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A32 sports
Diaranson 15 september 2021

Making money in boxing means not saying you’re sorry

(AP) - Making money in cheering loudly — for Val- wasn’t just stunning, but un-
boxing means never hav- dez. In his ringside seat, Blea precedented.
ing to say you’re sorry. also had to deal with photog-
raphers on one side of him All the horrible decisions
Not for allowing Evander and a camera crew in con- over the years. All the contro-
Holyfield to risk his life at stant motion on the other. versies over terrible scoring.
the age of 58 just to make a
few bucks. Certainly not for Still, “I honestly thought I No one ever apologized for
stealing money from gullible would be able to do my Job them.
fans for a farce of a pay per 100%, no excuses,” he said.
view show that would have But a judge in Arizona did.
done terrible damage to the But the crowd noise influ-
sport if only the sport wasn’t enced Blea early. He scored “The 117-110 score is not ac-
so badly damaged already. some rounds for Valdez that curate and does not represent
could have been scored even, the actions in the ring and I
No one was apologizing — or for Conceicao. feel I have let down my fed-
at least loud enough to hear eration, the NABF; my orga-
— among the crew at Triller first round by a former MMA perfect left hook. In the end, Blea got the win- nization, the WBC; and most
Fight Club, a fledging pro- fighter. The Real Deal appar- ner right. But his 117-110 importantly our sport and the
motional outfit on the fringe ently now lives on the edge of Stephen Blea was one of margin stood out in a fight fighters inside the ring,” Blea
of boxing. They managed reality as he suggested after three judges ringside Friday that was extremely close (the wrote.
to get Holyfield licensed in the fight he wanted another night in Tucson as home- other two judges had it 115-
Florida and moved the entire bout — this one against Mike town hero Oscar Valdez took 112 Valdez). Hopefully the people at Trill-
card there on short notice Tyson. on Robson Conceicao in a er are paying attention be-
from California after planned junior lightweight title bout. The predictable online out- cause they have some apolo-
headliner Oscar De La Hoya Somewhere else in boxing, It was a familiar position for rage about his scoring started gizing to do, too. Throwing
pulled out with what he said though, there was an apolo- Blea, who estimated he had making Blea think maybe he a man just four years from
was COVID-19. gy. An apology both rare and officiated more than 60 title did get it wrong. He watched collecting Social Security
heartfelt from a judge who fights as a judge for referee in a replay of the fight and con- into the ring at the last mo-
Holyfield wasn’t apologizing, said he messed up. rings around the world. cluded he should have scored ment wasn’t just about mak-
either, after being credited the fight 115-112 or 114-113. ing a mockery of a sport
with landing just one punch The best thing about it? It On this night, the sellout that doesn’t need any more
before being stopped in the came out of nowhere, like a crowd was cheering — and So he issued an apology that mockery.

MATCHDAY: Star trio ready for PSG; Real Madrid goes to Inter

(AP) - A look at what’s happen- signing Gianluigi Donnarumma or and Phil Foden could be involved for League, starting with a potentially
ing in the Champions League on Keylor Navas. Donnarumma helped City after both returned from injury tough away trip to unbeaten Turkish
Wednesday: Italy win the European Champion- to be unused substitutes in Saturday’s league leader Besiktas, which is back
ship with his heroics against England win at Leicester. in the group stage for the first time
GROUP A in the final, but Navas was among in four years. Portuguese champion
the best goalies in Europe last sea- GROUP B Sporting Lisbon hosts Ajax to begin
Spare a thought for the Club Brugge son and has often saved PSG. After Diego Simeone’s Atlético Madrid has its ninth appearance in the group
defense as it must cope with Paris Club Brugge, PSG’s next Champions twice come oh-so-close to winning stage and first since 2017-18. Ajax
Saint-Germain’s attacking armada League opponent in two weeks will be the Champions League, only for Real is in the group stage for the fourth
of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kyl- Manchester City, which opens against Madrid to edge them in the final. But straight time.
ian Mbappe. The superstars could Leipzig. Having been the dominant the return of Antoine Griezmann to a
start together for the first time since English force of the past decade, with squad that dethroned Madrid last sea- GROUP D
Messi’s arrival from Barcelona last five Premier League titles, success in son for the Spanish league title gives
month. Messi warmed up with a hat Europe for City is long overdue. This Simeone his most talented attack Real Madrid’s opening match at In-
trick for Argentina in World Cup season will be the club’s 11th in suc- since taking over Atlético a decade ter Milan is on paper its toughest
qualifying last week, taking him past cession in the Champions League ago. Griezmann joins former Barce- of Group D, which also includes
Pelé and onto 79 goals. While PSG but last season aside when Pep Guar- lona striker Luis Suárez, young Por- Shakhtar Donetsk and Sheriff Tira-
coach Mauricio Pochettino has no diola’s team lost the final to Chelsea, tugal forward João Félix, Argentine spol. Even though Kylian Mbappé
worries in attack, he has a big deci- it has only reached the semifinals on forward Ángel Correa and versatile did not come to Spain, Carlo Ance-
sion to make in goal between new one other occasion. Kevin De Bruyne Spain midfielder Marcos Llorente. lotti has succeeded in reviving an at-
The first step toward another title tack that had shown signs of stagna-
run will be beating Porto at home in tion in the final months of Zinedine
a very competitive Group B that in- Zidane’s tenure. Vinícius Júnior has
cludes Liverpool and AC Milan, who found his scoring touch to add to the
meet at Anfield. speed that opens up more space for
Karim Benzema to do damage. Ga-
GROUP C reth Bale will be out because of in-
jury, as will be midfielder Toni Kroos
Go to a Borussia Dortmund game and defender Ferland Mendy. As
this season and you’re sure to be en- usual, Shakhtar brings a squad rely-
tertained. Under new coach Mar- ing heavily on imported talent from
co Rose, Dortmund has scored 13 Brazil and it showed its credentials
goals and conceded nine in just four by eliminating Monaco 3-2 on aggre-
Bundesliga games. Saturday’s 4-3 gate in qualifying. Sheriff takes the
win at Bayer Leverkusen epitomized Champions League to a new frontier.
Dortmund’s style — explosive in It plays in the Moldovan league but is
attack, vulnerable in defense — as based in the breakaway, pro-Russian
Dortmund equalized three times be- region of Transnistria, which is a self-
fore striker Erling Haaland secured proclaimed independent country but
the win with a penalty. That style may isn’t recognized by any member of
not work as well in the Champions the United Nations.