyweight title with a unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Kevin Johnson of the US on Saturday. The 38-year-old Klitschko kept Johnson against the ropes for much of the fight but landed few heavy shots to hurt the 30-year-old challenger. “I would have preferred a knockout but I’m happy because I won all 12 rounds,” Klitschko told 17,000 fans ringside at PostFinance Arena. “He’s not easy to hit.” Johnson proved a durable opponent and did his best work with counterattacking straight left jabs, though without managing to rock Klitschko who has never taken a standing count in his career. “When I first met Vitali I told him: ‘You won’t knock me out.’ It wasn’t a hard fight,” Johnson said. “There are things we need to work on and we’re going to go home to the gym and polish them up.” Klitschko (39-2, 37 KOs) was making a third successful defense of the belt he reclaimed in October last year after a four-year break to recover from injuries.
■UNITED STATES
Bradley defends WBO title
Timothy Bradley defended his WBO light welterweight title and remained unbeaten with a dominant unanimous decision over Lamont Peterson on Saturday. With the hometown crowd chanting his name even before the opening bell, Bradley (25-0, 11 KOs) delighted his fans with his superior skill and speed, blemishing the perfect record of his friend and former roommate from their amateur days. Peterson (27-1), who overcame childhood homelessness to become a title contender, was knocked down for the first time in his career by an overhand right in the third round. Peterson rallied courageously, but Bradley picked him apart through the late rounds to stay among boxing’s top rising champions.
■UNITED STATES
Malignaggi beats Diaz
Paul Malignaggi beat fellow American Juan Diaz by unanimous decision on Saturday, a clear outcome after a controversial fight in August between the two junior welterweights. The 29-year old Malignaggi came out more aggressive than normal and consistently landed his jab while Diaz waited to counter. The Brooklyn-based fighter always seemed to have the fight under control, even when Diaz managed to steal a few rounds with quick flurries. All three judges scored it 116-111 for Malignaggi.
■UNITED STATES
Darchinyan KOs Rojas
Australia’s Vic Darchinyan knocked out Mexico’s Tomas Rojas in the second round on Saturday to retain his World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association super flyweight titles. The Armenian-born Aussie fighter flattened Rojas after two minutes and 54 seconds of the second round, improving to 33-2 with one drawn by taking his 27th victory inside the distance in the matchup of southpaw stars. Rojas fell to 32-11 after his first loss in more than two years. The Mexican landed more punches and kept Darchinyan on the move over the first five minutes, but the champion was simply waiting for the right moment to strike. “He was punching me. He was making more punches than me. But I knew my time would come,” Darchinyan said. Darchinyan’s moment came late in the second round when a left to the head set up a powerful left to the chest that Rojas tried to duck. Instead, the Mexican moved his head directly into the path of Darchinyan’s punch and was caught on the chin and then hard in the chest before falling onto his back.
The next generation of running talent takes center stage at today’s Berlin Marathon, in the absence of stars including Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge and Ethiopian world record holder Tigist Assefa. With most of the major marathon stars skipping the event in the wake of the Paris Olympics just more than a month ago, the field is wide open in the men’s and women’s races. Since 2015, Kipchoge has won five times in Berlin, Kenenisa Bekele has won twice and Guye Adola once — with all three missing today. Kenyan Kibiwott Kandie and Ethiopian Tadese Takele are among the favourites for the men, while
Nick Castellanos, Trea Turner and Kody Clemens homered on Wednesday as the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Chicago Cubs 9-6 and clinched a first-round bye in the playoffs. Castellanos had three hits and scored three times. Bryson Stott also had three hits and Brandon Marsh drove in three runs for the Phillies, who on Monday claimed their first National League East title in 13 years. Coupled with the Milwaukee Brewers’ 2-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia secured the bye and home-field advantage in the NL Division Series. The Phillies owned the tiebreaker with the Brewers after winning the season series against the
With a quivering finger, England Subbuteo veteran Rudi Peterschinigg conceded the free-kick that sent his country’s World Cup quarter-final into extra-time before smashing his plastic goalkeeper on the floor in frustration. In the genteel southern English town of Tunbridge Wells, 300 elite players have gathered to play the game they love. “I won’t say this is the best weekend I’ve ever had in my life, but it’s certainly in the top two,” said Hughie Best, 58, who flew in from Perth, Australia, to compete and commentate at the event. Tunbridge Wells is the “spiritual home” of Subbuteo, which was invented there in 1946
Olympic bronze medalist Lee Meng-yuan has become the first Taiwanese athlete to top the International Shooting Sport Federation’s (ISSF) men’s skeet world rankings, while top Taiwanese shooters won golds in each of yesterday’s finals in Taoyuan. Lee’s 6,610 points put him ahead of fellow men’s skeet medalists from the Paris Olympics Americans Vincent Hancock and Conner Prince. Lee on Monday said that he was surprised by the result, although he had expected his ranking to rise after the Games, which was also the first time a Taiwanese athlete had competed in men’s skeet. Despite topping the rankings, Lee said he believed Hancock, who