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sports Wednesday 8 June 2022
Inoue stops Donaire in 2nd round, unifies 3 bantamweight belts

SAITAMA, Japan (AP) — Donaire beat the count,
Naoya Inoue stopped but he didn’t protest much
Nonito Donaire midway when the referee stopped
through the second round the bout.
Tuesday night, emphati- Donaire, who will turn 40
cally winning their rematch later this year, was stopped
and unifying three bantam- for only the second time in
weight world titles. his career. He had claimed
Inoue (23-0, 20 KOs) wasted the WBC bantamweight
no time in his second meet- title a year ago with a vic-
ing with Donaire, knocking tory over Nordine Oubaali.
down the veteran cham- Inoue and Donaire first met
pion at the end of the first in November 2019 in the
round and again midway World Boxing Super Series
through the second. In- bantamweight final in the
oue’s relentless pressure same arena. Donaire sur-
and power ended the fight prised much of the boxing
at 1:24 in Saitama Super world with his tenacious
Arena outside Tokyo. performance against his
“To be able to raise my sta- younger, favored oppo-
tus up at the top, I needed nent. Inoue later revealed
to win this fight, so I decid- his orbital bone had been
ed to make this fight finish broken by Donaire’s left
at this moment,” Inoue said Philippines’ Nonito Donaire is knocked down by Japan’s Naoya Inoue in their bantamweight title hook in the second round,
through a translator. “I pres- unification boxing match of WBA, WBC and IBF in Saitama, north of Tokyo, Tuesday, June 7, 2022. and he fought through the
sured myself, and I did it.” Associated Press first facial cut of his career
Inoue added Donaire’s champ Paul Butler of Eng- center of the ring with the ceived the left hook from to knock down Donaire in
WBC belt to his own WBA land later this year. Japanese champion, but Nonito, and that punch the 11th round on his way
and IBF 118-pound straps “My aim is to be the undis- Inoue abruptly dropped made me wake up and to a victory by unanimous
with his fourth consecutive puted champion,” Inoue Donaire with a short right made me focus for this decision. In the rematch,
stoppage victory. said. “If I can do that within hook moments before the fight,” Inoue said. Inoue wasted no time or
The Japanese star known 2022, I would love to stay bell to end the first round. After a short left hand put energy in finishing his Filipi-
as “Monster” is considered in this division. But if I can’t, Donaire got up comfort- Donaire on wobbly legs in no-American opponent.
one of the world’s top I’m capable of (moving up ably, but Inoue piled on the center of the ring early Donaire has held world
pound-for-pound talents. in weight).” the pressure in the second in the second round, Inoue titles in four divisions during
Inoue hopes to unify all Donaire (42-7) entered his round and unloaded on finished him in the corner his 21-year professional ca-
four major bantamweight rematch with Inoue appar- Donaire with another series with a right-left combina- reer, while Inoue has been
titles if he can land a fight ently confident in his abil- of accurate shots. tion that dropped Donaire a world champion in three
with WBO bantamweight ity to trade punches at the “In the very first round, I re- to his back on the canvas. weight classes.q

Figure skating minimum age rises to 17

before 2026 Olympics

PHUKET, Thailand (AP) — No season after, which is the doping test from Decem-
15-year-old figure skaters last before the Olympics. ber was belatedly revealed
will be allowed to compete The ISU said the new rule during the Olympics.
at the 2026 Olympics fol- was “for the sake of pro- The teenager was allowed
lowing the controversy sur- tecting the physical and to train under intense scruti-
rounding Russian national mental health, and emo- ny as a Court of Arbitration
champion Kamila Valieva tional well-being of the for Sport hearing was pre-
at this year’s Beijing Games. skaters.” pared that allowed her to
A new age limit for figure It should disrupt the career compete pending the full
skaters at senior interna- of top Russian junior Sofia investigation in Russia. That
tional events was passed Akateva, who is 14. Her is still ongoing. Kamila Valieva, of the Russian Olympic Committee, falls in
Tuesday by the Internation- birthday in July falls days However, her main rou- the women’s free skate program during the figure skating
al Skating Union in a 110-16 after the July 1 deadline to tine was filled with er- competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Thursday, Feb. 17,
vote that will raise the mini- classify skaters’ ages for the rors and she dropped to 2022, in Beijing.
mum age to 17 before the upcoming season, though fourth place. She was then Associated Pres
next Winter Olympics in Mi- for the 2026 Olympics she criticized rink-side by her banned by the ISU from in- team event gold medalist
lan-Cortina d’Ampezzo, It- will be 18 and able to com- coach, Eteri Tutberidze. ternational competitions for Russia at the 2014 Sochi
aly. “This is a very important pete. The change was The ISU drafted an age-limit because of the country’s Olympics, told broadcaster
decision,” ISU president Jan coming even before figure proposal saying “burnout, military invasion of Ukraine. Match TV. “But in my opin-
Dijkema said. “I would say skating at the Beijing Olym- disordered eating, and “I think it was done to more ion Eteri Tutberidze will find
a very historic decision.” pics was dominated by the long-term consequences of or less even out the com- a way to get our athletes
The limit will be phased in emotional stress put on the injury” were a risk to young petition, so that our Russian into ideal condition at the
with 15-year-olds continu- 15-year-old Valieva. She teenage skaters who are female skaters couldn’t age of 17 or 18,” Soloviev
ing to be allowed to com- was the favorite to take in- pushed to perform more have the opportunity to said, “so that they can
pete next season, a mini- dividual gold, after helping quadruple jumps. The deci- win world championship, show their best results at in-
mum age of 16 in the 2023- the Russians win the team sion was criticized in Russia, European, Olympic med- ternational competitions at
24 season, rising to 17 the title, before her positive where skaters are currently als,” Dmitri Soloviev, a that age in particular.”q