BOXING
Matthysse to face Pacquiao
Boxing promoter Oscar de la Hoya on Monday confirmed that Argentina’s World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight champion Lucas Matthysse is to defend his title against Manny Pacquiao in Kuala Lumpur in July. Philippine icon Pacquiao had first announced plans for the fight in a statement last month, but details of the bout remained shrouded in uncertainty. In a statement on Twitter, De la Hoya said the contest was now confirmed. “Signed, sealed, and delivered: Proud to officially announce that WBA welterweight world champion @MatthysseLucas will put his title on the line against @mannypacquiao in Kuala Lumpur, Malyasia on Saturday night July 14 (US time),” De la Hoya said. Pacquiao, 39, last month said that the fight against Matthysse would take place on June 24. Pacquiao, who has won eight world titles in a record eight weight divisions, has not fought in the ring since being defeated on points by Australia’s Jeff Horn in Brisbane in July last year, a loss that cost the Philippine star his World Boxing Organization crown. Matthysse, who has 39 wins, including 36 by knockout, against four defeats, won the vacant WBA belt after beating Thailand’s Teerachai Sithmorseng in January.
RUGBY UNION
NZ delayed by mumps scare
New Zealand’s women’s rugby sevens team have delayed their arrival at the Commonwealth Games until after the opening ceremony after a player fell ill with mumps, officials said yesterday. The Olympic silver medalists are to remain at their training camp until Sunday, a delay of four days, after forward Ruby Tui was diagnosed with the highly contagious disease, a statement said. Tui, 26, has been placed in quarantine and the other players will be under observation by medical staff at their camp on Australia’s Sunshine Coast. An outbreak of mumps could damage New Zealand’s hopes as they seek revenge over hosts Australia for their defeat in the 2016 Rio Olympics final. New Zealand’s All Blacks were also hit by mumps during their northern hemisphere tour in November last year, when Luke Romano, Jack Goodhue, Rieko Ioane and Ardie Savea were all laid low. Women’s sevens is making its debut at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, which has an equal number of men’s and women’s medal events for the first time in tournament history.
SOCCER
Leon leads Betis to victory
Sergio Leon on Monday scored an 89th-minute winner as Real Betis Balompie defeated Getafe 1-0 in La Liga, moving into the qualification zone for the UEFA Europa League. Betis jumped from eighth to sixth in the standings with their third straight victory and are one point behind fifth-placed Villarreal. The teams in fifth, sixth and seventh places qualify for the Europa League. Getafe, who dropped to 11th, missed a 65th-minute penalty-kick when goalkeeper Antonio Adan stopped Francisco Portillo’s shot from the spot. Getafe also came close when defender Vitorino Antunes struck the post with a free-kick in the 73rd, and the hosts were denied an injury-time goal when the officiating crew ruled that a ball headed into the far corner did not fully cross the goal line. Getafe also had a first-half goal disallowed for offside.
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