BOXING
Pacquiao promoted by army
The Philippine military promoted boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao to the rank of lieutenant colonel in the army reserves yesterday, but the multimillionaire will likely not see any combat action. Pacquiao, who is also a congressman representing his southern province of Sarangani, donned his formal olive green uniform and insignia for a simple ceremony at the country’s army headquarters in Manila. Army chief Major-General Emmanuel Bautista said he hoped the 32-year-old, who has won world titles in a record eight weight classes, would be able to inspire others to enlist. Pacquiao was enlisted in the reserve forces with a rank of sergeant in 2006 and was promoted to sergeant major three years later as a reward for being the world’s best pound-for-pound boxer, the army said.
Photo: EPA
BOXING
Klitschko still eyes fight
World heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko should be fit to defend his title against France’s Jean-Marc Mormeck after undergoing surgery to have a kidney stone removed this weekend, his manager said on Sunday. The IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight belt holder is scheduled to face Mormeck, 39, in Dusseldorf on Saturday and a decision as to whether the fight can go ahead is expected soon. “The operation went well. If there are no unforeseen complications he’ll fight,” his manager Bernd Bonte said. “It’s a delicate situation, but thankfully most of the training has already been done. We’ll see how he reacts to the surgery. In the end it’s up to Wladimir to decide. The history of boxing is full of last minute cancellations, but I hope that Wladimir will fight.”
BASEBALL
Marlins land Jose Reyes
The Miami Marlins reached an agreement to land prized free agent Jose Reyes on Sunday in a six-year deal reportedly worth US$106 million. According to Major League Baseball’s Web site, the deal for the 28-year-old from Dominican Republic is pending the shortstop passing a physical. A four-time All-Star, Reyes is coming off a career-best season that saw him win the National League batting title with a .337 average. He scored 101 runs and stole 39 bases for the New York Mets to cement his reputation as one of the game’s most exciting players. His arrival will mean that Miami are likely to move their current All-Star shortstop Hanley Ramirez to a new position.
BASEBALL
Ramirez’s suspension cut
Manny Ramirez’s MLB suspension for a second failed drug test was cut on Sunday from 100 games to 50 because he sat out nearly all of last season. Having already served a 50-game ban for violating baseball’s drug agreement in 2009, Ramirez faced a 100-game suspension last year for a second offense. However, rather than serve the penalty, the 12-time All-Star told the commissioner’s office he was quitting. MLB announced his retirement on April 8 and said merely he was notified “of an issue” under the drug program. “As a condition of his reinstatement, Ramirez will be required to resolve his outstanding violation,” the MLB commissioner’s office said in a statement. The suspension would start with the first game he is eligible to play after signing with a club.
A sumo star was born in Japan on Sunday when 24-year-old Takerufuji became the first wrestler in 110 years to win a top-division tournament on his debut, triumphing at the 15-day Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka despite injuring his ankle on the penultimate day. Takerufuji, whose injury had left him in a wheelchair outside the ring, shoved out the higher-ranked Gonoyama at the Edion Arena Osaka to the delight of the crowd, giving him an unassailable record of 13 wins and two losses to claim the Emperor’s Cup. “I did it just through willpower. I didn’t really know what was going
The US’ Ilia Malinin on Saturday produced six scintillating quadruple jumps, including a quadruple Axel, in the men’s free skate to capture his first figure skating world title. The 19-year-old nicknamed the “Quad god,” who is the only skater to land a quadruple Axel in competition, dazzled with an array of breathtakingly executed jumps starting with his quad Axel and including a quadruple Lutz in combination with a triple flip and a quadruple toe loop in combination with a triple toe. He added an unexpected triple-triple combination at the end to earn a world-record 227.79 in the free program for a championship
Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter is being criminally investigated by the IRS, and the attorney for his alleged bookmaker said Thursday that the ex-Los Angeles Dodgers employee placed bets on international soccer — but not baseball. The IRS confirmed Thursday that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara and Mathew Bowyer, the alleged illegal bookmaker, are under criminal investigation through the agency’s Los Angeles Field Office. IRS Criminal Investigation spokesperson Scott Villiard said he could not provide additional details. Mizuhara, 39, was fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well
MLB on Friday announced a formal investigation into the scandal swirling around Shohei Ohtani and his former interpreter amid charges that the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar was the victim of “massive theft.” The Dodgers on Wednesday fired Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s long-time interpreter and close friend, after Ohtani’s representatives alleged that the Japanese two-way star had been the victim of theft, which was reported to involve millions of dollars and link Mizuhara to a suspected illegal bookmaker in California. “Major League Baseball has been gathering information since we learned about the allegations involving Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara from the news media,” MLB