Celebrities spotted at ringside: Magic Johnson, O.J. trial attorney Robert Shapiro, IBF heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko, Matthew McConnaghy, Wesley Snipes, Judge Mathis, Will Ferrell, Jim Belushi, Jennifer Lopez and Mark Anthony, Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy, Taylor Hackford and Helen Mirren, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz), John Madden, Reggie Bush, Jerome Bettis, Mary J. Blige, Michael J. Fox, Tom Jones, Russell Crowe, Thomas Hearns, Tito Trinidad, 50 Cent, Eva Longoria, George Lopez, Jay-Z, Leonardo DiCaprio, Eddie Murphy, Usher, Michael Jordan, Denzel Washington, Jack Nicholson. Marc Anthony just completed the national anthem. 50 Cent will rap during Mayweather's entrance. Mayweather enters the ring wearing the colors of the Mexican flag and a sombrero he has on backwards. Round One: Mayweather punching often but not landing, but De La Hoya isn't punching much at all. He's focusing on Mayweather's body and trying to pin him on the ropes to no avail. Slow round. Round Two: De La Hoya dominant with the jab and right hand. He punches with Mayweather instead of waiting and lands the cleaner, harder punches. Snaps Mayweather's head back repeatedly with jabs. Round Three: De La Hoya pins Mayweather on the ropes and is punching intelligently. Not loading up too much on the power and overwhelming Mayweather with volume. Mayweather's defense neutralized De La Hoya for the rest of the round. Close round to score, but De La Hoya was the aggressor. Round Four: Mayweather opens strong, but De La Hoya roughs him up inside on the ropes to the body. Not much landed clean. Mayweather is in control in the middle of the ring. Not many of his punches are getting through either, but De La Hoya is flat-footed and looks gassed. Hard round to score.Round Five: Mayweather's best round. Lands a pair of clean counter right hands. He's not retreating from exchanges inside now. He's staying in the pocket and winning the exchanges. De La Hoya has an abrasion on the side of his left eye. Round Six: De La Hoya bounces back with a solid round. Makes Mayweather miss badly at ring center. Nails Mayweather with a right hand out of a crouch and re-establishes his dominance as the bigger puncher. Round Seven: De La Hoya finally rediscovers his jab to control the round. When he uses it, Mayweather is on his heels backing up and ducking and can't punch back.Round Eight: De La Hoya takes control with the jab again. Mayweather throwing one shot at a time and isn't willing to engage. De La Hoya flurries in the last 10 seconds with Mayweather on the ropes to punctuate the round. Round Nine: Mayweather does all the work early, though not much lands cleanly. De La Hoya strictly defensive and doesn't do much other than follow Mayweather. Is he fading or just taking the round off? Round Ten: De La Hoya not jabbing and having trouble getting off a clean shot as Mayweather is too slick. A few slight boos creep in. The only clean punch lands at the bell -- a straight right on De La Hoya's chin. Round Eleven: Mayweather's legs are too fast, and De La Hoya does nothing for 2:30 of the round. He finally jabs and lands and jolts Mayweather with a big right hand on the ropes that might have stolen the round. Round Twelve: De La Hoya does all the punching and closes strong, including some right hands at the bell that were the cleanest of the round. Mayweather stands and trades in a spirited finish.
Awaiting the decision....Tommy Kazmarek 115-113 for De La Hoya; Chuck Giampa 116-112 for Mayweather; Jerry Roth 115-113 Mayweather. Mayweather wins WBC 154-pound championship. Mayweather credited with landing 207 punches to De La Hoya's 122, according to PunchStat by HBO. Full story here.
You can also talk boxing anytime with reporter Chuck Johnson by leaving a message on his profile page.
Round-by-round analysis by USA TODAY's Johnnie Whitehead in McLean, Va.
Posted by gkicinski on May 05, 2007 in Boxing/MMA Permalink Comments (0)
Happy Final Four Friday
What? The Final Four was last month? Not in Europe. Follow along at Eurosport. If you like, pretending you're partying back in 1999 -- Duke grad Trajan Langdon is playing for CSKA Moscow.
We'll be easing you into the weekend today (though some of us got a head start with some great live music last night). It's Podcast Day -- stream the audio to hear Jon Saraceno on De La Hoya-Mayweather and Jennie Rees on the Kentucky Derby. We'll add the iTunes link when available.
Derby? De La Hoya-Mayweather? Will either event last longer than the podcast? Ask boxing writer Chuck Johnson and horse racing/NFL writer Tom Pedulla.
And maybe later we'll ask the question -- would you rather golf with Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan in your group or with Kid Rock and Alice Cooper?
Posted by Beau Dure on May 04, 2007 in Basketball, Boxing/MMA, Horse Racing, Podcasts Permalink Comments (0)
On tap tonight
We conclude an 18-post day, an unofficial Sports Scope record, by looking at the playoffs and other random sports-type things on the air tonight.
All times Eastern
NBA playoffs: Spurs and Suns are at home going for the knockouts against the Nuggets and Lakers. Both on TNT -- 8 p.m. in San Antonio, 10:30 p.m. in Phoenix.
NHL playoffs: Senators and Sharks are at home seeking a 3-1 lead over the Devils and Red Wings. Both on Versus -- 7 p.m. in Ottawa, 10 p.m. in San Jose.
Baseball: Philadelphia at Atlanta (ESPN, 7:30 p.m.)
Boxing: Junior middleweights, Yory Boy Campas vs. Eromosele Albert, at Miami (ESPN2, 9 p.m.)
Bowling: United States Bowling Congress Queens, at Matthews, N.C. (ESPN2, 7 p.m.)
Soccer: Copa Libertadores on Fox Sports en Espanol
Ice hockey: USA vs. Slovakia, World Championships (WCSN, 8:15 a.m. Thursday morning)
Posted by Beau Dure on May 02, 2007 in Baseball, Bowling, Boxing/MMA, Hockey, NBA Permalink Comments (0)
Ali-Ohno showdown drawing closer
As we predicted long ago, Apolo Anton Ohno and Laila Ali are the front-runners in Dancing with the Stars, which whittled its field down to six with the controversial exit (read the comments) of Cheers and Pixar films star John Ratzenberger.
(OK, we predicted Ali-Drexler, with Ohno making a good run. But NOW we'll call it Ali-Ohno. Blogging is a flexible medium.)
The folks at Ohnozone, though, see the bar being raised for their namesake skater.
In other sports-related reality news, Jordin Sparks is in trouble this week on American Idol.
Posted by Beau Dure on May 02, 2007 in Boxing/MMA, Olympic Sports Permalink Comments (0)
Weekend Watch
All stages of the sports life cycle in one weekend -- the very beginning (the NFL Draft) and the very end (at least five playoff/World Championship sports, including the Cricket World Cup).
Previews:
- NFL Draft- Nextel Cup- Dice-K's Yankee Stadium debut- Bulls taking nothing for granted against Heat
All times Eastern
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Posted by Beau Dure on April 27, 2007 in Baseball, Boxing/MMA, College: More sports, Cricket, Cycling, Football, Golf, Hockey, Lacrosse, Motorsports, NBA, NFL, Olympic Sports, Soccer, TV, Tennis, Weekend Watch Permalink Comments (0)
On tap tonight
Will the Mavs lift the Curse of the Warriors? Find out tonight. Or in Game 3. Game 4 at the latest.
All times Eastern
NBA: TNT has both Game 2s involving Texas teams unexpectedly trailing 1-0. NBA TV has the more predictable series, with Cleveland leading the depleted Washington Wizards:- Denver at San Antonio (TNT, 7 p.m.)- Washington at Cleveland (NBA TV, 8 p.m.)- Golden State at Dallas (TNT, 9:30 p.m.)
NHL: Game 1 doubleheader on Versus- N.Y. Rangers at Buffalo (Versus, 7 p.m.)- Vancouver at Anaheim (Versus, 10 p.m.)
Baseball: Can the Yankees climb to fourth while the Red Sox and Orioles battle for East supremacy?- Boston (12-7) at Baltimore (11-9) -- 7:05 p.m.- Toronto (10-10) at N.Y. Yankees (8-11) -- 7:05 p.m.- Detroit (11-9) at Chicago White Sox (11-8) -- ESPN, 8 p.m.- San Francisco (10-8) at L.A. Dodgers (13-7) -- 10:10 p.m.- Full sked
Soccer: Toronto FC bids once again to gets its first win. Last chance before the home opener.- Toronto at Kansas City (8 p.m.)
One continental title is decided after a 2-2 first leg:- CONCACAF Champions Cup, second leg, Chivas at Pachuca (Fox Soccer Channel, 9:30 p.m.)
And another gets through the group stage:- Copa Libertadores, four games
Boxing: Featherweights, Jason Litzau vs. Aldo Valtierra, at St. Paul (ESPN2, 9 p.m.)
Softball: Texas at Texas A&M (CSTV, 7:30 p.m.)
Posted by Beau Dure on April 25, 2007 in Baseball, Boxing/MMA, College: More sports, Hockey, NBA, Soccer Permalink Comments (0)
This weekend in UFC
A third straight UFC main-event upset, with Gabriel Gonzaga knocking out Croatian heavyweight contender Mirko Cro Cop, and a bit of tsk-tsking from the English media. (Via UFCMania)
Posted by Beau Dure on April 23, 2007 in Boxing/MMA Permalink Comments (0)
Reality update: Clyde out
Apolo Anton Ohno and Laila Ali keep tearing it up on Dancing with the Stars, much to the delight of the good folks at Ohnozone.
Clyde "the Glide" Drexler, though, is out. From the tone on his blog, he won't miss the grind.
Posted by Beau Dure on April 18, 2007 in Boxing/MMA, NBA, Olympic Sports Permalink Comments (0)
Rocky vs. Drago, updated
Just as Ivan Drago towered over Rocky Balboa in Rocky IV and Destructor had a few tons on Bender in Futurama, Fedor Emelianenko will have a distinct size advantage in his Russia-vs.-USA bout Saturday night.
But without scriptwriters in the wild world of mixed martial arts, pundits and oddsmakers aren't giving Matt Lindland much of a chance. The middleweight has bulked up, but he isn't just facing any old heavyweight -- Emelianenko has one of the most glittering resumes in fighting.
"Yes, I am crazy," Lindland tells MMA Weekly.
The event spans weight classes and sanctioning bodies (Lindland is currently a coach in the IFL), so the organizer is also the company selling the pay-per-view -- Bodog.
Posted by Beau Dure on April 13, 2007 in Boxing/MMA Permalink Comments (0)
Upset Saturday
We asked Friday whether UFC fans would be turned off if the typical bout were settled with subtle wrestling moves that many don't even see.
The main event of this weekend's UFC 69 was anything but subtle and anything but expected. Reality TV winner and heavy underdog Matt Serra clobbered Georges St. Pierre, knocking him down and finishing him off with a first-round flurry. Serra had never won by knockout, though he had won several fights by submission.
St. Pierre's reaction: "I made a mistake and got caught."
Here's another sign of the sport's growth -- ESPN has video.
Posted by Beau Dure on April 08, 2007 in Boxing/MMA Permalink Comments (0)
Mayweather vs. UFC fans
We've asked the "Boxing or MMA?" question before, and we've traced the growth of UFC into a global megabrand.
But the question keeps coming up, especially now that Floyd Mayweather has aroused the anger of the mixed martial arts community.
Mayweather, as quoted in the story above: "It ain't but a fad. Anyone can put a tattoo on their head and get in a street fight. ... These are guys who couldn't make it in boxing."
UFC chief Dana White doesn't need anyone to cover his back in a verbal brawl. But he's got it ... from FOXSports.com's MMA readers and from ESPN's Mary Buckheit.
We'll skip the macho head-butting about which fighters could beat up the others. UFC might face another problem soon: What happens when the fighters get too good?
When you think of UFC, you may think of wild one-punch knockouts and brawls on the mat. But as fighters get better defensively, the action is more subtle. Already, you may see one guy swinging away at an opponent on the mat, not noticing that the guy on the bottom is applying a subtle chokehold that will end the bout in a few seconds. As in NewsRadio, you're relying on Joe Rogan to figure out what's going on.
So here are our questions: Do you prefer UFC and other MMA events to boxing? And will you continue to enjoy it if it becomes less of a brawl and more of a tactical match between experienced pros?
And a reminder: UFC 69 Shootout will be live from Houston tomorrow night on pay-per-view. Georges St. Pierre faces Matt Serra for the welterweight championship in the main event.
Tim Sylvia-Randy Couture photo by Ed Mulholland, US Presswire
Posted by Beau Dure on April 06, 2007 in Boxing/MMA Permalink Comments (0)
Weekend Watch
We're already broken down playoff implications and TV options for most sports played in gyms. If you prefer green grass (or turf) and fresh air (or domed), baseball season starts Sunday night. Chris Carpenter and the Cardinals host Tom Glavine and the Mets on ESPN2, 8 p.m. Yes, ESPN2.
All times Eastern
FINAL FOURS
Men: Ohio State-Georgetown, then UCLA-Florida (CBS doubleheader, 6 p.m. Saturday)
Women: Rutgers-LSU, then Tennessee-North Carolina (ESPN doubleheader, 7 p.m. Sunday)
CHAMPIONSHIPS
Boxing: The women take a turn on Friday Night Fights -- Mary Jo Sanders vs. Valerie Mahfood for the IBA middleweight belt (ESPN2, 9 p.m. Friday).
Tennis: Serena vs. Henin in a big-time final (CBS, noon Saturday). Men's final features up-and-coming Novak Djokovic vs. Ivan Ljubicic or Federer-slayer Guillermo Canas (CBS, noon Sunday).
Bowling: PBA Tournament of Champions (ESPN, 1 p.m. Sunday)
Swimming: All weekend on WCSN, including the USA-Australia women's water polo final and the Michael Phelps-Ian Crocker showdown in the 100-meter butterfly. Those are both in the Saturday morning session.
Cycling (track): Also all weekend on WCSN.
SOCCER
Top games are Liverpool-Arsenal (7:45 a.m. Saturday, Setanta) and Bayern Munich-Schalke (9:30 a.m. Saturday, GolTV). Many more on Fox Soccer Channel, GolTV, Setanta Sports Channel, Setanta Premium.
Want more options? Keep reading ...
Chris Carpenter photo by Marc Serota, Getty Images
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Posted by Beau Dure on March 30, 2007 in Baseball, Bowling, Boxing/MMA, College Basketball, College: More sports, Olympic Sports, Soccer, Tennis, Weekend Watch Permalink Comments (0)
Athletes survive 'Dancing' cut
(We will return to actual traditional sports in the next post. But first, today's reality TV update.)
After Angela Ruggiero's shocking ouster on The Apprentice, would athletes step up on Dancing With the Stars?
Yes. And we're predicting an Apolo-Ali final. (Not Apollo Creed, who was indeed a boxer but was fictional.)
Apolo Anton Ohno, only a couple of weeks removed from World Championship competition, won rave reviews. Laila Ali leads the scoring. Clyde "the Glide" Drexler ... well, he's hanging in there.
The full roundup is at Ohnozone, where the short-track skater's considerable fan base isn't the least bit surprised that he's faring well.
In more sports-related reality TV notes, Jordin Sparks (daughter of NFL vet Phillipi) seems to have done enough to advance on American Idol, says our Idol blogger Ken Barnes. His commenters agree. Frankly, if the rest of Idol were like Sparks' performance last night, we might actually watch the show instead of flipping back and forth between that, hockey and UFC Unleashed. She blew away Blake's syrupy rendition of the Cure classic Love Song.
Posted by Beau Dure on March 28, 2007 in Boxing/MMA, NBA, Olympic Sports, TV Permalink Comments (0)
Taking PRIDE
The two biggest mixed martial arts organizations are now one. The owners of the Ultimate Fighting Championship is buying PRIDE, the Japanese organization.
Both brands will remain, but you'll see more crossovers and more unified rules. The AFL-NFL-Super Bowl analogies are flying on Sherdog's live blog from a press conference in Japan. Highlight from the blog: "UFC president Dana White has come on stage and says that all mixed martial arts organizations are a joke next to UFC or PRIDE."
The EvilMaster Report: "Ending Dream Stage Entertainment's control over PRIDE has immediate and far-reaching effects for the UFC, which has struggled in recent months to provide soluble contenders for the touted light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions. While mainstream observers seemed satisfied with the influx of rematches and ill-prepared contenders, there was an undercurrent of grousing from fans that were aware of how fractured the 'world title' picture truly was."
Wikipedians are documenting the change on the PRIDE entry but NOT the UFC entry (as of this writing). Both entries give a sense of the differing histories and rules.
How does the megamerger affect boxing? The first commenter here says it won't, that boxing and UFC always have had and always will have different demographics.
Randy Couture-Tim Sylvia photo by Ed Mulholland, US PRESSWIRE
Posted by Beau Dure on March 27, 2007 in Boxing/MMA Permalink Comments (0)
Iceman's next bout
May 26 -- Chuck Liddell vs. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson in UFC 71, Las Vegas. Get your tickets ($50-$750) Friday.
Rampage isn't just an arcade favorite of the '80s. Jackson is the last fighter to beat Liddell, knocking out the Iceman in a 2003 PRIDE tournament, and UFC was happy to sign him late last year. But Jackson's form might not be what it was, though he's in control in his interviews.
Liddell had an uncomfortable interview -- or perhaps too comfortable, depending on how you look at it -- on a Dallas morning show. He attributed his slurring and dozing to illness, medication and lack of sleep.
Posted by Beau Dure on March 26, 2007 in Boxing/MMA Permalink Comments (0)
Morning headlines and beyond
What's happening, what happened and what people are talking about:
- Jon Saraceno wonders whether the 50-16 Suns can find the attitude of a champion. (USA TODAY)
- Michael Hiestand says close games helped NCAA ratings over the weekend. But what was Billy Packer saying about Simon Cowell? (USA TODAY)
- In Las Vegas, they're happy to be back in the Sweet 16 after a 16-year absence (Las Vegas Review-Journal). The rest of the country is opting for the father-son angle with coach Lon Kruger and point guard Kevin Kruger (ESPN, NYTimes). But no one's taking the Kruger Industrial Smoothing angle.
- No surprise in the pool -- just a happy retirement for Auburn coach David Marsh as his men's team won its fifth straight NCAA swimming and diving title by a margin so comfortable he could sleep on it. Sophomore Cesar Celio, the NCAA swimmer of the year, won the 50 and 100 freestyles and was on two winning relays. Plenty of NCAA and meet records are in the full results.
- Also repeating as national champion this weekend: Wisconsin women's hockey, which won the title at Lake Placid. Coaching the team: Mark Johnson, one of the 1980 "Miracle on Ice" gold medalists. (Capital Times)
- In NCAA wrestling, five Minnesota wrestlers placed in the top six of their weight classes to clinch a national title for the Golden Gophers. With two losses stopping an Iowa State surge, Minnesota had the title wrapped up before heavyweight Cole Konrad stepped onto the mat to finish his career with a pin, a 35-0 record and a second straight national title. The 10 individual champions come from 10 different schools. Cael Sanderson's first year as coach is affecting the balance of power in Iowa.
- Ryan Shafer bowled a 300 on TV to snag a $10,000 bonus. But that was only in the semifinals. Player of the Year contender Norm Duke won his third event of this year's PBA Tour. (Indianapolis Star)
- Think NBA stars-in-waiting like O.J. Mayo don't care about their high school state championships? Think again. They might care too much (Huntington Herald-Dispatch).
- Columnist Bill Dwyre thinks he saw a future star in the Pacific Life Open final (LA Times).
- The Amherst Lord Jeffs are the Division III men's hoops champions (Boston Globe). Lord Jeff would be Lord Jeffery Amherst, who led British forces in North America through several pre-Revolutionary campaigns and has been linked by some historians to early form of germ warfare. Amherst College is a perennial contender in the U.S. News and World Report rankings for top liberal arts colleges.
- DePauw beat nemesis Washington University (of St. Louis, not the University of Washington) in the season opener and again in the Division III women's title game. (The Republican)
- Sturdy midfielder Shalrie Joseph is the New England Revolution captain. Shalrie Joseph wants to be traded. It's a salary dispute, MLS-style (Boston Globe).
- Evander Holyfield might get one last title shot after all. Should we celebrate? (SI)
- A Discovery Channel cyclist won the Paris-Nice race. Just not any of the ones you might know. (Velo News)
- On St. Patrick's Day, the Irish were unlucky in Six Nations rugby but shocking winners in the Cricket World Cup (International Herald Tribune).
- But the upsets, the protests and the benching of English star Andrew Flintoff after a drinking incident were all overshadowed by more shocking news -- Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer died after being found unconscious in his hotel room (Reuters).
Posted by Beau Dure on March 19, 2007 in Basketball, Bowling, Boxing/MMA, College Basketball, College: More sports, Cricket, Cycling, High schools, NBA, Olympic Sports, Tennis Permalink Comments (0)
Matthews denies, Holyfield explains
In the wake of the steroid/human growth hormone raids last month:
- Gary Matthews Jr. denies using HGH. MLB.com has his full statement. Excerpt: "I have never taken HGH -- during the 2004 season or any other time. Nobody has accused me of doing so, and no law enforcement authority has said I am a target of any investigation for doing so."
- Evander Holyfield says he took a prescribed drug for a hormonal deficiency, but he's not sure of the trail that would connect such a drug to Applied Pharmacy in Mobile, Ala. A statement is expected on his site. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Posted by Beau Dure on March 14, 2007 in Baseball, Boxing/MMA, Drugs in sports Permalink Comments (0)
More names in steroid saga
To give some idea of what we learn from last week's raids on Florida pharmacies, Sports Illustrated has reviewed a "37-page classified intelligence report" on a similar raid of an Alabama pharmacy last year. Names on the list of clients: Angels outfielder Gary Matthews Jr., wrestler Kurt Angle, Rangers outfielder Jerry Hairston Jr., David Bell, Jose Canseco and John Rocker.
SI also found the name "Evan Fields" and a phone number. When the reporters called the number, boxer Evander Holyfield answered.
The New York Daily News spoke with Rocker, who says he used human growth hormone to treat injuries. But World Anti-Doping Agency adviser Gary Wadler says HGH shouldn't be used for the purposes Rocker describes.
In an investigation last year, ESPN found several doctors using HGH as a means of rehabilitation, though it's not clear whether Rocker's specific injuries could be treated in similar fashion.
(Update: Mayo Clinic guidelines on human growth hormone say the treatment is approved for children's ailments and "muscle wasting associated with AIDS and HIV," but they say nothing about treating injuries. Curiously, the Mayo page says growth hormone can increase muscle mass but doesn't necessarily make a patient stronger.)
The Florida raids have a link to a recent bodybuilding champion, The Columbus Dispatch reports. Victor Martinez, who won the Arnold (as in bodybuilder-turned-actor-turned-governor Schwarzenegger) Classic on Saturday, is an "unindicted co-conspirator" in the investigation of a steroid ring in Florida, New York and Texas, an Albany County district attorney spokeswoman tells the paper.
SI notes that the raids are aimed at the suppliers, not the buyers. Still, Major League Baseball is sending an investigator to Albany, the Times-Union reports.
Posted by Beau Dure on March 07, 2007 in Baseball, Boxing/MMA, Drugs in sports Permalink Comments (0)
Can quitters win?
The beating Israel Vasquez took in the ring Saturday against Rafael Marquez might not compare to the beating he has taken after the fight. From the (San Diego) Union-Tribune, Jerry Magee writes:
Vazquez retiring as he did was reminiscent of Roberto Duran announcing “no mas” during a match against Sugar Ray Leonard. By acting as he did, Vazquez takes himself out of consideration for possible big-money bouts against Manny Pacquiao and Marco Antonio Barrera at a higher weight.
On the same card, Victor Burgos fought bravely to the end against Vic Darchinyan, continuing until the referee stopped the fight in the 12th round.
Burgos is in a medically induced coma.
The Arizona Republic's Norm Frauenheim couldn't miss the contrast:
(Burgos) wouldn't quit, and for that there were cheers. Too bad Burgos couldn't hear them after a fight in a sport proud of its of survivors yet full of conflicting messages about how to become one.
Though some find UFC disturbing, mixed martial arts fighting follows is far more forgiving of giving up. When a fighter is caught in a chokehold or an armbar, he "taps out." You'll even see the words "TAP OUT" all over the ring and the fighters' shorts in this Columbus Dispatch audio slide show.
Incidentally, FightNews.com's Francisco Salazar says Vasquez may get a rematch with Marquez, anyway.
Posted by Beau Dure on March 06, 2007 in Boxing/MMA Permalink Comments (0)
Silva upset
More than six years after losing a controversial decision in Japan, Dan Henderson finally has his revenge against one of the biggest names in mixed martial arts -- Wanderlei Silva. Henderson, a former Olympic wrestler, took Silva's Pride middleweight belt with his fist.
The bout was the headliner on the second Pride card in Las Vegas. This one drew an announced crowd of 13,180.
The LATimes says Henderson's win was one of several upsets on the night, including one decided by a "gogoplata submission." After reading around, we think that's a choke with a foot or shin. Moral of the story in mixed martial arts -- the guy on his back isn't necessarily losing.
Posted by Beau Dure on February 26, 2007 in Boxing/MMA Permalink Comments (0)
Reorganization
Just a little bit of housecleaning before the guests arrive. (We'll explain later this week.)
Boxing and fighting sports are now in the "Boxing/MMC" category.
NASCAR posts are now in the "Motorsports" category."
NHL posts are in "Hockey."
Olympic Athlete of the Week posts are folded into "Olympic Sports."
Posted by Beau Dure on February 25, 2007 in Boxing/MMA, Hockey, Motorsports, Olympic Sports Permalink Comments (0)
Good morning
It's podcast day, and we're joined today by NFL draft expert Rob Rang to talk about the combine. Listen here or download at iTunes.
While podcast day comes once a week, NHL salary day comes once a year, just in time for the trade deadline. The breakdown shows that most teams are under the new cap, and you can search through the numbers at our database.
A fight like De La Hoya-Mayweather comes along once a decade or so, and USA TODAY staffers tagged along for 48 hours of their publicity tour. Check the video of their appearance at USA TODAY headquarters and a photo gallery from the tour.
Today's columns:- Jon Saraceno: Plight of "Pacman" illustrates need for stricter NFL- Michael McCarthy: Ex-coaches on tube shy away from speaking minds- Mike Lopresti: Yankees' soap-opera status far from a guiding light- Kevin Allen: Two views on karma, trade possibilities and fights (just in time for last night's big brawl)
Live this afternoon: Match Play round of 16 coverage starts at noon on XM channel 146 and at 2 p.m. on the Golf Channel.
Posted by Beau Dure on February 23, 2007 in Baseball, Boxing/MMA, Media, Podcasts Permalink Comments (0)
Boxers say they'll live up to the hype
Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr. stopped by USA TODAY headquarters in McLean, Va., Wednesday to promote their May 5 junior middleweight title fight in Las Vegas. (See video here.) The two fighters could not be more different. Mayweather, who carries the mythical "pound-for-pound" title, blew into the room first sporting a hooded sweatshirt and vibrating with energy. "I'm here for you all. You can ask me anything you want," explaining his casual dress by declaring he was "one of you."
But his diamond-studded bracelet and necklace that hung down to his waist reminded everyone he was in a different tax bracket. "Don’t judge me by my necklace cause it's long. It doesn't matter because we're all ending up at the same place."
De La Hoya, who’ll be defending his 154-pound belt, and whom Mayweather referred to as "fake," showed minutes later looking dapper with sweater and tie and an expression that mirrored a patient entering the dentist's office.
The session lacked fireworks, but the good news for boxing fans is the vow from both fighter to make the event live up to the hype. "Absolutely," Mayweather answered when asked if he felt an obligation to try to knock De La Hoya out instead of playing it safe for a decision win. "He doesn't have to worry about me running."
De La Hoya, whose career has been a string of mega fights, giggled when Mayweather said neither of them had been in an event this big. He still, however, acknowledged the importance of the fight to boxing. "This is like Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran and Tommy Hearns … it's up to us to make it that type of fight."
--Pete O'Brien
Posted by gkicinski on February 21, 2007 in Boxing/MMA Permalink Comments (0)
Dancing with the athletes
The Apolo Anton Ohno rumors were true. He'll be a contestant on Dancing With the Stars.
In the post-Emmitt era, the show is heavy on athletes. Clyde "the Glide" Drexler gets a chance to add another dimension to his nickname, and we'll see if Laila Ali can float like a butterfly.
We're not sure why the others are even showing up, frankly. We'll predict an Ali-Drexler final, with Ohno making a good run before his youth catches up to him.
Posted by Beau Dure on February 21, 2007 in Boxing/MMA, NBA, Olympic Sports Permalink Comments (0)
Mayweather calls out De La Hoya
UFC is on the rise, but boxing is still king when it comes to creating media events out of playground taunting.
Oscar De La Hoya sees his upcoming bout with Floyd Mayweather as a chance to help his ailing sport: "Boxing has been at its lowest point for quite a while now. This will give it a great shot in the arm."
Mayweather sounds a little less noble, but if the idea is to get people talking, he's happy to start the conversation. He questioned De La Hoya's heart and used a word we won't use here. But Reuters doesn't mind the language.
That's the first of 11 stops on this tour.
Posted by Beau Dure on February 21, 2007 in Boxing/MMA Permalink Comments (0)
ESPN: Morrison cleared to fight
He fought Stallone in Rocky V, then rose through the heavyweight ranks until an HIV test put him out of commission in 1996. Now, Tommy Morrison tells ESPN.com's Dan Rafael he has been cleared to fight on Thursday.
Morrison was set to fight a January bout in Arizona but withdrew with a hand injury.
Posted by Beau Dure on February 20, 2007 in Boxing/MMA Permalink Comments (0)
Weekend Watch
Plenty to watch before every sport goes into hiding and cedes center stage to the Colts and Bears.
All times Eastern
FRIDAY
College hockey: #1 New Hampshire hosts traditional power Maine. (CSTV, 7 p.m.)
NBA: ESPN doubleheader with New Jersey-Orlando (8 p.m.) and the ER special of Chicago-Seattle (10:30 p.m.).
Track and field: Live from New York, the 100th Millrose Games. (ESPN2, 7 p.m.; highlights on NBC at 2 p.m. Saturday)
SATURDAY
Soccer: The Liverpool derby (Liverpool-Everton, Setanta, 7:45 a.m.), then as many as four Americans on one field as Fulham (Brian McBride, Carlos Bocanegra, Clint Dempsey) hosts Newcastle (new signing Oguchi Onyewu).
College men's basketball: Tough test for #4 Ohio State at Michigan State (CBS, 4 p.m.), then a big one in the Big 12 between #8 Texas A&M and #6 Kansas (ESPN, 9 p.m.).
NHL: This is the equivalent of planets aligning. The top teams in the East, Buffalo and New Jersey, meet at 7:30 p.m. Center Ice subscribers will want to flip back and forth at 8 p.m., when the top teams in the West meet -- Anaheim at Nashville.
Boxing: Tomasz Adamek and Jesus Chavez defend their titles on a "Super Saturday" card. (Showtime, 9 p.m.)
NBA: Division leaders Utah and Phoenix clash. (9 p.m.)
SUNDAY
Golf: Tiger Woods is at the European Tour's Dubai stop (Golf Channel, same-day tape, 8:30 p.m.), while the PGA Tour's FBR Open wraps up (NBC, 3 p.m.).
NBA: Detroit at Cleveland, with the Central lead possibly at stake. (ABC, 2:30 p.m.)
College women's basketball: #21 California at #9 Stanford (4 p.m.) is the weekend's best.
NFL: Game time 6:25 p.m. Michael Hiestand has more on the broadcast. We'll be talking about it here at Sports Scope.
Tennis: If you want a Super Bowl alternative, check the Vina del Mar (Chile) final, likely including Australian Open finalist Fernando Gonzalez. (Tennis Channel, 8 p.m.)
ALL WEEKEND
We've already covered the weekend in winter sports World Championships, with Bode Miller set for a busy week.
Read on for more TV and Web options. We've added links for satellite radio schedules.
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Posted by Beau Dure on February 02, 2007 in Boxing/MMA, College Basketball, Golf, Hockey, Lacrosse, NBA, NFL, Olympic Sports, Soccer, Super Bowl XLI, Tennis, Weekend Watch Permalink Comments (0)
Divine intervention
Beliefnet offers a list of the top 10 sports miracles. No. 1 is obvious, but Off Wing Opinion argues on behalf of a couple of omissions -- Villanova over Georgetown, Buster Douglas over Mike Tyson.
Some of the most frequently replayed miracles aren't included. The list doesn't include Dwight Clark leaping for "The Catch," Christian Laettner's catch-and-shoot against Kentucky (part of a 10-for-10, 10-for-10 performance) or Michael Jordan's shot against Craig Ehlo.
There are no NBA or NHL miracles on the list. You'll see two baseball, one college hoops, one horse racing, one gymnastics, one golf, one boxing, one college football, one NFL and one hockey.
What else is missing?
Also at Beliefnet, Gregg Easterbrook ponders the theology of praying for football teams. The same argument could extend to other sports, though some baseball fans may argue it's theologically sound to pray against the Yankees.
Posted by Beau Dure on February 02, 2007 in Baseball, Boxing/MMA, College Basketball, College Football, Golf, Hockey, Horse Racing, NFL, Olympic Sports, Super Bowl XLI Permalink Comments (0)
Today's top features
TGIPD. The "PD" is Podcast Day, with C+C Football Factory (Colston and Corbett) breaking down the NFL playoffs. Stream the audio, download at iTunes and no, that '80s music reference doesn't mean we're old. Borat listens to C+C.
More NFL: Deuce McAlister is revved up ('70s music reference this time, to one of the strangest hit songs in history) for the NFC championship game, while the AFC championship pairing looks familiar. Jon Saraceno says it's Peyton Manning's turn, while Michael Hiestand finds that any of the possible Super Bowl matchups would be a solid ratings draw. Among the other 28 teams, the Cardinals coaching job might be the least desirable, writes Mike Lopresti.
College hoops: Chat with Tim Gardner at 2 p.m. ET.
Hockey: Kevin Allen describes a wildly successful coaching change in St. Louis.
Baseball: Texas manager Ron Washington took a sobering tour through his hometown of New Orleans. Hal Bodley assesses the prospects for the latest big-spending team, the Toronto Blue Jays. Yes, the Blue Jays.
Boxing: After celebrating her father's 65th birthday, Laila Ali talks about preparing for her last fight before taking a break to start a family.
Posted by Beau Dure on January 19, 2007 in Boxing/MMA, College Basketball, NFL Permalink Comments (0)
Ali at 65
A few snapshots of Muhammad Ali on his 65th birthday:
- "What makes him the greatest fighter is that he simply had skills that exceeded anyone's expectations." -- Sylvester Stallone (via Reuters)
- "By the time Ali beat Foreman, the country was healing, and heavyweight boxing was as popular as baseball and the up-and-coming NFL. With Howard Cosell giving him a decade of access to TV, Ali also charmed the print media with an ease surprising for a high school dropout thought to be functionally illiterate." -- Cedric Golden (Austin American-Statesman)
- "Muhammad was the happiest human being on this earth – still is. An absolute joy to be with. Most special man that ever was born. Do you know what makes me proudest in life? The very fact I can call Muhammad my friend." -- Angelo Dundee (via The Telegraph)
- "Muhammad is a little sentimental. He likes looking at older things. He likes watching some of the interviews and saying some of the crazy outrageous things he used to say." -- Lonnie Ali, his fourth wife (via AP)
- Author Davis Miller describes sparring with Ali. He landed a combination. Ali answered. That was it.
Add your own thoughts and links below.
Posted by Beau Dure on January 17, 2007 in Boxing/MMA Permalink Comments (0)
Weekend Watch
By popular demand, we're switching back to a chronological approach for the highlights:
All times Eastern
FRIDAY
Golf: See if Michelle Wie can pull off a miracle and make the cut at the Sony Open in Hawaii (Golf Channel, 7 p.m.)
Boxing: Friday Night Fights, ESPN2, 9 p.m.
NBA: Doubleheader on ESPN -- Wizards-Hornets (8 p.m.) and Houston-Denver (10:30 p.m.). Best game has Orlando at L.A. Lakers (10:30 p.m.).
SATURDAY
Winter sports: Alpine skiing will be questionable all weekend and maybe all month. But check Eurosport to see if they're doing live video from biathlon.
Soccer: Blackburn-Arsenal (Fox Soccer Channel, noon) is the pick of the day.
College football: No, we're not done. North South game today (ESPN2, noon) and Hula Bowl tomorrow.
College women's basketball: Christine Brennan will be happy to know the marquee hoops game of the day is a women's game -- #1 Maryland at #3 Duke (FSN, 12:30 p.m.), a rematch of last year's national championship, which brings back very bad memories for those of us who have a couple of degrees from the latter.
College men's basketball: No. 5 Ohio State has another big non-conference game against an SEC team, #20 Tennessee (CBS, 1 p.m., part of regional coverage). Unbeaten Clemson (#14) gets its biggest test of the season at #25 Maryland (ESPNU, 2 p.m.). Top-ranked North Carolina is at Virginia Tech (ABC, 3:30 p.m.). See below for much more.
NHL: NBC perks up with regional coverage at 2 p.m., with Boston-N.Y. Rangers the best of three available games. In the evening, power-rankings leaders Buffalo and Anaheim are at home against conference foes Tampa Bay (7 p.m.) and Colorado (10 p.m.). Also on TV: San Jose at Phoenix (HDNet, 9 p.m.).
NFL: Two playoffs: Indianapolis at Baltimore (CBS, 4:30 p.m.); Philadelphia at New Orleans (Fox, 8 p.m.). Check the picks.
NBA: New Jersey at Minnesota (NBA TV, 8 p.m.); Orlando at Phoenix (9 p.m.).
SUNDAY
Soccer: Everton-Reading (Setanta, 8:45 a.m.).
NFL: The other two playoffs: Seattle at Chicago (Fox, 1 p.m.); New England at San Diego (CBS, 4:30 p.m.)
Snowboarding: Snowboardcross is the first event at the World Championships. Torino gold medalist Seth Wescott and silver medalist Lindsey Jacobellis are on the U.S. squad, with Jacobellis looking to make up for a costly stunt on the last jump in Italy.
NBA: Denver at Portland (NBA TV, 9 p.m.).
College women's basketball: SEC rivals -- #4 Tennessee at #15 Georgia (FSN, 1 p.m.).
Golf: PGA Tour's Sony Open wraps in Hawaii (The Golf Channel, 7 p.m.).
Tennis: Australian Open coverage takes you away from that overrated function known as "sleep." (ESPN2, 7 p.m. and ESPN, 3:30 a.m.)
College men's basketball: #17 Oregon at #8 Arizona (FSN, 8 p.m.).
College football: As threatened, the Hula Bowl (ESPN, 8:30 p.m.)
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Posted by Beau Dure on January 12, 2007 in Boxing/MMA, College Basketball, College Football, NBA, NFL, Olympic Sports, Soccer, Tennis, Weekend Watch Permalink Comments (0)
Weekend Watch
Wild-card weekend, golf in Hawaii and bull riding in New York. Guess which one also features American Idol star Chris Daughtry?
All times Eastern. We wouldn't ask you to do the time conversion between here and Hawaii.
NFL: You've seen the picks. Game times and networks are:
- Kansas City at Indianapolis, NBC, 4:30 p.m. Saturday- Dallas at Seattle, NBC, 8 p.m. Saturday- N.Y. Jets at New England, CBS, 1 p.m. Sunday- N.Y. Giants at Philadelphia, Fox, 4:30 p.m. Sunday
NBA: Dallas takes its 11-game win streak to San Antonio in the first game (8 p.m.) of ESPN's Friday doubleheader. Miami at Phoenix is the second game. Utah has back-to-back games at Houston (8:30 p.m. Friday) and Denver (9 p.m. Saturday).
NBA TV has Detroit at Chicago (8:30 p.m. Saturday) and Dallas at L.A. Lakers (9:30 p.m. Sunday).
Soccer: It's a combination of the NCAA Tournament and the old Indiana high school tournament on Hoosiers. But it's much older. They've been playing this tournament since 1871. It's the FA Cup, open to most teams in England, and the fun starts when the Premier League teams join in this weekend. This year, 685 teams entered, though it is whittled down to 64 before the top teams join the fray.
Only two teams outside the four professional leagues have survived to this stage, which spoils the fun. But one of those teams, Tamworth, will show its stuff to a North American audience against Norwich City on Fox Soccer Channel (noon Saturday).
Through the luck of the draw, U.S. goalkeepers Tim Howard (Everton) and Brad Friedel (Blackburn) face off in an all-Premier League matchup Sunday. Two of England's marquee clubs, Liverpool and Arsenal, face each other Saturday. If you're going, why not send a video to the BBC?
Boxing: Friday Night Fights returns to ESPN2 (9 p.m.). Showtime has the IBO super middleweight title fight (Anthony Hanshaw-Jean Paul Mendy) 11 p.m. Friday and the Samuel Peter-James Toney rematch at 9 p.m. Saturday.
College football: Cincinnati can give the Big East a 5-0 record in its bowls with a win over Western Michigan (International Bowl, ESPN2, noon Saturday). Then it's Ohio and Southern Miss in the GMAC Bowl (ESPN, 8 p.m. Sunday).
College men's basketball: Duke (vs. Virginia Tech, noon) and Ohio State (at Illinois, 2 p.m.) get conference tests in Saturday's ESPN coverage. The folks from Bristol also have a good nonconference game -- Connecticut at LSU (9 p.m. Saturday).
College women's basketball: CBS has a national doubleheader of national powers Saturday -- Michigan State at defending champ Maryland (2 p.m.) and Tennessee at Connecticut (4 p.m.). Also Saturday: Stanford at California (5 p.m.). Sunday, see Purdue at Texas (ESPN, 3 p.m.) while keeping an eye on Georgia at LSU (3 p.m.).
Tennis: The Tennis Channel has Martina Hingis vs. Dinara Safina in the Gold Coast finals (8:30 p.m. Friday), plus ATP Adelaide semifinals (10:30 p.m. Friday) and final (11:30 p.m. Saturday).
NHL: North of the border, CBC has a solid Saturday tripleheader -- N.Y. Rangers at Montreal (3 p.m.), Buffalo at Toronto (7 p.m.), Dallas at Calgary (10 p.m.). The marquee game is Sunday: Detroit at Anaheim (8 p.m.).
Rodeo: The Versus Invitational, from Madison Square Garden, will be on delay on -- not surprisingly -- Versus. That's 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 8 p.m. Sunday. NBC also will have PBR coverage at 2:20 p.m. Sunday. Make your fantasy picks now.
Golf: Coverage of the PGA Tour's season opener from Hawaii at 6 p.m. each night on The Golf Channel.
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Posted by Beau Dure on January 05, 2007 in Boxing/MMA, College Basketball, College Football, Golf, NBA, NFL, Olympic Sports, Soccer, Tennis Permalink Comments (0)
2006 in review: Wide world
The excitement of a possible Triple Crown winner turned to gasps at the Preakness when runaway Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro pulled up with a horrific injury. The horse's health declined and rebounded, with the prognosis looking better after months of treatment. Bernardini was the overshadowed winner at the Preakness, while Jazil won the depleted Belmont Stakes. Invasor upset Bernardini in the Breeders Cup Classic.
Jockey Russell Baze Jr. broke Laffit Pincay Jr.'s record for all-time wins.
Boxing: While Rocky Balboa returned to the big screen, the real-world heavyweight division saw few American highlights, with all four title belts in the hands of fighters from the former Soviet Union.
Manny Pacquiao knocked out Erik Morales in the third and likely final matchup of the super featherweights.
Middleweight champion Jermain Taylor kept his belts with a draw against Winky Wright and a win over Kassim Ouma, but a Wright rematch looms. Maybe.
This much we know -- Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Oscar De La Hoya are set to tangle in May in a bout that could be boxing's richest.
UFC: The mixed martial arts organization is set to rack up more impressive pay-per-view numbers with a year-end match between Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz.
X Games: Travis Pastrana won "Most Xperimental Athlete," which is apparently a good thing.
Rodeo: Trevor Brazile took all-around honors and a PRCA money record. Adriano Moraes won the PBR title.
Poker: Jamie Gold won the World Series of Poker but faces a suit over his winnings. Michael Mizrachi leads the Player of the Year standings and has pocketed more than $2.3 million.
Dog show: The Westminster winner is a colored bull terrier named Rufus.
Barbaro photo is University of Pennsylvania handout via AP; Brazile photo by Chris Carlson, AP
Posted by Beau Dure on December 29, 2006 in Boxing/MMA, Gaming, Horse Racing, Year in review Permalink Comments (0)
Tyson back in the news
With Mike Tyson's arrest on DUI and drug possession charges, we're left to wonder what Tyson was planning to do next.
Since an October exhibition bout that doubled as a campaign ad for ex-brother-in-law Michael Steele, we've seen rumors of a bout with Tom Jones (yes, the singer, whose spokespeople denied it) and a switch to mixed martial arts in the PRIDE circuit. Mike-Tyson.info claimed in November that Tyson might be planning to box under the PRIDE banner rather than mix it up in the hybrid of kickboxing and wrestling forms.
On Deadline links to the local TV report, in which a police spokesman says Tyson was cooperative, even a "perfect gentleman."
Posted by Beau Dure on December 29, 2006 in Boxing/MMA Permalink Comments (0)
James Brown and sports
Listen Up remembers James Brown and his essential music career. Yet the Godfather of Soul spread his music throughout the entertainment world and the sports world as well.
Sure, Brown was in Rocky IV, performing Living in America to Drago's befuddlement just before the Russian boxer killed Apollo Creed. (For Brown fans, the deeper meaning of "Apollo" is the name of the legendary Harlem theater in which he recorded one of his masterworks.)
But Brown's boxing ties weren't limited to Creed-Drago. He performed at a festival in Zaire before Ali-Foreman, the Rumble in the Jungle.
He also made a lasting contribution to Georgia football, recording Dooley's Junkyard Dawgs in honor of the Bulldogs' gritty defense in the 1970s.
AP file photo - Brown at the Apollo in 1994, where a nearby street was renamed James Brown Boulevard
Posted by Beau Dure on December 26, 2006 in Boxing/MMA, College Football, Media Permalink Comments (0)
Weekend Watch
College tournaments in football and volleyball, NFL playoff berths at stake and a rodeo final are among the highlights. All times Eastern.
NFL: The Colts and Chargers are in a "win-and-in" playoff scenario, while a few other teams can clinch a berth with help. Among the latter are the Saints and Cowboys, who happen to play in the Sunday night game.
College tournaments: The Division Formerly Known As I-AA has football semifinals on ESPN2 this weekend (Massachusetts-Montana, 7:30 p.m. Friday; Youngstown State at Appalachian State, 4 p.m. Saturday).
Division II semifinals are Sunday: Bloomsburg-NW Missouri State (ESPNU, 5:30 p.m.) and Delta State at Grand Valley State (ESPN2, 7 p.m.). Division III will be Webcast on Saturday at NCAASports.com -- St. John Fisher at perennial power Mount Union (noon) and Wesley College at Wisconsin-Whitewater (1 p.m.).
The Division I volleyball tourney has been whittled to 16 and will be cut down to eight tonight. ESPNU has a quarterfinal quadruple-header starting at 4 p.m. Saturday.
Boxing: Jermain Taylor defends the WBC and WBO middleweight belts against Kassim Ouma, with Winky Wright waiting in the wings (HBO, 10 p.m. Saturday).
Figure skating: Olympic competition meets American Idol as fans pick the winners at the Marshall's U.S. Challenge (ABC, 1 p.m. Sunday). Sasha Cohen, Kimmie Meissner, Johnny Weir, Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto are among the skaters.
Winter sports: We know freestyle skiing's World Cup circuit is starting this weekend in China. Check FIS for updates on the weather-plagued skiing events in Europe. Speedskaters of both kinds are on track this weekend, luge and biathlon athletes are in action, and the bobsled circuit is in Park City.
Soccer: Toluca and Chivas tangle for the Mexican title in the second leg of the final (Univision, 1 p.m. Sunday). They're currently tied 1-1.
The other half of one CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinal bracket will be filled in a Caribbean qualifying tournament, featuring the Puerto Rico Islanders.
The World Club Cup kicks off on Fox Soccer Channel, with Mexico's Club America representing North America and vicinity (5 a.m. Sunday and Monday).
NBA: Top games include Detroit-Orlando (7 p.m. Friday), Denver-Dallas (8:30 p.m. Saturday, NBA TV) and San Antonio-L.A. Lakers (9:30 p.m. Sunday, NBA TV).
NHL: Edmonton-Dallas (8:30 p.m. Friday), Anaheim-Tampa Bay (7:30 p.m. Saturday).
College basketball: Marquee matchups are Wisconsin-Marquette (ESPN, 2 p.m. Saturday), UCLA-Texas A&M (CBS, 2:30 p.m. Saturday) and Washington-Gonzaga (11 p.m. Saturday). Intriguing matchup is last year's Cinderella, George Mason, at Duke (ESPN, noon Saturday).
On the women's side, it's Texas-Duke (ESPNU, 1 p.m. Sunday) and Ohio State-LSU (3 p.m. Sunday).
Pool: It's like the Ryder Cup, but it's the Mosconi Cup. If you happen to be in a country that gets Sky Sports, check it out.
Rodeo: Final day of the Wrangler PRCA National Finals (ESPN2, 9 p.m. Saturday).
Asian Games: North Korea vs. South Korea in soccer. The Koreas will unite behind a 2014 Winter Olympic bid.
MORE ON TV
See the full listings for more college basketball, bowling and golf on the broadcast networks, ESPN and ESPN2.
Also:- HDNet: College hoops, NHL, "cagefighting"- ESPNU: College hoops, hockey, volleyball, football- CSTV: More college sports, especially hockey- NBA TV: NBA, Euroleague, D-League- Fox Soccer Channel, GolTV, Setanta: More soccer (listings at Soccer America)
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Posted by Beau Dure on December 08, 2006 in Boxing/MMA, College Basketball, College Football, College: More sports, Golf, NBA, NFL, Olympic Sports, Soccer, Weekend Watch Permalink Comments (0)
Around the lunch table
We'll be tracking the U.S. soccer non-hiring of Jurgen Klinsmann. You're already chiming in on Barry Bonds, but what about Tom Brady trying to sue your fantasy league? (If you're a Yahoo! player, that is.)
Other reading material for the early afternoon:
- Can the Chargers take home field in the AFC?
- Katie Uhlaender has won two straight women's skeleton races, which makes her the early front-runner for Olympic Athlete of the Week honors. But as far as winning streaks go, she's trailing Norwegian biathlon legend Ole Einar Bjorndalen, who's up to eight now.
- MaxBoxing/ESPN has the story of a Ugandan child soldier turned middleweight contender.
Posted by Beau Dure on December 08, 2006 in Boxing/MMA, NFL, Olympic Sports Permalink Comments (0)
No fighting ultimate fighting's rise
Ultimate fighting has been in the public consciousness for at least a decade. Friends aired "The One with the Ultimate Fighting Champion" in May 1997. That episode used the sport as an excuse to break up Monica and multibillionaire Pete (Jon Favreau), who clings to his delusions of competency in the ring to Monica's horror.
A couple of months ago, we asked if UFC and other mixed martial arts competitions were replacing boxing as America's favorite combat sport.
Today, USA TODAY's Life section takes us to a UFC competition in Sacramento (the one in which Tim Sylvia ... wait ... we'll stop there in case you've got it on Tivo) and finds that it's drawing everyone from teachers to paramedics to Hollywood agents, all boosting the sport's substantial ratings on Spike.
Wikipedia provides a rough guide to the various forms of this rough sport. Some aspects of it aren't unique. Olympic-style judo sees athletes using chokes and armbars to force opponents to submit (or pass out, whichever comes first). Taekwondo and various forms of karate or kickboxing include kicking and punching.
So what makes this sport special? Why is it drawing crowds to arenas, cable TV and pay-per-view?
Photo by Martin E. Klimek for USA TODAY
Posted by Beau Dure on December 05, 2006 in Boxing/MMA Permalink Comments (0)
Today's chats, columns, etc.
Baseball: We've covered it before and will cover it again today, but first, read what Hall of Fame voter Mel Antonen has to say about Mark McGwire's candidacy.
College football: The USA TODAY/Gallup Fan Poll agrees -- Florida is No. 2, by a margin of six points out of 400 votes cast, with the Southern voters making the difference.- The NCAA moved to speed up games this year. How'd that work out?
College basketball: Meet star Arizona freshman Chase Budinger, who's also a former national prep player of the year in volleyball.- Meet the new No. 1 in the Top 25
NFL: NFC North QBs (not just Rex Grossman) are in the firing line in Four Downs.- Fantasy chat with Nate Davis, 2 p.m. ET
NBA: The Scorer's Table finds Kevin Garnett posting MVP numbers- Fantasy chat with Brian Styers, noon ET
NHL: Checking in with ... Sharks goalie Vesa Toskala- Ted Montgomery: One-timers on Hossa, the Red Wings and Gretzky- The scoring record for a U.S.-born player may soon fall to Mike Modano- Clutch rankings for November are out, with players from Tampa Bay and Montreal atop the list.- Chat with Kevin Allen, 1 p.m. ET
Drugs in sports: Gene doping might not be the wave of the future, as a test is in the works.
Ultimate fighting: Any way you look at it, the sport is on the rise.
Posted by Beau Dure on December 05, 2006 in Baseball, Boxing/MMA, College Basketball, College Football, Drugs in sports, NBA, NFL Permalink Comments (0)
Weekend Top 12
The top performers over the weekend, none decided by polls. Except boxing. And figure skating.
12. Tommy Jones: The 2005-06 PBA player of the year won by one pin in Ohio.
11. Winky Wright: Knocked down Ike Quartey and cruised to a unanimous decision.
10. Michael Phelps: A typical six-win performance at the U.S. Open.
9. Florida State men's basketball: Plenty of upsets over the weekend -- DePaul over Kansas, Notre Dame over Maryland and North Dakota State, a Division II team not long ago, over Marquette -- but the Seminoles get the edge for knocking off an intrastate rival who happens to be the defending national champion, Florida.
8. New York Islanders: Beat division rivals Pittsburgh and N.Y. Rangers on back-to-back nights to remain atop the Atlantic. Viktor Kozlov had four goals against the Rangers.
7. Brazil: No longer the World Cup champion, but the world champion in men's volleyball.
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Posted by Beau Dure on December 04, 2006 in Boxing/MMA, College Basketball, College: More sports, NFL, Olympic Sports, Soccer, Tennis Permalink Comments (0)
Lunch-table talk
Boise State fans are emerging in our BCS/playoff conversation. Also up today: Michael Vick, the Weekend Top 12 and a list of the frantic hires and fires in college football coaching.
Also worth reading:
- Contender winner Peter Manfredo is getting a shot at Joe Calzaghe, who will give up his IBF title to take the fight. (BBC)
- QB controversy stirring with the 9-2 Bears. (MSNBC) We may look at that in the afternoon.
- NCAA tournament fields announced in women's volleyball and men's water polo. The latter saw the end of a 44-game winning streak over the weekend. (CSTV)
- Iran has won a temporary reprieve on its ban from international soccer to play in the Asian Games. (AFP)
Posted by Beau Dure on November 27, 2006 in Boxing/MMA, College: More sports, NFL, Soccer Permalink Comments (0)
Weekend Top 12
12. Anaheim Ducks: Won fourth of last five games to move into a tie with Buffalo for the NHL's best record.
11. U.S. women's soccer: Defeated Canada 2-1 in overtime to clinch the Gold Cup. The U.S. played without Heather O'Reilly, who was busy helping North Carolina avenge a season-opening loss to Texas A&M and won its 25th straight, twice coming back from a one-goal deficit to win 3-2 in the quarterfinals. ACC soccer teams account for half the semifinalists in the men's and women's NCAA Division I brackets despite UCLA's stunning comeback win at Duke.
10. Georgia (women's basketball): Won early-season showdown with Stanford.
9. Stephen Ames: A smashing Skins Game debut.
8. Australia (cricket): A smashing start to the Ashes series, beating England by 277 runs despite the voluntary concession of 10 of their 20 wickets.
7. Dallas Mavericks: David DuPree's team of the week, running their winning streak to nine with wins over San Antonio and New Orleans.
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Posted by Beau Dure on November 27, 2006 in Boxing/MMA, College Basketball, College Football, College: More sports, Golf, NBA, NFL, Olympic Sports, Soccer Permalink Comments (0)
Weekend Watch
Quarterfinals in college soccer, virtual quarterfinals in college football, all-consuming matchups for folks in England and the usual NFL/NBA/NHL November fare. All times Eastern
NBA: Tonight's battle of Texas (Dallas-San Antonio, 8 p.m., ESPN) is the weekend TV highlight. Also Friday, the 8-3 Lakers visit 11-1 Utah. On Saturday, Dallas turns around to host the surprising Hornets.
College football: Plenty of rivalry games, but the stakes are highest in Wake Forest-Maryland (ACC title game impact, 7:45 p.m. Saturday, ESPN) and Notre Dame-Southern Cal (national title game impact, 8 p.m. Saturday, ABC). For the full weekend, check the breakdown, the Weekend Forecast and the TV schedule.
Golf: Fred Funk, Fred Couples, John Daly and Stephen Ames are the unlikely foursome in the Skins Game (3:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, ABC). Don't forget the Euro Tour in Australia (Golf Channel)
Skiing: The Nordic folks are all in Finland, but the Alpine skiers are closer to home, with World Cup races in Lake Louise, Alberta. WCSN has delayed video for subscribers, while live updates are available through usskiteam.com or Eurosport.
Soccer: Manchester United. Chelsea. The traditional power vs. the club that spends like three Steinbrenners put together. If you're not excited about that matchup, you may not be a sports fan, let alone a soccer fan. Let Bobby McMahon break it down for you. (11 a.m. Sunday, Fox Soccer Channel)
NFL: Philadelphia-Indianapolis is the prime-time game (8:15 p.m. Sunday, NBC). If you think the Colts won't make it through the playoffs, then you might be looking at a Super Bowl preview in the 4:15 games as Da Bears travel to New England. Check the picks.
NHL: Best game is Sunday, when league-leading Buffalo takes on the Rangers and the league's leading scorer, Jaromir Jagr.
Cricket: England's in just a bit of trouble against Australia in the first test of The Ashes, bringing out the gallows humor from The Guardian's readers: ""Seriously, England are in the driving seat here," says Tim Nicholls. "The Aussies have some serious problems, like when do they really declare, is Harmy just playing possum, what are they going to do on Monday? And then there is the selection crisis of do they need a sixth batsman or could they just field a celebrity in their middle order? It's all about mind games and the creation of doubt."
(If that doesn't make sense, consider this: Australia scored 602 runs. Yes, that's a lot. And they quit early -- conceding only nine wickets instead of 10 -- so they'd have more of a chance to get England out. The English are "53 for 3," which means they're on pace to score about 177, leaving them a gap of more than 400 for the second innings. Three days left, and England must be praying for rain.)
Follow live at the BBC, or the stat-heavy cricinfo, or The Guardian.
ALSO THIS WEEKEND
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Posted by Beau Dure on November 24, 2006 in Boxing/MMA, College Basketball, College Football, College: More sports, Golf, NBA, NFL, Olympic Sports, Preps, Soccer, Weekend Watch Permalink Comments (0)
Today's columns and features
Everybody eat well? Too much? Relax and dig into to this:
College football:- USC takes defensive tack
NFL:- Bears' Bradley enjoys long-awaited chance
NHL:- Roenick gets his act together- Kevin Allen: A look at next summer's free-agent market- Gary Thorne: GMs adapting to new-look NHL- Kyle Woodlief: Smaller prospects making way up NHL draft board- Checking in with ... NHL analyst Bill Clement
NBA:- Warriors' Ellis thriving under Nelson- New attitude gives Hawks new hope
Horse racing:- Jockey Baze close to career record for wins
Boxing:- Welterweights vie to succeed Mayweather
TV:- Michael Hiestand on Bob Davie and an NFL Films series with hard-hitting questions
College soccer:- Notre Dame soccer a two-part success
At Sports Scope today, we'll round up your fantasy help and preview the gigantic weekend ahead.
Posted by Beau Dure on November 24, 2006 in Boxing/MMA, College Basketball, College Football, College: More sports, Horse Racing, NBA, NFL, Soccer Permalink Comments (0)
Weekend Top 12
The top 12 weekend winners ...
12. British Columbia Lions. Lifted the Grey Cup with a 25-14 win over the Montreal Alouettes.
11. Padraig Harrington. Not many golfers beat Tiger Woods in a playoff. He's the second, in fact. Tiger is now 14-2. The other big golf winner of the weekend: LPGA rookie Julieta Granada, who earned a $1 million paycheck at the ADT Championship.
10. Old Dominion men's hoops. Beat No. 8 Georgetown on the Hoyas' campus.
9. Manny Pacquiao. Knocked down Erik Morales three times to close out the trilogy of fights (one win each before Saturday) with a third-round knockout.
8. Utah Jazz. Now 9-1 after beating Phoenix.
7. Chicago Bears. Also 9-1, and they're a little farther along in the season than the Jazz. The defense dominated in a 10-0 shutout of the Jets.
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Posted by Beau Dure on November 20, 2006 in Boxing/MMA, College Basketball, College Football, College: More sports, Cycling, Golf, NBA, NFL, Olympic Sports, Tennis Permalink Comments (0)
Weekend Watch
College football's titanic weekend and the NASCAR series finale are among the highlights. Also, champions are crowned in CFL football, modern pentathlon and NCAA field hockey.
All times Eastern
TOP EVENTS
College men's basketball (Friday): 2K Sports College Hoops Classic concludes on ESPN2, with St. John's and Texas in the third-place game (7 p.m.) and Maryland against Michigan State for the title (9 p.m.).
College football (Saturday): No more need to hype Michigan-Ohio State. Just a reminder of the time and channel: 3:30 p.m., ABC. The second-biggest game of the day: California at Southern Cal (8 p.m., ABC).
NASCAR (Sunday): The final turns in the Chase for the Nextel Cup (NBC, 3 p.m.).
The rest of the week:
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Posted by Beau Dure on November 17, 2006 in Boxing/MMA, College Basketball, College Football, College: More sports, Golf, NBA, NFL, Olympic Sports, Soccer, Tennis, Weekend Watch Permalink Comments (0)
De La Hoya-Mayweather
May 5, 2007: Floyd Mayweather vs. Oscar De La Hoya. Site undetermined. Both men say this will be their last fight, a statement boxers have been known to take back. De La Hoya is likely to be an underdog.
The records:
Floyd Mayweather: 37-0, 24 knockouts. Titles won: WBC super featherweight, WBC lightweight, WBC light welterweight, IBF welterweight, WBC welterweight
Oscar De La Hoya: 38-4, 30 knockouts. Titles won: IBF lightweight, WBC super lightweight, WBC welterweight, WBC junior middleweight, WBA junior middleweight
De La Hoya is 33 (34 by the time of the fight) and has only fought six times in the last five years, once since Bernard Hopkins knocked him out with a body shot Sept. 18, 2004. Mayweather will be 30.
The Ring ranks Mayweather first among welterweights and De La Hoya sixth among junior middleweights.
Will this fight live up to the hype? Or is it too late?
Posted by Beau Dure on November 14, 2006 in Boxing/MMA Permalink Comments (0)
Weekend Top 12
Ten isn't even enough for gymnasts any more. We stretch it to 12.
- Da Bears: Rex Grossman silences the Brian Griese talk, Devin Hester makes the Giants pay for ignoring the deep man on a field goal attempt and Chicago has a two-game lead in the NFC home-field race. Honorable mention to San Diego, which moved to 7-2 the hard way, storming back from 21 points down.
- Jimmie Johnson: Finished second to Kevin Harvick in Arizona but broke open the Chase for the Nextel Cup, needing only a 12th-place finish next week to clinch the title.
- Houston Rockets: Won fourth straight, with Yao dominating Shaq in a 94-72 win over Miami.
- Houston Dynamo: Answered a late overtime goal with one of their own, then won the MLS title on penalty kicks.
- Justine Henin-Hardenne: Tour champion, top-ranked women's player.
- Southern Cal football: Handily beat Oregon and moved into position for a title shot as ranked teams tumbled around them. The women's soccer team upset Santa Clara before falling to Stanford in the NCAA tournament.
- Tony Schumacher: Needed a record to win his third straight NHRA Top Fuel championship, and he delivered. Honorable mention to John Force, who won his 14th Funny Car title and his 122nd race.
- Vladimir Klitschko: Knocked out Calvin Brock to keep his share of the heavyweight championship. So can we have a unified champion yet?
- Virginia basketball: Opened a new arena in style with an upset of Arizona.
- Evan Lysacek: Won Cup of China figure skating competition with a comeback in the free skate.
- Lorena Ochoa: As if we needed any more convincing that she's the top LPGA player this year.
- Pete Weber: Won his 33rd PBA title with an average margin of victory of almost 50 pins in the two televised matches.
Honorable mentions to Shani Davis (winner 1,000 meters, World Cup speedskating), Andy Potts (World Cup triathlon winner) and the NCAA field hockey semifinalists.
Posted by Beau Dure on November 13, 2006 in Boxing/MMA, College Basketball, College Football, College: More sports, Golf, Motorsports, NBA, NFL, Olympic Sports, Soccer, Tennis Permalink Comments (0)
Weekend Watch
All times Eastern. See full TV listings here, and follow football, basketball, NHL and the MLS playoffs on the scores page. We also have matchup info for football, basketball, NHL, MLS, European soccer and NASCAR.
FRIDAY
NASCAR: Speed Channel has Nextel Cup qualifying (5 p.m.) and Craftsman Truck race (8 p.m.).
College football: UTEP-UAB (8 p.m., ESPN2).
Golf: The Merrill Lynch Shootout is mostly men but includes a Fred Couples-Annika Sorenstam team (4 p.m., USA). That means she's missing the LPGA Tournament of Champions (5 p.m. tape, The Golf Channel). Tiger Woods is on the European Tour's China stop (11 p.m., The Golf Channel). And they think Americans don't know geography.
NBA: ESPN has selected Miami-New Jersey (8 p.m.) and Detroit-L.A. Lakers (10:30 p.m.) from the evening's 10 games. Unbeaten New Orleans is at Portland.
NHL: Nashville-Detroit among the seven games.
College hockey: Harvard-Cornell (8 p.m., CSTV)
SATURDAY MORNING/AFTERNOON
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Posted by Beau Dure on November 10, 2006 in Boxing/MMA, College Basketball, College Football, College: More sports, Golf, Motorsports, NBA, NFL, Olympic Sports, Soccer, Tennis, Weekend Watch Permalink Comments (0)
Weekend Watch
All times Eastern. See full TV listings here, and follow football, NBA, hockey, NBA and the MLS playoffs on the scores page. We also have matchup info for football, NBA, NHL, MLS, European soccer and NASCAR.
FRIDAY
NBA: ESPN doubleheader has Cleveland-San Antonio (8 p.m.) and Seattle-L.A. Lakers (10:30 p.m.)
High school football: No. 2 Lakeland, Fla., takes on crosstown rival Kathleen (7:30 p.m., USATODAY.com)
College football: Air Force-Army (8 p.m., ESPN2)
NASCAR: Speed Channel has Nextel Cup qualifying (4:30 p.m.), Busch qualifying (6:30 p.m.) and the Trucks race (8:30 p.m.).
NHL: Four games, includings Dallas-Edmonton (9:30 p.m.)
College hockey: Notre Dame-Ohio State (8 p.m., CSTV)
Soccer: U.S. women face Canada in Peace Queen Cup final (11:30 p.m.)
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Posted by Beau Dure on November 03, 2006 in Boxing/MMA, College Football, College: More sports, Golf, Horse Racing, Media, NBA, NFL, Olympic Sports, Preps, Soccer, Tennis, Weekend Watch Permalink Comments (0)
Tyson-Jones ... not Roy
Here's one from the "we'll believe it when we see it" file (sentiment already expressed at TVSquad): Mike Tyson vs. Tom Jones. Yes, that Tom Jones -- the 66-year-old Welsh singer.
We have doubts. Severe doubts. Even if the report is accurate, the source is questionable. It's Mike Tyson, who technically says "some personalities like Tom Jones."
Jones is a boxing fan, at least -- the trademark on his name is owned by "Seconds Out Productions, LLC," and he has been keeping up with fellow Welshman Joe Calzaghe.
Posted by Beau Dure on October 24, 2006 in Boxing/MMA Permalink Comments (0)
Tyson still has something
Jon Saraceno saw Mike Tyson meet, greet and throw a few punches Friday in Youngstown, Ohio. The stamina isn't coming back, and neither is a heavyweight belt. But he still has power, and people are still willing to fork over money to see him swing at somebody or something.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer was part of the assembled media, which was a few hundred times lower than, say, Tyson vs. Michael Spinks or Evander Holyfield. Joe Maxse reports: "By the end of the round, the fans were chanting an expletive that began with the letter B."
Tyson did take boxing advertisements to a new level. Rather than scrawling GoldenPalace.com across his back, he wore a T-shirt for Michael Steele. No, not the former Bangle (yes, she came back to join the reunited band but decided last year not to continue touring) but a Republican candidate for Senate who just happens to be his former brother-in-law.
There was no decision, but TysonTalk.com seems to lean toward Tyson. Just a bit.
So what next for Tyson? Start a senior tour of boxing? Serve on Capitol Hill with Steele?
Posted by Beau Dure on October 23, 2006 in Boxing/MMA Permalink Comments (0)
Sports to Go: Online gambling fights the ax
In The Simpsons, Lisa gets airplane traffic diverted from the family home by sneaking the legislation into a bill giving flags to orphans.
The reality isn't so different, as online gamblers must be wondering why their hobby is being crushed by the "SAFE Port Act," which is intended to shore up security at national ports. Poker Players Alliance calls it a "back room deal" that "allowed it to pass without any public discussion."
Overseas, the legislation has created a bit of panic. From The Telegraph: "The beleaguered online gambling industry is bracing itself for a wave of company collapses and redundancies, after World Gaming collapsed into administration today. The Guardian tells us Sportingbet sold its U.S. operations for $1.
Some sites are defiant. PokerStars.com says it's confident its operations are legal. Full Tilt Poker has a simple message: "We're here to stay." Poker Players Alliance says it will continue the fight.
And that fight looks far from futile. MSNBC's Mike Brunker finds several sources agreeing that the legislation won't be easy to enforce.
Poker star Annie Duke, our guest on this week's Sports to Go podcast, draws a distinction between the skill of poker and the sheer luck of lotteries and roulette, and she points out the math and business skills that can be developed at the virtual poker table. She's betting on a lot of litigation in the future.
Also in this week's Sports to Go: USA TODAY's Chuck Johnson looks at the state of boxing, including the former Soviet republics' domination of the heavyweight class.
- Download at iTunes- Stream the audio
Share your thoughts below.
Update: To follow up on a comment about the World Trade Organization -- there was indeed a ruling in 2005 that the U.S. "cannot block other countries from offering Internet gambling to U.S. residents," in the words of this Deseret News story. That means the WTO will be taking a hard look at this legislation as well. Antigua is leading the challenge, along with several British companies.
Posted by Beau Dure on October 13, 2006 in Boxing/MMA, Gaming, Podcasts Permalink Comments (0)
What you're browsing
Who cares about athletes' personal lives? You do. Admit it. Otherwise, Brynn Cameron wouldn't be the top mover and #3 overall (behind the U.S. Open and the NFL) on Yahoo's Buzz Index. (For those who aren't in the loop -- Matt Leinart's father has told the Ventura County Star that Cameron is expecting, and his son is the father-to-be.)
With that in mind, the people at Digg are enamored of Andy Roddick's emphatic denial that he and Maria Sharapova are dating. Sharapova, incidentally, is at #13 on the Yahoo Buzz Index.
Other top Buzz movers, #5-9: Chien-Ming Wang, Seattle Mariners, Sasha Cohen, Hoover High School Football, Futbol Mexicano.
UFC has dropped from fourth to 10th, which might be good news for boxing. We talked about the boxing-vs.-UFC issue earlier this week, and Diggsters are talking about the idea of boxers marketing themselves on MySpace. The Digg discussion is wide-ranging -- a little bit of boxing talk, some esoteric discussion of various martial arts forms, a few shots at MySpace as a hangout for immature high school kids. (That'll be a shock to journalists, who are told each day that MySpace is the latest thing to render us useless.)
Posted by Beau Dure on September 01, 2006 in Boxing/MMA, College Basketball, Media, NFL, Preps, Soccer, Tennis Permalink Comments (0)
Boxing or UFC?
Having been called out in another USA TODAY blog, it's time to state for the record that we will cover boxing, both pro and amateur.
But we should also ask a question: Is boxing on the verge of being eclipsed by other fighting sports?
One sign of the times -- The Washington Post, not known for chasing the Spike TV demographic, covered an Ultimate Fighting Championship title bout over the weekend. Not as a novelty. Not with all the background information, often delivered with some amusement, that usually accompanies quadrennial coverage of team handball or curling. The Post covered it in the same straightforward tone the paper would use for a boxing story.
Once a semi-underground sideshow that attracted the scorn of political figures such as John McCain, the UFC and other mixed martial arts organizers have moved toward legitimacy in recent years. The sport is a rough mix of boxing and martial arts -- the "submission," in which a fighter taps his hand to surrender rather than risk further incapacitation from a chokehold or armbar, will look familiar to Olympic judo fans. The rules have evolved so that the sport is no longer a free-for-all.
From the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board (2002): "In past years, the State Athletic Control Board (SACB) had been hesitant to sanction mixed martial arts events due to the lack of formal rules in the sport which created health and safety concerns. ... However, in the last year or so, promoters of mixed martial arts events began to develop formal rules and regulations which included procedures to minimize the risk of injury to the contestant."
Spike TV's broadcasts have helped the UFC overcome financial problems of five years ago. The sport is also marketed through DVD sales and video games. The biggest hurdle UFC may face soon: With many other mixed martial arts organizations still running, fighters may demand a bigger cut. (Of the money, that is.)
Are the UFC and other hybrids of boxing, wrestling and martial arts on the verge of supplanting boxing? Has it already happened?
Update: UFC is #1 on today's Yahoo Buzz index, one place ahead of the NFL. UFC fighter Chuck Liddell is #12.
And here is the latest sckedule
Fight Schedule
National TV in parentheses
May 3
At Ariake Colosseum, Tokyo, Japan, Hozumi Hasegawa, Kobe, Japan, vs. Simpiwe Vetyeka, England, 12, for Hasegawa's WBC bantamweight title; Edwin Valero, Tokyo, Japan, vs. Nobuhito Honmo, Tokyo, Japan, 12, for Valero's WBA junior lightweight title; Nobuo Nashiro, Osaka, Japan, vs. Alexander Munoz, San Felix, Venezuela, 12, for Nashiro's WBA junior bantamweight title.
At Dallas, Chris Henry, Houston, vs. Max Heyman, Albuquerque, N.M., 12, for the vacant NABF light heavyweight title.
May 4
At Las Vegas, Hugo Fidel Cazares, Mexico, vs. Wilfrido Valdez Perez, Colombia, 12, for Cazares' WBO light flyweight title.
At Palms Casino, Las Vegas (SHO), Eddie Chambers, Philadelphia, vs. Dominick Guinn, Houston, Texas, 10, heavyweights.
At Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, Conn., Mike Oliver, Hartford, Conn., vs. Vernie Torres, Pensacola, Fla., 10, junior featherweights.
May 5
At Jakarta, Indonesia, Muhammad Rachman, Indonesia, vs. Florante Condes, Philippines, 12, for Rachman's IBF minimumweight title.
At MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas (PPV), Oscar De La Hoya, Los Angeles, vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr., Las Vegas, 12, for De La Hoya's WBC junior middleweight title; Rocky Juarez, Houston, vs. Jose Andres Hernandez, Round Lake, Ill., 10, for the vacant WBA Fedelatin super featherweight title.
May 9
At Studio Mel's, Montreal (ESPN), Adrian Diaconu, Canada, vs. Rico Hoye, Detroit, 12, for Diacanu's WBC international light heavyweight title.
May 11
At Salinas, Puerto Rico, Jose Miguel Cotto, vs. Prawet Singwangcha, Thailand, 12, for the vacant WBA lightweight title.
At Million Dollar Elm Casino, Tulsa, Okla. (ESPN2), Allan Green, Tulsa, Okla., vs. Samuel Miller, La Habra, Calif., 12, super middleweights; Terry Smith, Little Rock, Ark., vs. Kelvin Davis, Reno, Nev., 10, heavyweights.
May 12
At Montreal, David Cadieux, Canada, vs. Josue Blocus, Ormsby, Calif., 12, for the vacant WBO-NABO heavyweight title.
May 16
At Hard Rock Hotel, Hollywood, Fla. (ESPN2), Glen Johnson, Miami, Fla., vs. Montell Griffin, Chicago, 12, IBF light heavyweight eliminator.
May 18
At Beacon Theater, New York, John Duddy, New York, vs. Elvin Ayala, New Haven, Conn., 10, middleweights.
May 19
At FedEx Forum, Memphis, Tenn. (HBO), Jermain Taylor, Little Rock, Ark., vs. Cory Spinks, St. Louis, 12, for Taylor's WBC and WBO middleweight titles; Edison Miranda, Colombia, vs. Kelly Pavlik, Youngstown, Ohio, 12, middleweights.
At Guadalajara, Mexico, Ulises Solis, Mexico, vs. Jose Antonio Aguirre, Mexico, 12, for Solis' IBF light flyweight title.
May 25
At Mendoza, Argentina, Juan Carlos Reveco, Argentina, vs. Nethra Sasiprapa, Thailand, 12, for the vacant WBA light flyweight title.
At Washington (ESPN2), Tony Thompson, Washington, vs. Elieser Castillo, Miami, 10, heavyweights.
At Isleta Casino Resort, Albuquerque, N.M., Jesus Soto-Karass, Mexico, vs. Gilbert Venegas, East Molline, Ill., 12, for the WBC Continental Americas welterweight title.
May 26
At Slaskie, Poland, Krzysztof Wlodarczyk, Poland, vs. Steve Cunningham, Philadelphia, 12, for Wlodarczyk's IBF cruiserweight title.
At Bamberg, Germany, Arthur Abraham, Germany, vs. Sebastien Demers, Canada, 12, for Abraham's IBF middleweight title.
At London, Matt Skelton, England, vs. Michael Sprott, England, 12, for Skelton's Commonwealth heavyweight title; Souleymane M'baye, France, vs. Gavin Rees, Wales, 12, for M'baye's WBA light welterweight title.
At Anaheim (Calif.) Center (HBO), Michael Katsidis, Australia, vs. Joan Guzman, Dominican Republic, N.Y., 12, for Katsidis' interim WBO lightweight title; Jorge Linares, Japan, vs. Oscar Larios, Mexico, 12, for the interim WBC featherweight title.
May 30
At Kansas City, Mo. (ESPN2), Jorge Lacierva, Atlanta, vs. Marcos Ramirez, Kanas City, Kan., 10, featherweights.
June 1
At Chumash Casino, Santa Ynez, Calif. (SHO), James Kirkland, Austin, Texas, vs. Ossie Duran, Brirain, 10, middleweights; Donald Camarena, Denver, vs. Timothy Bradley, Palm Springs, calif., 10, light welterweights.
June 2
At Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, N.J., (HBO), Shannon Briggs, Brooklyn, N.Y., vs. Sultan Ibragimov, Russia, 12, for Briggs' WBO heavyweight title; Shamone Alvarez, Atlantic City, N.J., vs. Jose Luis Cruz, Santa Ana, Calif., 12, for the vacant WBO-NABO welterweight titles.
June 4
At Kanagawa, Japan, Eagle Kyowa, Japan, vs. Akira Yaegashi, Japan, 12, for Kyowa's WBC minimumweight title.
June 8
At Hudson & Campbell Fitness Center, Gary, Ind., Giovanni Segura, Bell, Calif., vs. Cesar Canchila, Colombia, 12, light flyweight eliminator.
June 9
At Madison Square Garden, New York (PPV), Miguel Angel Cotto, Puerto Rico, vs. Zab Judah, Brooklyn, N.Y., 12, for Cotto's WBA welterweight title; Humberto Soto, Mexico, vs. Bobby Pacquiao, Philippines, 10, super featherweights; Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Mexico, vs. Grover Wiley, Omaha, Neb., 10, welterweights; Yuri Forman, Russia, vs. Anthony Thompson, Philadelphia, 10, super welterweights.
June 14
At Main Street Armory, Rochester, N.Y. (Versus), Hasim Rahman, Baltimore, vs. Taurus Sykes, Brooklyn, N.Y., 10, heavyweights; Kid Diamond, Las Vegas, vs. Jose Leonardo Cruz, 12, lightweights, for Diamond's NABF Lightweight Championship.
June 23
At Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas (HBO), Ricky Hatton, England, Jose Luis Castillo, Mexico, 12, super lightweights.
July 7
At Cologne, Germany (HBO), Wladimir Klitschko, Ukraine, vs. Lamont Brewster, 12, for Klitschko's IBF-IBO heavyweight titles.
July 21
At Las Vegas (PPV), Bernard Hopkins, Philadelphia, vs. Ronald Wright, St. Petersburg, Fla., 12, for Hopkins' Ring magazine light heavyweight title.
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