■ Boxing
Peter TKOs Martinez in 3rd
Undefeated heavyweight Samuel Peter stopped Mexico's Gilbert Martinez in the third round of a scheduled 10-round bout in Las Vegas, Nevada on Friday for his 23rd straight victory. Peter, ranked fifth by the World Boxing Council and ninth by the International Boxing Federation, unleashed a barrage of punches to the head of Martinez before the fight was stopped at 2:05 of the third. The 24-year-old Peter, of Las Vegas, improved to 23-0 with 20 knockouts. The 38-year-old Martinez slipped to 18-9-3 with seven knockouts.
■ Cycling
Italy's Cunego takes Stage 3
Italy's Damiano Cunego won the third stage of the Tour de Romandie in Anzere, Switzerland on Friday, but Colombian Santiago Botero's third-place finish was good enough to give him the overall lead. Cunego finished the 146.5km stage in 3 hours, 45 minutes, and 49 seconds, to edge out Russia's Denis Menchov and Botero after a difficult 15km climb to the finishing line. With a time of 11 hours, 50 minutes, and 34 seconds, Botero leads Cunego by two seconds in the race for the overall title. The Colombian took the leader's yellow jersey from Italy's Alessandro Petacchi as the five-day event moved to the mountains for the first time. Petacchi -- who won the first two stages in sprint finishes -- finished the third stage in 107th place and drops out of the overall top 10. Spain's Pedro Diaz Lobato broke away from the peloton early in the race, but he was reeled in 4km from the finish as Cunego led a group of six riders up the final climb. The tour concludes Sunday in Lausanne.
■ Boxing
Hopkins and Taylor to fight
Middleweight boxing champion Bernard Hopkins and undefeated challenger Jermain Taylor are one step closer to getting into the ring. The two are scheduled to attend a press conference Tuesday in New York to formally announce the July 16 bout, which has been in negotiations for months. The 40-year-old Hopkins, who has defended his title 20 times, last month gave Taylor 24 hours to accept a US$1.5 million purse for the fight. He later relented and increased the offer to US$1.8 million, but the bout was still delayed in negotiations over terms for a possible rematch. Taylor, a member of the 2000 US Olympic team, is undefeated in 23 fights and considered the best prospect among the middleweight challengers. The fight is scheduled to be held at the MGM Grand hotel-casino in Las Vegas.
■ Soccer
Croates and Serbs clash
Fans of rival soccer clubs fought in the stadium parking lot, and threw rocks and sticks at buses after a match involving Croatian and Serbian-backed teams in Sydney on Saturday. It was the second time in two months that supporters of the Bonnyrigg White Eagles and Sydney United fought after a New South Wales Premier League match. When the teams last met on March 13 in Sydney, six people were arrested and two police officers injured after 50 fans rioted inside the stadium. On Saturday, as part of increased security measures, Parramatta Stadium officials released fans of the Croatian-backed Sydney United team from the stadium before fans of the Serbian-backed Bonnyrigg White Eagles. Bonnyrigg won the match 4-1. But police said violence erupted in the car park when buses carrying fans away from the match were pelted with rocks and sticks.
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
‘SOURCE OF PRIDE’: Newspapers rushed out special editions and the government sent their congratulations as Shohei Ohtani became the first player to enter the 50-50 club Japan reacted with incredulity and pride yesterday after Shohei Ohtani became the first player in Major League Baseball to record 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season. The Los Angeles Dodgers star from Japan made history with a seventh-inning homer in a 20-4 victory over the Marlins in Miami. “We would like to congratulate him from the bottom of our heart,” top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters in Tokyo. “We sincerely hope Mr Ohtani, who has already accomplished feat after feat and carved out a new era, will thrive further,” he added. The landmark achievement dominated Japanese morning news
Roger Federer on Wednesday said that staying involved with tennis in retirement helped him avoid feeling “like an alien” ahead of this week’s Laver Cup in Berlin. Federer, who helped create the tournament, retired at the Laver Cup in London two years ago and has since stayed involved with the competition as an ambassador. “I’m happy I went back right away to some tournaments,” the 43-year-old told reporters. “I feel I ripped the Band-Aid off quite quickly and when I walk around the tennis sites I still feel I belong there,” he said. “I don’t feel like an alien, which is a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or