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SPORTS Monday 4 noveMber 2019

Canelo Alvarez, left, lands a punch against Sergey Kovalev
during a light heavyweight WBO title bout, Saturday, Nov. 2,
2019, in Las Vegas.
Associated Press
Alvarez stops Kovalev

in 11th round to

win 175-pound title Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, of Britain, races during the Formula One U.S. Grand Prix auto race
at the Circuit of the Americas, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2019, in Austin, Texas.
Associated Press
By TIM DAHLBERG part, with Kovalev content
AP Boxing Writer to use his jab from long dis- F1 championship
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Canelo tance and Alvarez looking
Alvarez used a big punch to land hooks to the body. Continued from Page 18 into a demolition derby. He the hunt for the title, but just
to beat a big fighter. The crowd at the MGM stayed clear of the danger- barely. Bottas had to win
Alvarez landed a left-right Grand booed on several Once he parked, Hamil- ous traffic and gave Red and have Hamilton fade to
late in the 11th round Satur- occasions, unhappy with ton stood on his car and Bull's Max Verstappen and his worst finish of the year in
day night, dropping Sergey the lack of action. grabbed his head in both Ferrari's Leclerc plenty of order to extend the cham-
Kovalev to the canvas and Alvarez was a 4-1 favor- hands, then draped himself room to avoid a collision. pionship to the Brazilian
ending their light heavy- ite despite moving up two in a Union Jack flag. Min- Hamilton turned the race Grand Prix in two weeks.
weight title fight. Kovalev weight classes to fight utes later, rival Ferrari driver on its head with a bolt to Bottas started from pole
was left on his knees, his for a piece of Kovalev's Sebastian Vettel, whose third on the first lap when he and was off and running
arms draped over the mid- 175-pound title. He took run of four straight titles passed the Ferraris of Vettel with a good start. Hamilton
dle ring rope as the fight the fight against Kovalev was ended by Hamilton in and Charles Leclerc. That grabbed the lead when
was stopped at 2:15 of the rather than a third fight with 2014, embraced him with a made the championship all Bottas pitted for tires and
round. It was a dramatic Gennadiy Golovkin as part handshake and a hug. but inevitable, as a finish as he wouldn't let it go without
finish for a fight that had lit- of a $365 million deal he The sixth championship low as eighth would clinch a fight. Hamilton defended
tle drama up to the knock- signed with the streaming moves Hamilton past Ar- it. Hamilton wasn't going to against a Bottas pass at-
down. Kovalev was more service DAZN. Both fighters gentina's Juan Manuel Fan- settle for that. tempt with six laps remain-
than holding his own late in took naps in their dressing gio, the "Godfather" of F1 He secured the 2015 title ing before finally surrender-
the fight and hadn't been rooms as they waited some drivers who won five titles in on the same track when he ing the spot on the next lap.
hurt when Alvarez landed 90 minutes from the last un- the 1950s. fought off Mercedes team- "Winning it was the only
the left followed by a right. dercard bout before enter- "It's an honor to be up here mate Nico Rosberg in the thing I could do to try to
The Mexican great, who ing the ring. The delay was with these (past) greats," final laps to get the victory. maintain the title hopes,"
moved up two weight for DAZN, which wanted to Hamilton said. He was somewhat disap- Bottas said. "I did my part
classes, won his fourth title wait until the UFC card in Hamilton has been a domi- pointed in in 2017 and 2018 but Lewis was still strong, as
in as many weights. He New York was finished be- nant force at the Circuit when he clinched those he always is."
celebrated by kissing the fore the fight began. of the Americas, with five titles in Mexico City without Verstappen was looking
glove on his right hand as Fans at the MGM Grand wins here since it opened reaching the podium either to pass Hamilton on the fi-
Kovalev's handlers jumped arena watched the UFC in 2012, but a poor qualify- time. That made a podium nal lap, but a yellow flag
into the ring to see if their main event on big screens ing left him starting from the Sunday a must. caused by Haas driver Kev-
fighter was OK. in the arena while the fight- third row in fifth. He said af- "My dad taught me when I in Magnussen ended the
The punch was one Alvarez ers waited. ter qualifying he'd need a was like 6 or 7 years old to threat and gave Mercedes
had been looking for the Kovalev controlled the dis- "miracle" to win, then tried never give up. That's our the 1-2 finish.
entire fight, stalking Kova- tance early with his jab, to make it happen. family motto," Hamilton The Circuit of the Ameri-
lev while taking a lot of sticking it in Alvarez's face Hamilton avoided trouble said. "That's all was thinking cas had a special parking
jabs and right hands to the as he plodded ahead with at the start as the cars bolt- all day, 'How could I win this spot next to the podium
face. Both fighters fought gloves held high looking for ed uphill into the blind left race?'" Bottas was the only reserved for the champion-
cautiously for the most an opening on the inside.q turn that can turn the field driver still mathematically in ship car. q