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sports Friday 27 OctOber 2017

Explosive Joshua values entertainment as much as wins

By STEVE DOUGLAS seven rounds. cause he wanted to coun-
AP Sports Writer “Right now, we are in the ter the speed of Pulev, who
Anthony Joshua’s goal in division and the business he described as a “real
boxing extends beyond of providing really good amateur-style boxer.”
the ambitious task of unify- fights,” Joshua said Thurs- Takam, though, is a differ-
ing the world heavyweight day in the fighters’ final ent kind of fighter, some-
titles. head-to-head news con- one who will get in close,
He wants to put on a show ference. “We are not here work the body and slug it
while doing so. to tip and tap and run for out. The Cameroon-born
Joshua is leading the resur- 12 rounds.” French boxer took Joseph
gence of a heavyweight “I think the fans are always Parker, the current WBO
division that suffered for at going to be the winners champion, to 12 rounds last
least a decade amid the in this division,” the British year in the last of his three
dominance and cautious fighter added, “because career losses.
style of the Klitschko broth- you have hungry guys that “With his style and his
ers. are coming.” strength, I wish I’d have
The IBF and WBA cham- The late change of oppo- come in heavier,” Joshua Britain’s Heavyweight Champion Anthony Joshua, left, and
challenger Carlos Takam face-off during the press conference
pion is as popular for his nent for Joshua — Takam said, “so we can stand at the National Museum in Cardiff Wales on Thursday Oct. 26,
explosive fighting style as was announced just two there and slug it out. His 2017.
his looks and easy-going weeks ago as the replace- punches are going to be Associated Press
character, and is seeking ment for the injured Kubrat ricocheting through my to happen. You saw I got lenger, said it would be the
a 20th straight professional Pulev — should make the whole body. So the bigger tired against Klitschko — biggest night of his 39-fight
win when he fights Carlos fight more entertaining you are, the stronger you am I going to find out I’m professional career that
Takam in Cardiff on Satur- in front of an estimated are.” only a five-round fighter?” “will change my sporting
day. crowd of 78,000 people at Joshua called the fight a Joshua said. “This is some- life, but not my personal
His 19 victories have all Principality Stadium. “potential banana skin” one who is tough, can go life.”
come by knockout and Joshua is coming in lighter after training for more than the distance. He’s definitely “Sometimes late notice
only one of those fights — for his first defense of the two months in the expecta- going to take me into late means less pressure,” said
against Wladimir Klitschko WBA belt and the fourth tion of taking on Pulev. waters.” Christian Cherchi, Takam’s
in April — went beyond defense of the IBF strap be- “Who knows what’s going Takam, a mandatory chal- promoter.q

No sweat, no sport: EU says bridge card game is not a sport

By RAF CASERT, Associated cant element of physical “A large percentage of
Press activity. bridge players are from
BRUSSELS (AP) — The Eu- The European court groups with limited dispos-
ropean Union’s top court agreed, saying that when able income — the retired,
ruled Thursday on a topic considering value-added and those in full-time edu-
that vexes sports fans and tax exemptions, sports cation. Making the game
card players alike: Is a should be “characterized cheaper for them to play
game like bridge a sport? by a not negligible physical would increase their levels
The answer: When it comes element.” of participation,” it said.
to taxes, no sweat, no sport. The court’s ruling disregard- Britain’s tax office said it
The European Court of Jus- ed the initial advice of its welcomed the European
tice announced in its ruling advocate general — an court’s ruling, which it said
that “bridge, which is char- exceptional but not unique confirmed its views about
acterized by a physical el- occurrence at the highest bridge.
ement that appears to be court in the 28-nation bloc. EU nations have different
negligible, is not covered It left the English Bridge tax rules related to whether
by the concept of ‘sport.’” Union distraught. or not bridge is recognized
The English Bridge Union, “That bridge incorporated as a sport. Thursday’s deci-
which has some 55,000 many of the attributes of sion could now negatively
members, wanted a tax more recognized ‘sports’, affect bridge organizations
exemption linked to sports such as organized compe- in countries apart from
so that entrance fees to tition, training, and exer- Britain.q
tournaments can become tion, was not deemed suf-
more affordable. British ficient,” it said.
courts and officials have The body said the ruling In this Sept. 22, 2015 file photo, competitors play bridge at the Acol Bridge Club in West Hampstead,
already refused, claiming would hit poorer players es- London.
a sport must have a signifi- pecially hard.q Associated Press