Evander Holyfield will challenge Francois Botha for the lightly regarded WBF world heavyweight title in Uganda on Jan. 16 in his latest bid to regain credibility as a big draw in the ring.
Organizers for the fight at Kampala’s Nambole Stadium said on Thursday that both boxers had signed contracts. They predicted a crowd of 80,000 fans and the potential of a big pay-per-view payout for the cash-strapped Holyfield, a former four-time world champion who has won only five of his last 12 contests.
Holyfield (42-10 with 2 draws) has not fought since losing a points decision to Nikolai Valuev a year ago.
Holyfield twice faced foreclosure on his estate in suburban Atlanta over a default on a US$10 million loan and, although his money woes have since eased, he has to get back to facing more credible opponents than Botha.
Holyfield has earned more than US$200 million in the ring, including a reported US$34 million for his second bout with Mike Tyson in 1997.
Holyfield’s last two fights were losses to Sultan Ibragimov and then to Valuev, a majority decision he disputed.
Botha is 47-4 with three draws.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
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Taiwan’s Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-hsuan on Saturday won the men’s doubles bronze medal at the Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, China, after they were bested by the hosts in their semi-final. The Taiwanese shuttlers lost to China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, who advanced to yesterday’s final against Malaysia’s Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzudin. The Chinese pair outplayed Lee and Yang in straight games. Although the Taiwanese got off to a slow start in the first game, they eventually tied it 14-14, before Liang and Wang went on to blow past them to win 21-17. In the second game, Lee and