By George!

Khan Wants 140-Pound Tourney

May 16, 2010 , ι By GEORGE WILLIS

Amir Khan would like to see the 140-pound division have a quick tournament to decide the undisputed champion. Moments after successfully defending his WBA super lightweight title with an 11th-round... Read on

Amir Khan would like to see the 140-pound division have a quick tournament to decide the undisputed champion. Moments after successfully defending his WBA super lightweight title with an 11th-round stoppage of Paulie Malignaggi Saturday night at the Garden Theater, Khan suggested a final four playoff of sorts. It would include himself, WBO champion Timothy Bradley, WBC/IBF champion Devon Alexander and top contender Marcos Maidana.

"Let's do this," Khan (23-1, 17 KOs) suggested. "I'll fight Maidana next and let Devon Alexander fight Timothy Bradley and the winner fight the winner. I'd love to do that just to prove who the best is in the division. I know I've got the speed, power and I've got the right camp to do that. I'm not big headed, but I think I'm the better fighter."

Khan, born to Pakistani parents and raised in England, has no doubts he'll be a big star in America. "I've got the style that is going to make all the fans love me," he said. "I'm explosive; I'm exciting to watch; I've got speed; I've got power. I think I've sent a statement and there's going to be more people interested in me."

Khan isn't about to abandon the UK even though he quickly expressed an interest in fighting in Las Vegas. "It's the best feeling fighting in America," he said.

**

"Vicious?" Victor Ortiz delivered a solid if underwhelming performance in earning a 12-round victory over former lightweight champ Nate Campbell in Saturday's co-main event. Ortiz, 23, may have given Campbell too much respect, bouncing around the ring and boxing more than he needed. But it was a workmanlike victory against Campbell, who is looking every bit of his 38 years of age. Campbell could be shot, but Ortiz needed the win to add distance from his 6th round TKO loss to Maidana four fights ago.

**

Unbeaten Brooklyn middleweight Danny Jacobs didn’t' have much competition against Juan Astorga of Texas, who couldn't take a body punch. It would have been nice to see more of Jacobs, but the hometown crowd watching him for the first time since 2008 didn't seem to mind. Jacobs (20-0, 17 KOs) believes his next fight at the Garden will be for a title. "Did you see what I did to this guy at home," Jacobs said. "I can't wait to do it here for a title."

**

Great work turned in by referee Steve Smoger in Saturday's main event. He gave Malignaggi enough time to prove his courage without exposing him to unnecessary danger. Also, good job by referee Earl Brown in the co-main event, cautioning fighters without making a big deal of it. Both refs did themselves proud on a boxing card dedicated to the memory of legendary referee Arthur Mercante.

**

Wonder what Bernard Hopkins was saying as he talked Richard Schaefer's ear off during Khan-Malignaggi. Hopkins, a partner in Golden Boy Promotions (for now), was MIA at Mayweather-Mosley and is reportedly miffed that his company won't support his quest to fight heavyweight champion David Haye. What could he have been telling Schaefer, GB's CEO. "I'm leaving Golden Boy?" "Why can't I fight David Haye?" "How come you love Floyd more than me?"

**

Jet general manager Mike Tannenbaum is getting to be a ringside regular these days.

#

PRINT
EMAIL
SHARE
- Yahoo! Buzz
- Digg
- Reddit
- Fark It
- Newsvine
- StumbleUpon
- Twitter
- Facebook
RSS

Post Your Comments ⁄

(0) Comments

Weigh-in brawl spices Khan-Malignaggi

May 14, 2010 , ι By GEORGE WILLIS

If only the fight is that intense. Paulie Malignaggi and Amir Khan held a prelim of their championship fight when the two boxers and their respective handlers got into a wild melee at today's weigh... Read on

If only the fight is that intense. Paulie Malignaggi and Amir Khan held a prelim of their championship fight when the two boxers and their respective handlers got into a wild melee at today's weigh-in.
	 
During the traditional stare down, the two fighters got nose to nose, then someone pushed someone and bodies started flying. The scale was knocked over; people were knocked over, but the two fighters emerged unscarred. They meet for money Saturday night at the Garden Theater for Khan's WBA super lightweight title.
	 
Malignaggi of Brooklyn and Khan of England have been exchanging taunts throughout the promotion and were yapping when the brawl broke out. "The tensions were flying high and all the trash talking over the past two months came head-to-head and toe-to-toe," said Richard Schaefer, the CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. "The result was some pushing and shoving, but in the end no one got hurt or injured."
	 
The 12-round bout will be shown on HBO's Boxing After Dark, and preceded by another 140-pound match-up between veteran Nate Campbell and former prospect of the year Victor Ortiz. Unbeaten Brooklyn middleweight Danny Jacobs is also on the card. A sellout crowd is expected and all but certain after the dust up today.
	 
"I'll tell you one thing, you are going to have one hell of fight," Schaefer said. "The way they looked at each other, you could see it in their eyes. I always thought it was going to be a great fight, but now it's going to be a helluva fight. I can't wait for the fireworks."

PRINT
EMAIL
SHARE
- Yahoo! Buzz
- Digg
- Reddit
- Fark It
- Newsvine
- StumbleUpon
- Twitter
- Facebook
RSS

Post Your Comments ⁄

(0) Comments

Paulie Out To Protect His House

May 14, 2010 , ι By GEORGE WILLIS

Fighting at home could put added pressure on a boxer with friends and family tugging at both arms. Then there's the crowd that comes expecting so much, and who wants to walk around the neighborhood... Read on

Fighting at home could put added pressure on a boxer with friends and family tugging at both arms. Then there's the crowd that comes expecting so much, and who wants to walk around the neighborhood a loser.
	 

	 
Brooklyn native Paulie Malignaggi isn't worried about all that. He challenges Amir Khan of England for the WBA super lightweight title Saturday night at the Garden Theater. The fight will be the shown on HBO's Boxing After Dark along with a co-feature of Victor Ortiz battling Nate Campbell.
	 

	 
Malignaggi loves people, loves to talk and loves to be seen. What better stage than the Garden Theater where he won his first Golden Gloves. In his view, there's no place like home. "Maybe if this was all new to me it would be added pressure," Malignaggi said. "But stuff like this is not added pressure. It's actually a pleasure to fight in New York and have a chance to give the hometown fans something to cheer about and see me live."
	 

	 
The highly-touted Khan is making his America debut, which Malignaggi hopes to spoil in front of his home fans. "New York is the best place in the world," Malignaggi said. "The support and love I get is unprecedented. To fight at home for a world championship couldn't have come at a better time. I feel good about where I am at this point in my career. I've got the strongest team around me to get the best out of me."
	 

	 
Part of that team is trainer Sherif Younan, who says his fighter's confidence is off the charts. "A fighter always needs more confidence going into a fight, knowing what you got and what you're able to do. It makes a big difference when you're going to war," Younan said.
	 
While Younan is known primarily within the inner New York boxing circles, his counterpart Freddie Roach is a four-time trainer of the year, and the molder of Manny Pacquiao. With a victory over Khan and Roach, Younan might soon be in demand. That's the farthest thing from his mind right now. He has been preparing for Khan long before the bout was signed and is eager to see how Malignaggi executes his game plan.
	 
"We have a game plan and strategy we're going to apply it," Younan said. "It's going to be a surprise element. We're going to pull that carpet from under his feet."
	 
**
	 
Khan isn't sure whether being of Pakistani decent had anything to do with his issues getting a Visa to work in the United States. Khan had to move his training camp to Vancouver, Canada, for 12 days while waiting for his Visa to be granted. Khan's parents were born in Pakistan and the boxer often travels there to see family. "I don't know what the reasons were," he said. "But they had to go through all the security checks. So it took about two weeks.
	 
Khan's game plan against Malignaggi isn't complex. "If he'll stand there and fight with me, I'm going to stand there and fight with him," Khan said. "But I don't think he has ever fought against anyone as quick as me or anyone as strong as me. He took a beating from Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto and I think I'm a better fighter than both of them. If he wants to run, he can run and I'll catch him. If he wants to stand there and fight, then we can stand there and fight. If it goes the 12-round distance I'm going to beat him convincingly every round and he's going to take a beating. If it finishes before that, it's going to be a good result as well."
	 
**
	 
Khan has been working with Roach in Los Angeles since he was knocked out in the first round by Breidis Prescott of Colombia on September 2008. "I needed to get away from the distractions in the UK," Khan said. "I can go anywhere in the streets. I need to go somewhere where I had to earn the respect again." He has trained and sparred with Pacquiao as Roach has worked to tighten his defense and improve his footwork and body movement.
	 
"It was a wake-up call when I got beat," Khan said. "Freddie has changed me into a different fighter. Every fight I'm getting better and better. I want to put on a good performance so American fans can start believing in me and say this Amir Khan is good."
	 
FYI: Prescott, who has lost his last two fights is on the card Saturday night against Jason Davis.
	 
 
	 
#

PRINT
EMAIL
SHARE
- Yahoo! Buzz
- Digg
- Reddit
- Fark It
- Newsvine
- StumbleUpon
- Twitter
- Facebook
RSS

Post Your Comments ⁄

(0) Comments

Mayweather-Mosley does 1.4 million buys

May 11, 2010 , ι NYPOST.COM STAFF

HBO Sports reported today that 1.4 million pay-per-view buys were generated from the May 1 welterweight fight between Floyd Mayweather and Sugar Shane Mosley at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las... Read on

PRINT
EMAIL
SHARE
- Yahoo! Buzz
- Digg
- Reddit
- Fark It
- Newsvine
- StumbleUpon
- Twitter
- Facebook
RSS

Post Your Comments ⁄

(0) Comments

Brooklyn's Jacobs to fight on May 15 card at Garden

May 06, 2010 , ι By GEORGE WILLIS

It has taken way too long for the people who handle Danny Jacobs to get him back in front of his home crowd. That problem will be rectified on May 15 when the unbeaten Brooklyn middleweight fights at... Read on

It has taken way too long for the people who handle Danny Jacobs to get him back in front of his home crowd. That problem will be rectified on May 15 when the unbeaten Brooklyn middleweight fights at the Garden Theater on the undercard of the WBA super lightweight title match between champion Amir Khan of England and Brooklyn's Paulie Malignaggi.
	 
Jacobs' inclusion on the card wasn't announced until Wednesday, leaving little time to properly promote his first appearance in the area since Nov. 11, 2008, when he stopped Jimmy Campbell in three rounds. Managed by Al Haymon and promoted by Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions, Jacobs has since fought in Las Vegas, Texas, Arizona and Chicago. While he has gotten plenty of television exposure, he hasn't cultivated the kind of home fan base that could galvanize his career.
	 
"That's something that has always worried me," Jacobs admitted. "But I respect the decisions that Al and Golden Boy have made for me. But it gets frustrating when you don’t get to fight in front of your family and friends. But they obviously see the bigger picture so I'm comfortable with the layout I've had."
	 
Jacobs, a four-time New York Golden Gloves champion, is unbeaten in 19 fights with 16 knockouts. He was inactive for six months after injuring a knuckle on his left hand during a 10-round decision over Ishe Smith last August. His hand is healthy as evidenced by a first-round stoppage of Jose Miguel Berrio on March 27 in Las Vegas. Next week, he faces Juan Astorga (14-4, 9 KOs) of Brownfield, Texas, for the NABF middleweight title.
	 
"This is another step closer to where we want to be and that's being middleweight champion," Jacobs said. "I'm excited that my family is going to be able to get the chance to see me perform. Hopefully, I'll be supplied with enough tickets that I can get my family there."
	 
Jacobs is surprised he has had just the one fight in New York and another in Atlantic City as a pro. "In my mind it should have been New York versus the world," he said. "That's how I had it. But it's worked out differently. But New York fans are the best. Hopefully, they'll support me and I can give them good shows whenever I work my way back home."
	 
#

PRINT
EMAIL
SHARE
- Yahoo! Buzz
- Digg
- Reddit
- Fark It
- Newsvine
- StumbleUpon
- Twitter
- Facebook
RSS

Post Your Comments ⁄

(0) Comments

From Tiger to Mayweather-Mosley: An Unexpected Journey

May 03, 2010 , ι

CHARLOTTE/LAS VEGAS—I was in the Charlotte airport today just as I had originally planned. But instead using my first class upgrade on the 5 p.m. flight, I was in the midst of a connection off a red... Read on

CHARLOTTE/LAS VEGAS—I was in the Charlotte airport today just as I had originally planned. But instead using my first class upgrade on the 5 p.m. flight, I was in the midst of a connection off a red-eye flight from Las Vegas. It was 6:40 a.m. with an hour wait before my flight to Newark.

It was appropriate and funny that I was in Charlotte ready to board the cattle car instead flying first class later in the day. In many ways it was the icing on the cake in the strange week of a sportswriter. For those interested here it is:

I had been planning to cover Mayweather-Mosley in Las Vegas ever since the fight was announced in February. But when Tiger Woods decided to enter the Quail Hollow Championship in Charlotte, my editors decided to pull me off the fight and send me to the golf tournament instead. Tiger making his first appearance at a regular Tour stop offered some intriguing storylines, but giving up Mayweather-Mosley, the biggest welterweight fight since Leonard-Hearns, was difficult.

Making matters worse, I couldn't find a sports bar-type place in Charlotte that was planning to show the fight. Something the called the Red Room was showing the fight, but the website said something about a crowd of 800 people and security on site. Hmmm.
	 
The Morrison Condominiums on the corner of Sharon and Colony Roads offered their services. The Morrison development has housed PGA golfers in the past and understands sports freaks. It and had a beautiful fully furnished one-bedroom condo available, the perfect place for a short stay, long stay or a fight party.

But then Tiger Woods shoots 74 in the opening round on Thursday and doesn't look like he'll make the cut. By Friday morning, Jets newly acquired wide receiver Santonio Holmes had some issues during a plane flight and is reportedly headed to Vegas for the fight. By then my bosses were already asking me to price a ticket from Charlotte to Las Vegas. After telling everyone connected in the fight that I wouldn't be there, suddenly covering the fight was back in play.

Tiger did his part, shooting a woeful 79 on Friday to miss the cut by a mile. When that happened, the decision was made to get me on the first plane..er connection to Vegas.

Flying from Charlotte to Detroit and then Detroit to Las Vegas, I made to Sin City about 3 p.m. Pacific. Just enough time to unwind for a bit, shower and make my way to the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Soon I was ringside after all for Mayweather-Mosley.  Amazing.

I smiled when the red-eye Sunday night out of Vegas had me flying back to Charlotte. It's funny, but despite the connections. I couldn't have planned it any better if I'd tried.

#

PRINT
EMAIL
SHARE
- Yahoo! Buzz
- Digg
- Reddit
- Fark It
- Newsvine
- StumbleUpon
- Twitter
- Facebook
RSS

Post Your Comments ⁄

(0) Comments

De La Hoya is a Mayweather fan now

May 02, 2010 , ι By GEORGE WILLIS

LAS VEGAS--Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr. haven't always been the best of friends. De La Hoya talked up Juan Manuel Marquez and predicted how his business partner, Shane Mosley, would be... Read on

LAS VEGAS--Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr. haven't always been the best of friends. De La Hoya talked up Juan Manuel Marquez and predicted how his business partner, Shane Mosley, would be the first to deal Mayweather a defeat.

"It won't be pretty," De La Hoya had said at the press conference last March to announce the bout. Mayweather has called De La Hoya "fake," while always praising Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer.

They may not ever be best of friends though I think someday they actually will. Nonetheless, De La Hoya is a believer in Mayweather's talent now. Money Mayweather's domination of Shane Mosley's Saturday night at the MGM Grand was convincing. "Mayweather is in my mind, in Mosley's mind, he's the best," De la Hoya said. "He keeps on proving it, over and over and over again. Tonight convinced me that he is the best, possibly of all-time."

Of all-time?

"Mayweather has the skills to beat anybody," De La Hoya went to. "He has the talent. He has the work ethic and people all over the world are becoming fans of the talent he possess. We have to commend him for that."

De La Hoya has been in the ring with Mayweather, Mosley and Pacquiao. He was asked to compare them. "I've got to be truthful," De La Hoya said. "Mayweather is on a different level. He's on a different level because he's a student of the game. He will dissect you outside the ring and finish him off inside the ring. He knows how to get in your head and he knows how to beat you mentally and then he'll beat you physically. He can wait for you to make mistakes. Pacquiao makes many mistakes. That will fall into Mayweather's hands with no problem. It will be an entertaining fight because there's no quit in Pacquiao. A fight with Pacquiao-Mayweather would be a very interesting fight. But I'd have to tell you Mayweather is by far the best.

PRINT
EMAIL
SHARE
- Yahoo! Buzz
- Digg
- Reddit
- Fark It
- Newsvine
- StumbleUpon
- Twitter
- Facebook
RSS

Post Your Comments ⁄

(2) Comments

Mosley: "I Like " Random Testing

April 20, 2010 , ι By GEORGE WILLIS

Shane Mosley said today he welcomes the random drug testing he's been undergoing during training for his May 1 welterweight bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr. Mosley said he has been tested five times by... Read on

Shane Mosley said today he welcomes the random drug testing he's been undergoing during training for his May 1 welterweight bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr. Mosley said he has been tested five times by representatives of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. Blood has been drawn during three of the tests and his urine has been tested all five times.

"I actually like the fact that they come all the time," said Mosley, who in 2003 told a grand jury he unknowingly had used performance enhancing drugs before a bout with Oscar De La Hoya. "I've learned a lot about different things to do. (That) eating natural and normal foods without taking any of the vitamins is a good thing for your body. I feel great. This has actually been a break through. I like it."

Mosley and Mayweather agreed to be randomly testing at any time up until the much-anticipated pay-per-view fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Mosley is hoping undergoing the random testing will end talk of his past link to the BALCO case although he remains in the midst of a lawsuit with BALCO founder Victor Conte.

"I've always been a clean fighter," Mosley said during a conference call. "I've been knocking everybody out since 2003. I don't think I should be condemned for something that I've never tested positive to at all. I just told the truth of what happened. The truth was brought to me by the federal people that brought me in as a witness. The truth was revealed to me there. That this man (Conte) that I'd seen one time in my entire life . . . It's ridiculous that the media wants to make me the poster boy of steroids when I don't know anything about it. If you want to continue to put that out there, so be it. You guys know the truth."

With training camp winding down, Mosley said he's totally focused on Mayweather. "I'm ready to go into the history books as the guy that beat Floyd Mayweather," Mosley said, "the guy that beat everybody out there, the last man standing. I'm into that."

#

PRINT
EMAIL
SHARE
- Yahoo! Buzz
- Digg
- Reddit
- Fark It
- Newsvine
- StumbleUpon
- Twitter
- Facebook
RSS

Post Your Comments ⁄

(0) Comments

Hopkins gets revenge, beats Jones

April 04, 2010 , ι By GEORGE WILLIS

In a bizarre fight between two boxers who have seen better days, Bernard Hopkins won a unanimous decision over Roy Jones Jr. Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Hopkins, 45, was down... Read on

In a bizarre fight between two boxers who have seen better days, Bernard Hopkins won a unanimous decision over Roy Jones Jr. Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

Hopkins, 45, was down three times during the fights: twice from blows to the back of the head and once because of a low blow. Otherwise, the Philadelphia native dominated the bout by pressuring Jones, 41, and smothering his punches.

The judges saw Hopkins a clear winner with two scoring the bout 117-110 and the third judge having it 118-109.

Chaos broke out in the sixth round when Hopkins dropped to the canvas after being hit in the back of the head during a clinch. It looked as if the fight might be stopped and Jones disqualified. But after a long break Jones was deducted a point and the fight resumed with Hopkins charging Jones like a wild man at a bar. Both continued to exchange punches after the bell rang as corner men and security entered the ring to restore order.

Hopkins was down again in the eighth from another punch to the back of the head and again in the 11th from a low blow. A head butt by Hopkins cut Jones over the left eye in the 11th. "He's going to get his rest," Jones said afterward. "He was hitting me behind the head, but the referee didn't say anything. When I hit him in the head, the ref takes points away."

Hopkins said he "saw spots" from the sixth round on. "I fought through it," he said. "It was kind of rough. But Roy's a veteran. It was a good fight."

Hopkins talked about fighting heavyweight champion David Haye next, while Jones sounded like he was contemplating retirement. "I've had a wonderful career," Jones said. "I can't ask for much better than what I've had."
	 
The bout was a rematch of their first meeting 17 years ago won by Jones.

PRINT
EMAIL
SHARE
- Yahoo! Buzz
- Digg
- Reddit
- Fark It
- Newsvine
- StumbleUpon
- Twitter
- Facebook
RSS

Post Your Comments ⁄

(0) Comments

Promoter Unhappy How Dirrell Was Handled

March 30, 2010 , ι By GEORGE WILLIS

New Jersey-based promoter Gary Shaw was critical of the Michigan Boxing Commission's performance during Saturday night's super middleweight tournament bout between Andre Dirrell and Arthur Abraham at... Read on

New Jersey-based promoter Gary Shaw was critical of the Michigan Boxing Commission's performance during Saturday night's super middleweight tournament bout between Andre Dirrell and Arthur Abraham at the Joe Louis Arena.

Shaw, who is Dirrell's promoter, has several complaints, notably how the commission handled Dirrell after he was hit with an illegal blow from Abraham during the 11th-round of the bout. Dirrell slipped to a knee in a corner then was hit in the head while he was down by a right-hand from the powerful Abraham, who was promptly disqualified by referee Laurence Cole.

Dirrell was prone on the canvas and began trembling before being revived. He remained disoriented even after he got to his feet.
	 
"He was very scrambled," Shaw said today. "He went from yelling over at everyone from Showtime, "Who called me a coward?" To yelling, 'Give me room.' To yelling, 'They knocked me out.' To yelling, 'Where's the fight. I want to fight.' We were really concerned."

What really concerned Shaw was Dirrell leaving the ring under his own power and walking to the locker room. "Michigan having not done a lot of big fights created some problems in the ring," Shaw said. "He should have been taken out of that ring by stretcher and transported immediately to the hospital. Instead, he walked to the dressing room and he was absolutely scrambled."

Dirrell eventually went to the hospital with one doctor from the commission fearing the boxer had suffered a seizure and might have bleeding in his brain. "He spent about three hours undergoing all kinds of tests in the hospital," Shaw said. "When he was finally released he was still unsteady on his feet. He was doing better (Sunday)."

Shaw also questioned why a ringside doctor seemed to be closing a cut over Abraham's eye when he checked it during the fight and for allowing some of the chaos in the ring that ensued when the disqualification occurred.

Meanwhile, Shaw had only praise for his fighter. "He graduated," Shaw said of Dirrell. "He proved he wasn't a runner. He showed his boxing skills. He showed speed and he showed quickness and he showed power. He proved to himself he could be in there with the leader of the tournament and he was coasting."

Shaw made his comments during a summit in Manhattan Tuesday for the promoters involved in Showtime's Super Middleweight Tournament. Most everyone involved is happy with the way the tournament has developed.

Despite losing by disqualification, Abraham still leads with 3 points courtesy of his knockout of Jermain Taylor, who has since been replaced by Allan Green. WBC super middleweight champ Carl Froch (2 points) will take the lead and clinch a spot in the semifinal with a victory over Mikkel Kessler (0 points) on April 24 in Demark. Kessler, the pre-tournament favorite, needs a victory after losing his opening fight to Andre Ward (2 points), who fights Green (0 points) on June 19. Each fighter, except for Green, will have three round-robin bouts with the four fighters with the most points advance to the semifinals.

"This is going to be one hell of a great ending to a terrific idea, not only for fighters but for the network and especially for the fans," said Dan Goossen, who promotes Ward. "The whole purpose of the tournament was to give everyone a shot to prove that they're the best, even under losing circumstances. Dirrell proved that and Kessler's going to have a chance to prove it against Froch. There are so many moving parts here that the whole sum won't be realized until we get to the end of Group 2 and start getting into Group 3."

Ken Hershman, the vice president for sports programming at Showtime, said the tournament is on schedule to finish in mid-2011. "We're going to try to keep it as compact as humanly possible," he said.

The tournament is a hit in Europe as well where a sellout crowd of 9,000 is expected for Froch-Kessler. Promoters say 26,000 tickets could have been sold.

"Not only are these fights super fights, but they're back to back," said Froch's promoter Mick Hennessy. "How many times do you see someone have a big fight and then they have three easy touches? This is a real special situation. It should transform the sport across the planet."

#