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Sports Briefs

■ Soccer
Fighting starts early
Apparently, former world champions Fernando Vargas and Ricardo Mayorga can't wait to get into the ring on Sept. 8. A press conference to announce their bout at Staples Center in Los Angeles degenerated into a brawl on Wednesday as Mayorga's trash talking goaded Vargas into action. When Nicaragua's Mayorga said he was going to do Vargas' family a favor by forcing him into retirement, specifically mentioning Vargas' wife, Vargas snapped. "I will do Vargas a favor by retiring him in this fight so his family doesn't have to suffer every time he steps in the ring," Mayorga said. "I'm going to do your wife a favor and not let her cry anymore after I disfigure you." "You don't talk about my wife," shouted the Californian, who leapt up and landed several blows that left Mayorga with a slightly cut left eye and bloody lip.

■ Soccer
Real Madrid unveil Pepe
Spanish giants Real Madrid on Thursday unveiled their new Brazilian defender Kleper Laveran Lima Ferreira, otherwise known as "Pepe." The arrival of 23-year-old Pepe, who cost the Spanish champions 30 million euros (US$41.3 million), has raised a few eyebrows in the Primera Liga but the Brazilian is determined to prove he is worth every penny. "I am going to be very committed and get my shirt wet with sweat, it is up to me to show how much I am worth." The fee paid by Real for a relatively unknown player provoked criticism from Barcelona president Joan Laporta. "This kind of transaction, these elevated fees, raise the market prices for everyone. We have to work on more appropriate amounts," he said. Pepe has agreed a five-year contract and will immediately join up with the squad and newly appointed head coach Bernd Schuster.

■ Soccer
Argentina off to winning start
Florencia Quinones and Clarisa Huber each scored as Argentina beat Panama 2-0 in the women's soccer competition to kick off the Pan American Games on Thursday. Also, striker Tashana Vincent scored a 47th-minute winner to lead Jamaica over Ecuador 1-0. The opening ceremony was yesterday at Maracana, and the women's soccer tournament began a day earlier to accommodate the competition's long schedule. Quinones scored in the 15th minute with a powerful shot from outside the area, hitting the right upper corner of the net. Huber added the other in the 62nd after the Panama defense failed to clear the ball after a free kick. The Jamaicans played a woman down from the 70th after Omolyn Davis was sent off for a foul.

■ Motor Racing
Future of F1 in US unclear
The US Grand Prix won't return to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway next year, and it's unclear if the Formula One race will remain in the US. Speedway chief executive officer Tony George said on Thursday that he and F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone agreed not to schedule the event for next year. The only US-based race on the F1 schedule had been held at Indianapolis the past eight years, drawing some of the biggest crowds on the circuit. "We did agree it was prudent to try and leave the door open for the future," George said. "My sincere hope is that we will have an opportunity to bring it back in the not-too-distant future." George, who had set Thursday as the deadline for reaching an agreement to extend the contract with F1, said he did not believe a US Grand Prix would be held elsewhere next year, but that such a decision would be up to Ecclestone.

■ Ice Hockey
Ducks, Kings meet in London
The Anaheim Ducks will take the Stanley Cup back to its birthplace when they open the National Hockey League's 90th season and begin defense of their first championship in London against the rival Los Angeles Kings. The two-game series highlights the 2007-2008 schedule, released by the league on Wednesday. Anaheim, which became the NHL's first West Coast champion by beating Ottawa in the finals last month, will show off the Cup in England on Sept. 29-30. The oldest trophy in North American sports was purchased at the Regent Street shop of silversmith G. R. Collis & Co 115 years ago. This matchup will be the first regular-season NHL games played in Europe.

■ Swimming
Jensen wins 800m freestyle
Olympian Larsen Jensen won the men's 800m freestyle with the fastest time by an American this year on opening night on Thursday at the Janet Evans Invitational. Jensen, the 2004 Olympic silver medalist and US record-holder in the event, won in 7 minutes, 53.92 seconds on the University of Southern California campus, where he recently earned a degree. His time bettered the meet record of 7:54.47 set by Australia's Craig Stevens in 2004. "I was very pleased with the race," Jensen said. "I've pumped up my training in the past three weeks. Hopefully, I'll go a best time at nationals [starting on July 31] and we'll take it from there."

■ Baseball
Suzuki coy on contract
Ichiro Suzuki was smiling when he emerged from a meeting with Seattle general manager Bill Bavasi after the Mariners' 3-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Thursday night. He still wasn't ready to share any news about his contract, though. "You'll find out sometime," he said, repeating the stock answer that he also offered up before Seattle's fourth straight win. The seven-time All-Star almost seems to be enjoying the commotion from news this week that he has agreed to a five-year extension. It would keep the franchise cornerstone in Seattle until age 39 and take him off the upcoming free-agent market.

■ Baseball
Rodriguez focused on job
Alex Rodriguez isn't interested in talking about his contract with the New York Yankees until after the season. Rodriguez has three-and-a-half seasons left on his record US$252 million, 10-year deal, but can opt out of the contract this autumn and become a free agent - a decision
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