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SPORTS Monday 27 January 2020
Garcia earns 12-round decision, overcomes bite by Redkach

By DENIS P. GORMAN to show in the fourth as
NEW YORK (AP) — Danny he connected with heavy
Garcia needed to learn punches.
about himself. Nine months Garcia's pressure and pow-
between fights can create er forced Redkach into
some questions. fighting a defensive style.
After 12 rounds Saturday Redkach spent much of the
night, he proved to every- fight backing up or against
one he's the same as he the ropes and Garcia took
ever was. full advantage. He opened
Garcia overcame a bite on a cut over Redkach's right
his left shoulder and earned eye with a hook in the sev-
a 12-round unanimous de- enth, then staggered the
cision over a frustrated Ivan Ukranian with a shot in the
Redkach. eighth.
"He bit me," Garcia said. "I'm going to get back in
"He said 'Mike Tyson' when the gym and get stronger
he bit me. I said, 'Ref, he and better," Redkach said.
bit me.' I thought I needed "I'm thankful for the experi-
stitches or something. ence against Danny Gar-
"That's my first time ever cia. I'm going to be back
getting bit in a fight." and be much better."
Judges Glenn Feldman Having been methodically Danny Garcia punches Ukraine's Ivan Redkach during the second round of a welterweight boxing
and Don Trella scored the picked apart, Redkach match Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, in New York. Fulton won the fight. Hurd won the fight.
fight 117-111, and judge was reduced to biting Gar- Associated Press
Anthony Paolillo scored it cia on his shoulder during a
118-110. clinch in the eighth. last two years. It hasn't hap- the semi-main event. The fight was a display of
Garcia improved to 36-2 The Garcia-Redkach fight pened," Garcia said during Outside of the fifth round, divergent styles as Fulton
with his second straight win. was the main event and Thursday's press confer- in which both fighters ex- used movement to create
He last fought on April 20, billed as a WBC Silver World ence. "Manny Pacquiao, changed heavy punches, openings to allow him to
2019, when he knocked out Welterweight Title Elimi- Errol Spence or anybody and the 10th when Hurd land jabs from all angles,
Adrian Grandos. nator. In its aftermath the who wants to fight me, I'm dropped Santana to the while Khegai's plan was to
"I thought the referee (Ben- question which assuredly here. Let's get it on." canvas with an uppercut, work inside, including im-
jy Esteves) was (going to) will be asked of Garcia is: He didn't back away from the fight was a plodding plementing the repeated
stop it because I felt like I Who's next? those words after the fight. affair to the dismay of the use of clinches.
was punishing him," Gar- Manny Pacquiao, Errol "Either (Spence or Pac- 8,217 in attendance. "I knew he was a rough-
cia said. "He's a tough guy, Spence Jr., Terence Craw- quiao)," Garcia said. "Ei- "We came out here and and-tumble customer, so I
he hung in there. I wanted ford, and Shawn Porter ther of those fights I would did what we wanted to do. just had to keep my com-
to get the (knockout), but were mentioned to Garcia like to have. My style looks The crowd didn't love it, but posure," Fulton said. "That's
I didn't get it. I feel like I during a press conference great with both fighters." you've got to understand, what I do. I use my jab. I
boxed smart, and I feel like Thursday. And for his part, Garcia was not the only I got the unanimous deci- tried to utilize the jab all
that's what I needed after Garcia said he was open fighter who had some- sion and I did what I want- night and win the fight be-
this layoff. I really wanted to fights against any of the thing to gain with a win on ed to do," Hurd said. "There hind the jab."
the knockout bad, but I'll four, specifically mention- a card that, in essence, was definitely no frustration. Lorenzo Simpson (7-0)
accept this." ing Pacquiao and Spence, would allow promoters We didn't want to go toe to earned a unanimous deci-
Garcia started quickly as whose car wreck on Oct. to make fights for the re- toe and we didn't want to sion over Antonio Hernan-
he moved Redkach (23- 10 in Dallas in which he mainder of the year. But make this a risky fight." dez (2-11-1), and Kees-
5-1) around the ring and crashed his Ferrari and was what was supposed to be Stephen Fulton Jr. (18-0) hawn Williams (7-0-1) did
waited for openings in the subsequently charged with a showcase for the boxers became the WBO Inter- the same against Gaku
first three rounds at Bar- a DWI postponed a poten- ended up being a study in continental Junior Feather- Takahashi (16-11-1). Steven
clays Center. When they tial bout against the Phila- risk management, starting weight Champion by de- Torres improved to 2-0 with
presented themselves, he delphia native. with a unanimous decision feating Arnold Khegai (16- a TKO of Dakota Witkopf
landed jabs. Garcia's work "Manny's been saying he by Jarrett Hurd over Fran- 1-1) by unanimous decision 1:28 into the second round
in the early rounds began wants to fight me for the cisco Santana (25-9-1) in in the main card opener. in undercard fights.q

Shiffrin wins super-G, 2 days after downhill triumph

BANSKO, Bulgaria (AP) — Shiffrin's career that she the margin hardly changed Former overall champion "I saw Marta's run and I
Following three weeks with- won two speed events in throughout her run. Lara Gut-Behrami of Swit- thought, 'that looks really
out a win in her favorite the same weekend. "I took a little bit of risk," zerland was 0.70 behind in good and fast.' And I ex-
technical events, Mikaela Shiffrin used her outstand- Shiffrin said. "I had a really third for her first podium re- pected Fede would be
Shiffrin bounced back with ing giant slalom skills to crazy run. I was going really sult of the season. just going hard again, too.
two triumphs in speed rac- navigate the many sharp aggressive. It's the perfect One of Shiffrin's main rivals I know that she's so hungry
es in three days. turns on the Marc Girardelli surface, it's perfect condi- for the overall title, Federi- and motivated and she's
The three-time overall course and beat another tions, and I really like the ca Brignone, was leading skiing amazing right now. It
champion from the Unit- technical specialist, Italy's course, obviously." by 0.08 at the final split time was lucky for me, unlucky
ed States won a women's Marta Bassino, by 0.29 sec- It was Shiffrin's first win in the but the Italian lost her bal- for her." The women's World
World Cup super-G Sunday, onds. discipline since clinching ance as she hooked a gate Cup travels to the 2014
two days after she won a Shiffrin was about three the super-G world title in and slid off the course. Olympic venue in Rosa
downhill on the same hill. tenths ahead of Bassino's February, and she went top "Fede is skiing so well," Shif- Khutor for a downhill and
It marked the first time in time from the first split and of the season standings. frin said about Brignone. super-G next weekend.q