Other Sports

[Smallville22]

Boxing - Barker hopes for huge summer fight

Darren Barker believes an impressive performance against Simone Rotolo at Wembley Arena on Saturday night will lead to a massive fight in the summer.
Barker is looking to set the seal on his comeback from a over a year of injury frustration against the Italian middleweight champion, and after stopping former European champion Kerry Hope in style before Christmas, the 30-year-old is hunting another big statement victory to prove he’s back on track for a second World title shot.
“It was good to get back in there before Christmas and get rid of the rust - I feel I am almost there now,” said Barker.
“Rotolo is a tough and durable guy who knows his way around the ring so I might get a few more rounds out of him.
“I am not taking him lightly, it is a big fight and the one after this will potentially be a big title fight or a domestic clash.
“I am feeling really good, I am in fantastic shape and I had a good training camp out in Spain. I am where I want to be, if not slightly in front.
“It is good to be back doing what I do best and we aren’t going to stop here, hopefully we will get a few more fights in this year.”
Victory over Hope came 14 months after his brave world title challenge in Atlantic City against pound-for-pound legend Sergio Martinez.
The Barnet stylist was forced out of a comeback fight with Rotolo before his win over Hope and admitted that the pressure was on to show he could mix it in a division full of potentially huge fights.
“Against Kerry I had to prove to myself that I still had it,” said Barker.
“I knew preparations had gone well but it is not until you actually get in the ring and put in a good performance that you really know where you are at.
“I am really happy with how I performed and, as I think a lot of people have said, it is a new Darren Barker.
“I have more belief, I am not worried about my body – the injuries are completely gone – and I am feeling like a new fighter. It is a like a new adventure and it is exciting times.
“I don’t want to be naïve to overlook Rotolo but after tonight I’d like to be looking towards a world title shot. I don’t think I will be fully satisfied until I win a world title because I believe I have one in me.
“I suppose there is a sense of unfinished business as well where I had to pull out of the September fight so it will be good to get in there and put this one behind me, put on a good performance and then really crack on.”
With Matthew Macklin, Martin Murray and Andy Lee all on Barker’s radar, Darren predicts that the quartet could rekindle the magic of the famous middleweight rivalries of the 90s – and that he can emerge on top.
“Macklin, Murray and Lee are guys that are mentioned a lot,” said Barker. “I think it would rekindle the likes of the Nigel Benn, Chris Eubank and Steve Collins era.
“Not only does it generate interest from boxing fans but the general public is captivated by it and that is what we want as boxers, we want to push boxing out there and the more publicity the better.
“Andy actually beat me in the amateurs by a couple of points and it would be nice to get revenge. I think I’ve got Andy’s number — as I do the rest of the guys in the division.
“But they also believe that as well — that’s what makes it so exciting. We all believe we’re number one, so maybe fighting Andy could kick-start us all getting in the ring.
“In an ideal world I have this fight, then one end of May/June and a couple when the season starts again September time. It would be brilliant to be able to get four fights in 2013.”
Barker is top of the bill at the Wembley Arena along with some of Britain’s best.
Lee Purdy defends his IBF International welterweight title against former world title challenger Cosme Rivera while unbeaten Commonwealth super middleweight champ George Groves fights under the Matchroom Boxing banner for the first time in a ten-round clash with Argentine Dario German Balmaceda.
There are three tasty title tussles with Chris Evangelou aiming for revenge in the rematch with Danny Connor for the Southern Area light welterweight belt, Wadi Camacho taking on China Clarke for the vacant English cruiserweight title and unbeaten pair Ryan Taylor and Liam Shinkwin battle for the vacant Southern Area lightweight crown.
English light middleweight champion Erick Ochieng is in eight-round action against Frenchman Frederic Serre, unbeaten Islington middleweight John Ryder also gets an eight-round test in the shape of Farai Musiyiwa while Martin J. Ward steps up to six-round action for the first time against Kevin Hanks.

 

[Smallville22]

Boxing - World boxing champions

List of world boxing champions in all 17 weight divisions for the four major sanctioning bodies.
The current champions in each weight class are listed below, followed by nationality and length of title reign.

HEAVYWEIGHT (200+ lb, 90.7+ kg)

WBA (Super): Wladimir Klitschko, Ukraine – since July 2, 2011

WBA: Alexander Povetkin, Russia – since August 27, 2011

WBC: Vitali Klitschko, Ukraine – since October 11, 2008

IBF: Wladimir Klitschko, Ukraine – since April 22, 2006

WBO: Wladimir Klitschko, Ukraine – since February 23, 2008

CRUISERWEIGHT (200 lb, 90.7 kg)

WBA: Denis Lebedev, Russia – since October 30, 2012

WBC: Krzysztof Wlodarczyk, Poland – since May 15, 2010

IBF: Yoan Pablo Hernandez, Cuba – since October 1, 2011

WBO: Marco Huck, Germany – since August 29, 2009

WBO (interim): Ola Afolabi, Great Britain – since March 3, 2012

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT (175 lb, 79.4 kg)

WBA: Beibut Shumenov, Kazakhstan – since January 29, 2010

WBC: Chad Dawson, United States – since April 28, 2012

IBF: Tavoris Cloud, United States – since August 28, 2009

WBO: Nathan Cleverly, Great Britain – since May 18, 2011

SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT (168 lb, 76.2 kg)

WBA (Super): Andre Ward, United States – since November 21, 2009

WBA: Mikkel Kessler, Denmark - since December 8, 2012

WBA (Interim): Stanyslav Kashtanov, Ukraine - since November 10, 2012

WBC: Andre Ward, United States – since December 17, 2011

IBF: Carl Froch, Great Britain – since May 26, 2012

WBO: Arthur Abraham, Germany – since August 25, 2012

MIDDLEWEIGHT (160 lb, 72.6 kg)

WBA: Gennady Golovkin, Kazakhstan – since October 14, 2010

WBA (Interim): Martin Murray, Great Britain - since November 24, 2012

WBC: Sergio Gabriel Martinez, Argentina – since September 15, 2012

IBF: Daniel Geale, Australia – since May 7, 2011

WBO: Peter Quillin, United States – since October 20, 2012

SUPER WELTERWEIGHT (154 lb, 69.9 kg)

WBA (Super): Floyd Mayweather Jnr, United States – since May 5, 2012

WBA: Austin Trout, United States – since February 5, 2011

WBC: Saul Canelo Alvarez, Mexico – since March 5, 2011

IBF: Ishe Smith, United States - since February 23, 2013

WBO: Zaurbek Baysangurov, Russia – since October 5, 2011

WELTERWEIGHT (147 lb, 66.7 kg)

WBA: Paul Malignaggi, United States – since April 29, 2012

WBA (Interim): Diego Gabriel Chaves, Argentina – since July 21, 2012

WBC: Floyd Mayweather Jr, United States – since September 17, 2011

WBC (Interim): Robert Guerrero, United States – since July 28, 2012

IBF: Devon Alexander, United States – since October 20, 2012

WBO: Timothy Bradley, United States – since June 9, 2012

SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT (140 lb, 63.5 kg)

WBA (Super): Danny Garcia, United States – since July 14, 2012

WBA: Khabib Allakhverdiev, Russia - since November 30, 2012

WBC: Danny Garcia, United States – since March 24, 2012

WBC (Interim): Lucas Martin Matthysse, Argentina – since September 8, 2012

IBF: Lamont Peterson, United States –since December 10, 2011

WBO (Super): Juan Manuel Marquez, Mexico - since June 9, 2012

WBO: Vacant

LIGHTWEIGHT (135 lb, 61.2 kg)

WBA: Vacant

WBA (Interim): Richard Abril, Cuba – since October 22, 2011

WBC: Adrien Broner, United States – since November 17, 2012

IBF: Miguel Vazquez, Mexico – since August 14, 2010

WBO: Ricky Burns, United Kingdom – since March 10, 2012

SUPER FEATHERWEIGHT (130 lb, 59 kg)

WBA: Takashi Uchiyama, Japan – since January 11, 2010

WBA (Interim): Yuriorkis Gamboa, Cuba – since December 8, 2012

WBC: Gamaliel Diaz, Mexico – since October 27, 2012

IBF: Juan Carlos Salgado, Mexico – since September 10, 2011

WBO: Roman Martinez, Puerto Rico – since September 15, 2012

FEATHERWEIGHT (126 lb, 57.2 kg)

WBA (Super): Chris John, Indonesia – since July 23, 2009

WBA: Nicholas Walters, Jamaica - since December 8, 2012

WBA (Interim): Javier Fortuna, Dominican Republic - since December 8, 2012

WBC: Daniel Ponce De Leon, Mexico – since September 15, 2012

IBF: Evgeny Gradovich, Russia – since March 1, 2013

WBO: Miguel Angel Garcia, United States – since January 19, 2013

SUPER BANTAMWEIGHT (122 lb, 55.3 kg)

WBA: Guillermo Rigondeaux, Cuba – since January 20, 2012

WBA (Interim): Scott Quigg, Great Britain - since November 24, 2012

WBC: Vacant

IBF: Jonathan Romero, Colombia - since February 16, 2013

WBO: Nonito Donaire, Philippines – since February 4, 2012

BANTAMWEIGHT (118 lb, 53.5 kg)

WBA (Super): Anselmo Moreno, Panama – since November 16, 2010

WBA: Koki Kameda, Japan – since June 7, 2012

WBC: Shinsuke Yamanaka, Japan – since November 6, 2011

IBF: Vacant

WBO: Paulus Ambunda, Namibia– since March 2, 2013

SUPER FLYWEIGHT (115 lb, 52.2 kg)

WBA: Kohei Kono, Japan - since December 31, 2012

WBA (Interim): Liborio Solis, Venezuela – since December 10, 2011

WBC: Yota Sato, Japan – since March 27, 2012

IBF: Juan Carlos Sanchez Jr, Mexico – since February 11, 2012

WBO: Omar Andres Narvaez, Argentina – since May 15, 2010

FLYWEIGHT (112 lb, 50.8 kg)

WBA (Super): Brian Viloria, United States – since November 17, 2012

WBA: Juan Carlos Reveco, Argentina - since December 4, 2012

WBC: Toshiyuki Igarashi, Japan – since July 16, 2012

IBF: Moruti Mthalane, South Africa – since November 20, 2009

WBO: Brian Viloria, United States – since July 16, 2011

LIGHT FLYWEIGHT (108 lb, 49 kg)

WBA (Super): Roman Gonzalez, Nicaragua – since February 4, 2011

WBA: Kazuto Ioka, Japan - since December 31, 2012

WBA (Interim): Alberto Rossel, Peru – since April 14, 2012

WBC: Adrian Hernandez, Mexico – since October 6, 2012

IBF: John Riel Casimero, Philippines – since July 19, 2012

WBO: Donnie Nietes, Philippines – since October 8, 2011

MINIMUMWEIGHT/STRAWWEIGHT (108 lb, 47.6 kg)

WBA: Ryo Miyazaki, Japan - since December 31, 2012

WBA (Interim): Jesus Silvestre, Mexico – since July 14, 2012

WBC: Xiong Zhao Zhong, China - since November 24, 2012

IBF: Mario Rodriguez, Mexico – since September 1, 2012

WBO: Moises Fuentes, Mexico - since August 27, 2011

 

[Smallville22]

Boxing - Hatton signs up Australian Olympian

Damien Hooper, who boxed at the London 2012 Olympics, has signed professional terms with Hatton Promotions.
The 21-year-old from Queensland defeated America’s Marcus Browne in the light-heavyweight tournament before going out to Russian Egor Mekhontcev, who went on to win gold.
Hooper courted controversy at the Docklands ExCeL prior to the Browne victory when he made his entrance wearing a t-shirt sporting the Australian Aboriginal flag, breaching the Olympic Charter and leading the Australian Olympic Committee to demand a public apology which never came.
He also won gold at the 2010 Youth Olympics in Singapore and silver at the Youth World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan the same year, and has been the subject of interest from numerous boxing promoters.
Hooper has placed his future in the hands of former world champion Ricky Hatton, and said of the decision: "I feel privileged to be signed with Hatton Promotions, the team is fantastic and Ricky is a legend.
"I'm going to make some big statements quickly in the pro ranks and I couldn't think of a better promoter than Hatton Promotions to showcase my skill to the world.
"It's the next chapter in my life and I've been looking forward to this for quite some time. I have done my apprenticeship in amateurs and learnt as much possible. Now with my trainer Gareth Williams it's time to put in the hard work and repay the faith everybody has shown in me.
"I want to thank my management Brendan Bourke, Matt Clark and Philippe Fondu and of course Hatton Promotions".
Hatton added: "I'm very excited to have Damien Hooper on board with Hatton Promotions.
“He's a very talented individual that has the potential to follow in the footsteps of Australian greats such as Jeff Fenech and Kostya Tszyu."

 

[Smallville22]

Boxing - Tyson's cousin Hughie Fury turns pro

Teenage heavyweight prospect Hughie Fury has signed professional terms with cousin Tyson Fury's promoters Hennessy Sports.
The 18-year-old Fury is just an inch shorter than unbeaten 6'9" giant Tyson, drawing comparisons to brothers Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko, the Ukranians who are running almost a duopoly over the world title picture at present.
Promoter Mick Hennessy said: “If Hughie can match the progress of his brother Tyson then I can see no reason why they cannot rival the Klitschkos.”
The duo are also joined in professional boxing by another cousin, Phill Fury, a 21-year-old light-middleweight whose record stands at 13-3.
Tyson is set to take on Steve Cunningham in his US debut on April 20 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, in what he hopes will be a penultimate eliminator en route to a shot at one of the Klitschkos later this year.

 

[Smallville22]

Boxing - Burns set to quit Warren Promotions

The exodus of boxers from Frank Warren’s promotional stable appears to have worsened amid reports that WBO lightweight champion Ricky Burns has quit.
A spokeswoman representing Burns said: "I can confirm that we have left Warren's and Ricky is considering his options."
Last week, English super-middleweight prospect George Groves agreed terms to defect to Matchroom Boxing, a move which was confirmed on Monday.
That and the postponement of Burns’ unification bout with IBF title-holder Miguel Vazquez led to Warren’s big ‘Rule Britannia’ card on March 16 being moved to April 20.
But now it appears that Burns – who has seen a stream of opponents drop out of signed bouts to meet the Scot since he stopped Kevin Mitchell in September – has reached the end of his tether following the Mexican’s withdrawal due to food poisoning.
Burns's manager Alex Morrison told The Scotsman: “I regret it has come to this because I have known Frank for nearly 40 years, but it has to be done for Ricky's sake.
“I felt we had to do something to stop Ricky stagnating. Two fights have been called off after he has trained hard for them and it was not even certain that the bout with Vazquez would have gone ahead on April 20.
“In fact, I now doubt very much that fight was ever going to happen. Vazquez was supposed to be sick but five days later I'm told he was seen sparring in the States.
“There were also a lot of issues I wanted settled before Ricky fought again and these were not concluded satisfactorily. I'm quite sorry this has happened, but I have to safeguard Ricky's future and he feels himself that he now wants to move in another direction.”
Burns saw December bouts with first Liam Walsh and then Jose Ocampo scuppered when each man pulled out, with the December 15 card at London’s ExCeL instead headlined by Groves’ win over Glen Johnson, which would ironically be his last as a Warren competitor.
The unification fight with Vazquez is now at risk of not happening at all, with Morrison reportedly adamant his charge's next fight will again be in Glasgow.
Rumours persist that Burns’ next move will be to follow Groves to Matchroom, though with Golden Boy also housing WBC lightweight champ Adrien Broner and moving forward with British expansion plans, they can not be ruled out.

 

[Smallville22]

Boxing - Woodhouse may quit after controversial loss

Footballer-turned-boxer Curtis Woodhouse lost the English light-welterweight title to Shane Singleton on a controversial split decision.
The 32-year-old appeared to be well ahead at the end of his first title defence, but though one judge had Woodhouse 96-94 ahead, the other two judges scored it 96-94 and 96-95 for Singleton.
The decision shocked those in attendance at the Bowlers Exhibition Centre in Manchester, who felt Woodhouse had comfortably won the 10-round contest.
Docked a point for hitting while the referee ordered a break in the final round, the error appeared to have cost Woodhouse his title, and led to him threatening to quit the sport after the bout.
Promoter Dave Coldwell, a close friend of Woodhouse’s, is expected to set up a rematch if he can convince the ex-Sheffield United and Birmingham City midfielder to reconsider his knee-jerk reaction to the defeat.
Elsewhere on the card, Prince Arron, David Barnes and promising talent Liam Hanrahan all picked up victories.

 

[Smallville22]

Boxing - Khan taunts Brook ahead of Diaz bout

Amir Khan prepared for his return to the UK by telling Sheffield-born rival Kell Brook: I’ll sell more in your hometown than you.
Khan has his first domestic fight in two years when he meets Julio Diaz at the Sheffield Motorpoint Arena on April 27.
Undefeated Brook is due to challenge Devon Alexander for the IBF welterweight title in May after January and February dates had to be postponed.
But despite the immediate plans for each of the two, who have traded barbs on more than one occasion, Khan could not resist getting in a passive-aggressive jab while in camp for the Diaz fight.
"Wherever we fight in the UK, we will go to Brook's home town and we will sell out, that's a fact,” said Khan.”Brook should not be focusing on my fight.
"I'm not thinking about a fight with him - he's got a fight with Devon Alexander. He has to be focused on his thing. But it will show I have more fans than him in his home city.
"That's a laugh in his face. I have nothing against Kell Brook. I don't care about him or think about him. He has to prove himself. At the moment he's not on my radar or anything.
Despite the two having fights to get through first – and Khan being determined to avenge defeats to Lamont Peterson and Danny Garcia after the 143lb catchweight bout with Diaz – there is a lot of interest in an all-British welterweight showdown in the future.
And Khan refused to rule out confronting ‘Special K’ in the ring, but admitted it’d probably be no earlier than next year as return bouts with Peterson or Garcia would be at 140lbs.
The 26-year-old explained: "If I move up to 147 then definitely I would fight him, but it's six to nine months before I do move up.
“When I do, I'm not someone who says no and I would take that fight.
"I still want to fight at 140 and win titles at that weight and then move up to 147 as a world champion," Khan added.
"There are still two fights out there are 140 against Peterson and Garcia - they are fights I want and that are there for me, so I don't see why I should move up."

 

[Smallville22]

Boxing - Groves wins in Matchroom debut at Wembley Arena

George Groves provided crushing chief support less than a week after jumping ship from Frank Warren Promotions with an uncompromising third-round super-middleweight stoppage of Dario Balmaceda.
After dropping the Argentine with a fierce body shot late in the second, Groves finished the job with a right hand over the top of Balmaceda which led to the fight being called off.
Groves is expected to be presented with bigger tests on the undercard of Carl Froch v Mikkel Kessler II on May 25 at the o2 Arena, and then again in the autumn, as he looks to resume his climb towards a world title shot under Eddie Hearn.
In the main event, Darren Barker continued his return following a world title defeat to Sergio Martinez by crushing Simone Rotolo in middleweight action.
Barker won his first bout in over a year against Kerry Hope at London's Olympia in December and continued his path towards a second world title opportunity in accomplished fashion.
Putting the Italian to the canvas with an uppercut and body flurry in round one, the Londoner continued the barrage until Rotolo did not come out for the fifth round due to a hand injury.
Welterweight Lee Purdy dominated Cosme Rivera, a late replacement for the unwell Carson Jones, earning a ninth-round win when the referee and doctor agreed Rivera should not continue.
After picking up an early knockdown in the opening round, Purdy opened up Rivera and weathered a decent round from the Mexican before bloodying him further for the win.
And Danny Connor retained the Southern Area light-welterweight strap against Chris Evangelou in a rematch from Alexandra Palace in September.
Evangelou appeared to have the better of the first bout for the vacant belt only for Connor to be awarded the win, but ‘Cassius’ was far more convincing the second time around en route to success.

 

[Smallville22]

Boxing - Hopkins wins light heavyweight title at 48

Ageless American Bernard Hopkins bettered his own record as the oldest man to win a world boxing title on Saturday, claiming the IBF light heavyweight crown with a convincing victory against an opponent 17 years his junior.
The 48-year-old boxer claimed a unanimous decision against Tavoris Cloud, winning 116-112, 116-112, and 117-111 on the judges' cards at Brooklyn's Barclays Center on Saturday night to eclipse his 2011 WBC light heavyweight title victory over Jean Pascal at the age of 46.
"(Trainer) Naazim (Richardson) told me what to do, I stuck to the game-plan, it was trying to throw combination punches, and throw them often," Hopkins said after improving his record to 53-6-2 (32 KOs).
Age has shorn him of his power but Hopkins proved he remained a master technician as "The Executioner" claimed a satisfying victory over a boxer from the stable of his former promoter Don King.
Hopkins opened a cut on Cloud's left eye in round six with a short left hook even though referee Earl Brown ruled it to be from an accidental headbutt.
Cloud, who subsequently complained of an elbow problem, sustained a cut on his right eyelid as well in the 12th round from a clash of heads.
"I have a history of destroying young champions and then we don't see them again. Not sure if you'll see Cloud again," Hopkins said after handing his opponent a first loss in 25 bouts.
"I wanted to show the forty-and-up club still rules," the Philadelphia-born fighter added.
Hopkins made his professional debut in 1988, the start of an illustrious career which included a decade-long reign as the world middleweight champion.

In other fights on Saturday night, Filipino mini flyweight Merlito Sabillo extended his unbeaten record with an eighth-round TKO over Colombian Luis De La Rosa, claiming the WBO title in the process.
The all-action scrap in Cordoba, Colombia, saw De La Rosa cut in the first round before fighting back with a series of big hits. He was edging the contest on points before southpaw Sabillo unleashed a right hook before finishing him off with a straight left.

In Costa Mesa California, Argenis Mendez of the Dominican Republic also won his bout by knockout, taking down Juan Carlos Salgado in the fourth round of their IBF super-featherweight title clash.
It was revenge for Mendez, who lost the then-vacant title to Mexico’s Salgado by a close points decision in 2011.

 

[Smallville22]

Liga - Ronaldo brace ensures Real Madrid beat Celta Vigo

La Liga, Estadio Balaídos – Celta Vigo 1 (Aspas 63) Real Madrid 2 (Cristiano Ronaldo 61, 71 (pen))

A brace from Cristiano Ronaldo ensured Real Madrid came away from Estadio Balaídos with all three points following a 2-1 win against Celta de Vigo.
Los Blancos struggled to come to terms with an incredibly high defensive line from the hosts as they were caught offside no fewer than eight times in a scoreless first half.
The half-time introduction of Xabi Alonso - and, in particular, his range of passing - swung the game in the favour of the visitors but it was Ronaldo who gave the men from Madrid the lead with 61 minutes gone.
Iago Aspas restored almost immediate parity two minutes later before Ronaldo dispatched a 71st minute penalty to secure all three points for Jose Mourinho’s men
Having coupled back-to-back Clasico wins with victory over Manchester United in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, Mourinho elected to ring the changes for the trip to Vigo to face second-from-bottom Celta.
Mourinho made seven changes to the side that beat United but it was the absence of Alonso that served to frustrate the visitors as they struggled to dictate the pace of the game with the hosts playing a high defensive line.
The opening half saw Madrid caught continually offside and the hosts could have taken the lead with a speculative volley from Alex Lopez that Diego Lopez just managed to get down to.
Madrid appeared to take heed from that warning as they came to terms with the Celta high line to create three clear-cut chances but they were thwarted as the game went to the interval level.
First Javier Varas saved a snap-shot from Karim Benzema before then saving at the feet of Jose Maria Callejon and, when the keeper was finally beaten, Ronaldo’s header came back off the bar.
Alonso, on in the stead of Sami Khedira, broadened the visitors’ range of passing but the hosts remained relatively comfortable until Ronaldo swivelled to fire a half-blocked shot past Varas on the hour. However, Os Celestes were level with their next foray forward.
Aspas escaped the attentions of Pepe before turning Augusto Fernandez’s centre toward goal. While the shot was on target, Lopez had it covered, but, in his attempts to make amends for having lost his man, Pepe turned the ball past his keeper and into the unguarded net with an attempted block with 63 minutes on the clock.
Mourinho reacted with a double substitution and one of those changes, Kaka, exchanged passes with Alonso before going down under the challenge of Varas to earn the penalty for Ronaldo to give the visitors a slender advantage from the spot.
As both teams lost the early tactical discipline that had marked the game, half-chances were aplenty but ultimately wasted as the game drew to a close.
Gonzalo Higuain wasted Real’s best chance when he contrived to stab a Mesut Ozil centre wide of the post with the goal gaping and Park Chu-Young almost punished that miss with a leveller in the penultimate minute of the game but, having beaten Lopez to the ball, his header came back off the bar.

 

[Smallville22]

Serie A - Furious Palermo fans protest outside stadium

Hundreds of livid Palermo supporters protested outside the stadium after watching their team lose a key relegation match 2-1 at home to Siena in Serie A on Sunday.
Television pictures showed the supporters shouting, hurling insults and throwing objects at the team bus as it pulled out of the stadium.
Some of the chanting was aimed at the club's flamboyant president Maurizio Zamparini.
Some fireworks were thrown at riot police but the Ansa news agency said that the situation was under control.
Zamparini has fired three coaches this season, and reinstated one of them less than a month later.
He dispensed with Giuseppe Sannino after only three games, saying the coach's relationship with the team had deteriorated, and replaced him with Gian Piero Gasperini.
Gasperini was fired after his team lost to Atalanta at the start of February and replaced by Alberto Malesani, who was himself sacked after only three games in charge. Zamparini then re-hired Gasperini.
Sunday's defeat left Palermo bottom of the table with 21 points.
Club director Giorgio Perinetti denied suggestions that Gasperini might quit after Sunday's defeat, which came only two matches into his second stint.
"Gasperini's a fighter and I don't think he will want to quit," he told RAI television. "We want to finish the championship in a dignified manner and we must fight until the end."
Palermo, who won the Italian Cup two seasons ago, have not won in their last 14 Serie A games.

 

[Smallville22]

World Football - Zurich defender bitten by pine marten

A pine marten ran on to the pitch and bit a player who tried to catch it during the Swiss Super League match between FC Thun and FC Zurich on Sunday.
Baffled players stood and watched before Zurich defender Loris Benito gave chase and managed to rugby tackle the animal which bit him on the finger.
The pine marten slipped away but was eventually caught by goalkeeper David Da Costa who handed it to stewards.
"In hindsight, I was probably a little foolish," Benito told Swiss television at half-time. "You don't know what sort of disease it might be carrying. It was painful."
Pine martens belong to the Mustelidae family which also includes the weasel, mink, badger and otter.
Former Italy midfielder Gennaro Gattuso, player coach of FC Sion, left himself on the bench and saw his team lose 1-0 at home to Lausanne Sport, their fourth defeat in five matches since the winter break.
They had Vullnet Basha sent off for a second bookable offence five minutes before halftime. Gattuso became Sion's fourth coach of the season when he was appointed last month.
Grasshoppers beat St Gallen 3-1 on Saturday to stay top, two points of defending champions FC Basel who cruised past Young Boys 3-0.

 

[Smallville22]

Liga - Prieto strikes as Sociedad stun Atletico

La Liga, Estadio Vicente Calderon - Atletico Madrid 0 Real Sociedad 1 (Prieto 53)

Xabi Prieto struck a shock winner as Real Sociedad bolstered their bid for a Champions League spot with a 1-0 win at Atletico Madrid.
The Spanish midfielder raced onto Antoine Griezmann's clever pass on 53 minutes to place a low shot beyond Thibaut Cortouis and claim a smash and grab triumph that brings a halt to Atletico's 100 per cent home record.
Diego Simeone's side were strangely out of sorts and were restricted to long-range shots for much of a low-key encounter.
The result leaves Atletico in third place, one point adrift of Real Madrid, while Sociedad move level with fourth-placed Malaga.
The Europa League winners came into the contest on a crest of a wave having enjoyed a recent run of impressive results that culminated in coach Diego Simeone penning a new four-year deal to remain at the helm earlier in the week.
However, Real Madrid's 2-1 success at Celta Vigo meant they needed to stretch their 13-game winning run at the Vicente Calderon if they were to remain in second spot behind runaway leaders Barcelona.
The pressure was on and in the early stages they carved out a couple of half-chances against a nervy Sociedad rearguard.
Arda Turan, Cristian Rodriguez and Koke all let fly with shots that whistled just wide but it would prove to be as good as it got in a first period where the visitors grew as a force.
In fact, Philippe Montanier's men almost stole in front on 28 minutes when they put together the move of the half. Prieto overlapped on the right side of the penalty area and dinked a delightful ball to the far post where Griezmann's stabbed effort was well blocked by Courtois.
The French stopper was a virtual spectator for much of the half and comfortably surpassed an 800 minute shut-out record on home turf that dated back to 1991.
The hosts were clearly frustrated and Turan was lucky not to receive his marching orders just before the interval when he followed up a yellow card with another reckless challenge on Carlos Vela.
Atletico improved after the break but were stunned on 53 minutes when Prieto raced clear to score with a low shot under Courtois. It was the first goal Atletico had condeded on their own patch since October and they struggled to recover following the set back.
Caludio Bravo made some routine saves in the Sociedad goal but did pull off a world class save to ensure his team claimed all three points when he somehow kept out Falcao's deflected effort following Koke's free-kick from the right.

 

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Serie A - Fiorentina beat Lazio to close on top three

Serie A, Stadio Olimpico - Lazio 0 Fiorentina 2 (Jovetic 20, Ljajic 50)

Stevan Jovetic and Adem Ljajic each scored as Fiorentina moved into the top four of Serie A with a crucial 2-0 win over rivals Lazio at a sodden Stadio Olimpico.
Jovetic opened the scoring in the first half with a beautiful finish from 20 yards.
Ljajic doubled the advantage and put the game beyond Lazio with a superb free-kick five minutes into the second half.
The result means Fiorentina leapfrog Lazio and Inter Milan, who lost to Bologna, as the race for European football intensifies.
Heavy rainfall in Rome meant there were fears the game would not go ahead, but the pitch held out better than expected ahead of this crucial clash.
Lazio were without the suspended Antonio Candreva and the injured trio of Miroslav Klose, Abdoullay Konko and Cristian Brocchi – and it showed as Fiorentina made a bright start. Jovetic could easily have put Fiorentina a goal up inside eight minutes when Manuel Pasqual whipped in a teasing cross from the left, but the Montenegrin striker could only prod his shot wide from close range.
While Lazio looked good in flashes, Fiorentina were far more consistent in front of goal, carving out clear chances – first for Ljajic then Juan Cuadrado. But when the Viola eventually got their noses in front, there was no surprise who delivered the blow. Collecting the ball on the edge of the box after Borja Valero’s smart dummy, Jovetic coaxed the ball beautifully into the bottom corner to provide a reminder of why he is being linked to Europe’s top clubs.
Fiorentina came flying out of the blocks at the start of the second half and put the game beyond the Rome side with another emphatic strike – this time from their other forward. Four minutes into the second half, Ljajic bent a lovely free-kick around the wall and into the bottom corner to double the visitors’ lead.
Only after falling two goals behind did Lazio finally made Emiliano Viviano work in the Fiorentina goal. First Hernanes went close with a free-kick, then Sergio Floccari swivelled well but could only drill a low volley straight at the goalkeeper following Stefan Savic’s poor defensive header.
Floccari could have claimed an injury time consolation for Lazio, but his shot was saved brilliantly by Viviano from point blank range as the keeper kept a clean sheet and Fiorentina, who could have scored more on the night, ran out comfortable winners.

 

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World Football - Olympiacos seal 40th Greek title

Olympiacos clinched their 40th Greek title with a 3-0 derby victory over AEK Athens at the Georgios Karaiskakis stadium on Sunday.
Two goals from Greece defender Avraam Papadopoulos and one from Algerian winger Djamel Abdoun enabled Olympiacos to overpower AEK and seal the Super League title as the Reds hold a 16-point lead over Asteras Tripolis with five matches left.
The result came on the anniversary of the club's founding 88 years ago.

 

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Mexico Rally - Ogier secures Mexico victory

Sebastien Ogier completed his domination of Rally Mexico as he wrapped up victory and a maximum score on Sunday's final loop of stages.
The Volkswagen driver put an early-morning technical issue behind him to complete a resounding win, his second in a row, by three minutes 28.9 seconds from Finland's Mikko Hirvonen in a Citroen.
The Frenchman, who won 16 of the rally's 23 stages, spent 20 minutes fixing a sensor after the morning's opening Guanajuatito stage on gravel roads in the hills around Leon in central Mexico.
"The car was perfect again all weekend," he told the wrc.com website. "Okay, just a small alarm this morning with a sensor but it was not a drama.
"Now we have quite a good lead for the championship after just three rallies. The season will be long but already it's not bad," added the Frenchman, who won on Swedish snow and was second on asphalt in Monte Carlo.
Ogier had seen his lead increased by 40 seconds after the clerk of the course examined data and split times to see how much he had lost on Saturday's stage 18 when he had to stop and open a gate that was blocking the road.
Belgium's Thierry Neuville finished third in a Ford, despite sliding into a ditch in the morning, for his first world championship podium.
Reigning champion Sebastien Loeb is second overall but is competing in only a handful of events this season and is not defending his title.
That meant that Ogier's closest real rival is Hirvonen, third overall and 44 points off the lead after his first podium of the year.
"Sebastien was so fast and we couldn't match his pace," said the Finn. "We have lots of work to do but I'm happy we've finally got on the podium and taken a solid result."
Among the points scorers, Qatar's Nasser al-Attiyah was fifth in a Ford and American Ken Block finished a career best seventh, also in a Ford.

:update:

 

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Cricket - Mushfiqur makes history against Sri Lanka

Captain Mushfiqur Rahim became the first Bangladesh player to make a double century and the Tigers posted their highest-ever total on day four of the first Test against Sri Lanka.
All eyes were on Mohammad Ashraful during the morning as he resumed 11 short of the landmark, but he added just one run before being dismissed for 190.
Mushfiqur, 152 not out overnight, did complete the job, though. He made exactly 200, with 22 fours and a six, while Nasir Hossain added 100 of his own as the Tigers made 638 all out - a lead of 68.
Sri Lanka raced to 116-1 in the 30 remaining overs before stumps, with Tillakaratne Dilshan unbeaten on 63 at the close of the day.

 

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Athletics - Rudisha to run in Doha Diamond League

Kenya's David Rudisha will begin his attempt to lower the 800m world record when he runs in the Diamond League event in Doha on May 10.
The Olympic and world champion and world record holder will be the biggest name at the event, with Jamaican 100m sprint world champion Yohan Blake the other superstar so far confirmed.
Rudisha's astonishing time of 1:40.91 as he won Olympic gold last summer was hailed as the greatest athletics performance of London 2012 - and he has made it his goal this season to break the one minute 40 second barrier.
"It's not impossible but it is very difficult," he said.

 

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Champions League - Bayern without injured Ribery for Arsenal clash

Bayern Munich will have to do without injured French winger Franck Ribery in their Champions League last-16 second leg with Arsenal on Wednesday.
Ribery suffered a ligament strain in his left ankle during a 3-2 win over Fortuna Dusseldorf on Saturday in the Bundesliga.
Midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger and defender Jerome Boateng are both banned for the return match at the Allianz Arena.
Bayern hold a 3-1 lead from the first leg at the Emirates Stadium.

 

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Football - Hayes makes Crawley move

Crawley have signed striker Paul Hayes on a month's loan from Brentford.
Town boss Richie Barker moved for the 29-year-old with top scorer Billy Clarke currently sidelined by a hamstring injury.
Barker told Crawley's website: "Paul is just what we need at this stage of the season. He will bring experience and hopefully goals for the next few weeks.
"We don't want to let the season fizzle out. We still feel we can push for the play-offs and for that we perhaps need that bit more experience up front.
"With Billy Clarke out injured, we are relying on two 20-year-olds and two teenagers at the moment and although they have all played their part another option up there will we hope make a difference.
"I have always liked Paul. He works hard and he has an excellent goalscoring record. He's also experienced at this level and he is desperate to come down here and get a run of games under his belt."
Hayes could make his debut for the 11th club of his career against Yeovil on Tuesday night.