■ Boxing
Castillejo takes WBA title
Spain's Javier Castillejo stopped Germany's Felix Sturm in the 10th round to gain the WBA middleweight title on Saturday. Sturm, making his first defense, was headed to a one-sided win until Castillejo caught him with a left hook against the ropes with 13 seconds left in the round. Castillejo, a former WBC junior middleweight champ, then hit Sturm with three uppercuts before the referee called the fight. Sturm (27-2, 11 knockouts) was taken to the hospital with a suspected broken jaw, according to the ring doctor. He said it may have happened in the second round when the German was also knocked down. From the fourth round on, Sturm won every round by sniping from the outside, and appeared to be coasting to victory against Castillejo (61-6, 41 knockouts). But Sturm paid it for in the 10th when he elected to go toe-to-toe with the 38-year-old Spaniard.
■ Boxing
Ponce De Leon defends title
Daniel Ponce De Leon of Mexico kept his WBO junior featherweight title on Saturday with a stunning first-round knockout of Sod Looknongyangtoy. Ponce De Leon's right-left combination in the opening minute left the Thai fighter motionless and face-down on the canvas. In the final bout before the rematch of Mosley's 10-round victory over Vargas, Ponce De Leon made incredibly quick work of Sod in a rematch of Ponce De Leon's tough 12-round decision last October. When Sod dropped his right hand, Ponce De Leon landed a left that rendered the Thai fighter unconscious 52 seconds into the fight.
■ Soccer
Long way back: Juve coach
Juventus's new coach Didier Deschamps said on Saturday it would be "almost impossible" for the team to return to Italy's elite Serie A within a year after being demoted for match fixing. A sports tribunal on Friday relegated Italy's most successful club to Serie B with minus 30 points, a penalty Juventus is expected to appeal against.
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