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SPORTS Monday 18 June 2018

Spence keeps IBF title at home with quick knockout of Ocampo

By SCHUYLER DIXON canvas after taking the side of his back, you're bad
FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Errol body shot. He tried to get to the bone."
Spence Jr. gave the home up but went down to his It was the second defense
folks the knockout he fig- knees and was counted of the 147-pound title that
ured they wanted. There out in the battle of unbeat- Spence won last summer
just wasn't much of the en fighters. in Englishman Kell Brook's
show he hoped would go "I was a little disappointed," hometown.
with it. Spence said. "I wanted to Ocampo (22-1) was fight-
Spence stopped Carlos give the crowd their mon- ing professionally outside
Ocampo to retain his IBF ey's worth. I wanted him to his home country for the
welterweight title, dropping sustain a bit and give him first time.
the Mexican challenger some punishment, but the "l got a lot of experience out
with a right hand to the body shot got him and I of fighting Errol," Ocampo
body as the first round was dropped him." said. "It would have been
ending Saturday night. The 28-year-old Spence a very difficult fight for me.
Fighting at the Dallas Cow- was fighting in front of a I got overconfident at the
boys' practice facility after sellout crowd in the 12,000- end of the round and he
growing up in the suburbs seat football stadium that caught me." Referee Laurence Cole sends Errol Spence Jr. to a neutral
corner after Carlos Camp went down during the first round of a
as a fan of America's Team, doubles as the indoor prac- The buildup for the right welterweight boxing match Saturday, June 16, 2018, in Frisco,
Spence improved to 24-0 tice facility for the Cow- was all the crowd got, with Texas.
with his 11th straight knock- boys at their headquarters Spence taking the ring to Associated Press
out and 21st overall. about 30 miles north of Dal- big cheers with a big Cow-
The crowd might have las. boys star logo on the front Peterson in his first title de- town crowd that the show
been left wanting more, Cowboys quarterback Dak of his robe. Earlier, Spence fense in New York in Janu- was part of the story line.
as Cowboys owner Jerry Prescott and several team- got a good roar when he ary, winning in the eighth "We'll definitely be back af-
Jones jokingly suggested mates were in the crowd was shown on camera round. Last summer in Shef- ter I unify some titles," Spen-
after winking at the cam- along with Jones. alongside Jones near his field, England, Spence ce said. "We'll make this an
era while celebrating with "This room was full of Dallas locker room. broke Brook's orbital bone annual thing where I fight
the 2012 U.S. Olympian in Cowboys football players "This moment is a dream," and knocked him down in here."
the ring. supporting you," Jones said. Spence said. "I wanted to the 10th round before the Spence's victory came a
"He can fight again tonight "They share your passion. I play for the Dallas Cow- fight was stopped in the week after Terence Craw-
if someone wants to step saw a guy in this ring who boys and now I'm fighting 11th. ford took the WBO crown
up and fight him," Jones knew what he wanted. in front of the Dallas Cow- This was Spence's first fight from Jeff Horn, who had
said. When you knock a guy out boys and Jerry Jones." as a co-promoter, the other beaten Manny Pacquiao a
Ocampo crumpled to the by hitting him once on the Spence battered Lamont reason besides the home- year earlier. q

Fernando Alonso wins on debut in 24 Hours Le Mans race

LE MANS, France (AP) — ple Crown, including wins at said after his final stint driv-
Two-time Formula One the Monaco Grand Prix and ing. "I don't know exactly
champion Fernando Indianapolis 500. Alonso is a how, but I managed to
Alonso won the 24 Hours two-time winner in Mona- make the tires work for us
Le Mans on his debut in the co. "Le Mans once a year is at the right time despite
classic endurance race on not enough! It needs to be the cool air temp. Our
Sunday to move closer to every three weeks," joked pace has been good and
motorsport's unofficial Triple Alonso, who looked to be I was lucky with the traffic
Crown. The Spanish driver, in trouble when Buemi was as well." It was Toyota's first
together with teammates penalized for speeding in victory at the 20th attempt,
Kazuki Nakajima of Japan a caution zone late Satur- and the first win for a Japa-
and Sebastien Buemi of day. Alonso's car was left nese manufacturer since
Switzerland, completed 388 more than two minutes be- Mazda's success in 1991.
laps in their Toyota hybrid hind the other Toyota but Former Formula One cham-
car, two more than Mike the Spaniard managed to pion Jenson Button raced
Conway, Kamui Kobayashi claw back the difference Drivers of the Toyota TS050 Hybrid No8 of the Toyota Gazoo for the private SMP team,
and Jose Maria Lopez in through the night, putting Racing Team Sebastien Buemi of Switzerland, right, Fernando but the Briton's non-hybrid
the other Toyota hybrid. Nakajima in position to Alonso of Spain, left, and Kazuki Nakajima of Japan, celebrate car faced early problems
Alonso is bidding to match retake the lead from Ko- after winning the 86th 24-hour Le Mans endurance race, in Le with engine trouble that
Mans, western France, Sunday, June 17, 2018.
British driver Graham Hill's bayashi early on Sunday. Associated Press forced its retirement in the
feat of completing the Tri- "I felt great tonight," Alonso final hour.q