Page 15 - aruba-today DEC 14 2020

A15
sports Monday 14 deceMber 2020

Fury awaits as Joshua KOs Pulev to retain heavyweight belts

By STEVE DOUGLAS after a flurry of punches
AP Sports Writer that ended with a fierce
By rediscovering the thrill of right uppercut by Joshua.
a brutal knockout, Anthony Pulev got up and showed
Joshua cleared the way to resolve to stay in a fight he
a shot at being the undis- was always behind in, with
puted heavyweight cham- Joshua intent on picking
pion of the world. the right moment and not
With a big right hand that leave himself open.
sent Kubrat Pulev, a du- Joshua always had the
rable but one-dimensional measure of Pulev, using the
Bulgarian, to the canvas for left jab and his longer reach
a third and final time, Josh- to great effect and hurting
ua secured a dominant Pulev with repeated upper-
ninth-round win in his U.K. cuts that quickly became
homecoming on Saturday his go-to punch.
to retain the WBA, WBO It was the right uppercut
and IBF belts. that knocked Pulev down
It wasn’t long before the again near the end of the
inevitable question was ninth round. The end was
thrown at him: is WBC nigh for Pulev, who got up
champion Tyson Fury next but walked right onto a
in what would be an all- huge right hand that sent
British blockbuster to unify him shuddering to the can-
the four titles in boxing’s World Heavyweight boxing champion Britain’s Anthony Joshua lands a blow on challenger vas. The fight was stopped
marquee division? Bulgaria’s Kubrat Pulev during their Heavyweight title fight at Wembley Arena in London Saturday, with two seconds to go
Dec. 12, 2020.
“Whoever has got the belt, Associated Press in the round, Pulev was
I’d love to compete with beaten for only the second
them,” Joshua said. “If that said, a big grin on his face. ing patience with his re- nessed a one-sided fight. time in his career after a
is Tyson Fury, let it be Tyson “It’s the only fight to be nowned power to subdue After sizing up Pulev by tak- 2014 stoppage by Wladi-
Fury.” made in boxing. It’s the and then dismantle Pulev in ing a cautious approach mir Klitschko, and Joshua
If that felt a slightly non- biggest fight in boxing.” front of the first crowd for a in the opening two rounds, raised his right arm into the
committal response — and An agreement in principle British boxing fight since the Joshua went on the at- air to celebrate his 24th win
it was taken that way by has already been reached coronavirus outbreak. Only tack in the third and made in 25 fights since turning
Fury in a video message he on a two-fight deal be- 1,000 spectators — a num- his 39-year-old opponent professional after winning
released moments later — tween the two Britons for ber that included boxing stumble with a right hook Olympic gold in 2012.
Joshua’s promoter, Eddie 2021. It just needed Joshua royalty in Floyd Mayweath- that saw Pulev stagger It was Joshua’s first knock-
Hearn, left no room for de- to dispatch Pulev in the first er — were allowed inside to the corner and turn his out since he last fought
bate. defense of his titles since re- London’s Wembley Arena back, forcing an eight- in Britain, against Alexan-
“We know what we have gaining them in a rematch because of government re- count. der Povetkin in Septem-
to do starting from tomor- Andy Ruiz Jr. in Saudi Ara- strictions on the amount of Pulev smiled at Joshua, but ber 2018, and it was bru-
row: to make the Tyson Fury bia a year ago.He did so people allowed into sport- was soon sliding down the tal power punch when it
fight straightaway,” Hearn in impressive fashion, mix- ing events, and they wit- ropes and onto the canvas came.q
U.S. Women’s Open pushed to Monday because of thunderstorms

By DOUG FERGUSON inch of rain falling before tournament outside Ja-
AP Golf Writer there was no point in trying pan — and is bidding to
HOUSTON (AP) — The lat- to restart. become the third woman
est U.S. Women’s Open on The turf in the December to win two majors the first
the calendar will last one climate doesn’t drain as time playing them. Se Ri
more day because of re- quickly. Plus, heavy rain Pak was the most recent in
lentless rain that drenched soaked the course Friday 1998 at the LPGA Champi-
Champions Golf Club and after the second round. onship and U.S. Women’s
forced the USGA to sus- There was standing water Open.
pend the final round until across Champions even She was at 4-under 209,
Monday. during spells when the rain one shot ahead of Amy Ol-
Hinako Shibuno of Japan, subsided. son, the 28-year-old from
who had a one-shot lead The U.S. Women’s Open North Dakota who has not
as she goes for a second was postponed from early won in her seven years on
major, never teed off. June because of the CO- the LPGA Tour. Only two
The USGA moved up tee VID-19 pandemic. other players, Moriya Juta- Rain falls during a weather delay in the final round of the U.S.
times as early as possible It will be the first Monday nugarn and Ji Yeong Kim2, Women’s Open golf tournament, Sunday, Dec. 13, 2020, in
Sunday because of the finish for the U.S. Women’s were under par. Houston. Associated Press
forecast, and the final Open since So Yeon Ryu Ariya Jutanugarn, a two-
round was just over an won at The Broadmoor in time major champion and shots of the lead. They will pick up where
hour old when thunder- Colorado in 2011. former No. 1 player in the Forty-two players from the they left off on Monday;
storms in the area caused Shibuno won the Wom- world, made birdie on her 66 who made the cut had the USGA decided against
play to be stopped. en’s British Open last year first hole before play was finished at least one hole. calling the final round a
It never resumed, with in her major champion- stopped. The most anyone played wash and starting over.q
about three-quarters of an ship debut — and her first That pulled her within five was six holes.