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A22    sports
                  Monday 9 deceMber 2019
            Charlo stops Hogan in 7th to retain WBC middleweight title



            By DENIS P. GORMAN                                                                                                  for a few minutes in the ring
            Associated Press                                                                                                    before  referee  Steve  Willis
            NEW  YORK  (AP)  —  Luck of                                                                                         ended  the  fight  much  to
            the Irish?                                                                                                          the  displeasure  of  those  in
            Jermall Charlo didn’t need                                                                                          attendance, who booed.
            luck.  He  had  a  power                                                                                            Eubank  wasn’t  overly  en-
            punch and pinpoint accu-                                                                                            thused, either.
            racy.                                                                                                               “I  felt  like  I  was  about  to
            “I just threw the shot and I                                                                                        get  my  swagger  on.  He
            made sure I threw it right on                                                                                       just  turned  around  and
            the money,” Charlo said af-                                                                                         stopped I was going to go
            ter  he  stopped  Dennis  Ho-                                                                                       jump on him. I guess some-
            gan 28 seconds in the sev-                                                                                          thing  happened  with  his
            enth  round  Saturday  night                                                                                        shoulder,”  Eubank  said.  “I
            to  retain  the  WBC  middle-                                                                                       mean,  there’s  nothing  to
            weight title.                                                                                                       take from the fight. I threw
            Charlo  improved  to  30-0.                                                                                         like  three  or  four  punch-
            Hogan,  the  fifth-ranked                                                                                           es.  I  was  just  warming  up.
            WBC          middleweight,                                                                                          ...This wasn’t my dream. My
            dropped to 28-3-1.                                                                                                  dream  was  to  come  here
            “I  wanted  to  keep  going                                                                                         to  America  and  make  a
            but  the  decision  was  fair                                                                                       statement.”
            enough  by  the  referee,”                                                                                          A  formal  diagnosis  of  the
            Hogan  said.  “I  didn’t  see   Jermall Charlo punches Ireland’s Dennis Hogan during the fifth round of a WBC middleweight title   injury  wasn’t  immediately
            the  punch  coming  on  the   boxing match Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019, in New York.                                     announced,  but  Korobov
            second  knockdown.  I  was                                                                         Associated Press  speculated  it  could  have
            trying  to  keep  boxing  him  “My  power  prevailed  to-  stunned  the  challenger  pion. He stopped Matt Ko-      been a pulled muscle.
            but  then  all  of  a  sudden  I  night,”  said  Charlo,  who  and set up the finish.  robov  11  seconds  into  the  “I  was  trying  to  throw  the
            was on the ground and the  landed the first and last big  “We’ve  been  working  on  second round.                  left hand straight, and I just
            fight was over.”             shots of the fight.          that (the uppercut),” Char-  As  the  round  started,  Ko-  felt the muscle immediate-
            Charlo  controlled  the  fight  The  first  occurred  in  the  lo said. “I try to take him out  barov  (28-3-1)  threw  a  left  ly, like I pulled it,” Kobarov
            throughout,  and  his  pres-  fourth  round,  as  he  con-  with  every  punch  and  we  that may have grazed Eu-   said.  “It  was  a  lot  of  pain
            sure  caused  Hogan  to  nected with an uppercut to  work hard for it. He got up  bank  (29-3),  who  respond-      right away. I couldn’t fight
            circle  away  and  only  oc-  the chin which caused the  and he fought like a cham-    ed with a jab to the shoul-  with just one arm, especial-
            casionally  attempting  an  Irishman to do a backward  pion.”                          der.  The  fight  continued  ly being a southpaw.”
            offensive  flurry.  Which  led  somersault  into  the  ropes.  The  fight  headlined  a  for a few moments before  While Eubank Jr.’s fight un-
            to  the  finish  early  in  sev-  Following  a  standing  eight  12-fight  card  at  Barclays  Kobarov  asked  for  time  as  derwhelmed, Ryosuke Iwa-
            enth. As Hogan was back-     count,  Fitch  let  the  fight  Center.  Prior  to  the  bout  he pointed to his shoulder.  sa  (27-3)  became  the  IBF
            ing  away,  Charlo  landed  continue.  Having  knocked  Chris  Eubank  Jr.,  a  British  Kobarov  was  examined  interim junior featherweight
            a  punch  flush  to  the  face  down  Hogan,  Charlo  be-  fighter, made his U.S. debut  by New York State Athletic  champion  with  an  11th-
            that  caused  referee  Char-  gan to go on the offensive  by  becoming  the  WBA  in-  Commission  doctors  for  a  round  technical  knockout
            lie Fitch to end the fight.  with heavy punches which  terim  middleweight  cham-      few  minutes  and  his  team  of Marlon Tapales (33-3).q

            Matt Jones wins second Australian Open title by 1 stroke


            SYDNEY (AP) — Cruising for                                                             ish Open by finishing among  til his round came undone
            most of the final round and                                                            the  top  three  who  were  with  a  double-bogey  on
            a  leader  after  the  second                                                          not  already  qualified.  For-  nine.  Leishman sprayed his
            and  third,  Matt  Jones  sud-                                                         mer British Open champion  approach  into  the  deep
            denly  needed  to  make  a                                                             Oosthuizen  was  already  rough  right,  chopped  out
            big putt on his final hole for                                                         exempt for next year’s tour-  to the cart path and came
            a  second  Australian  Open                                                            nament  from  July  16-19  at  up short before two-putting
            title.                                                                                 Royal St. George’s.          to fall six shots off the pace.
            He  came  through,  making                                                             It’s  Jones’  third  qualifying  He shot 71 to finish in a share
            a testing four-foot par putt                                                           spot  for  the  British  Open  of 10th at seven under.
            on the 18th to hold off Louis                                                          via a top finish in his home  Oosthuizen,  Leishman  and
            Oosthuizen  by  one  stroke                                                            Open. “I’ve played in may-   Adam  Scott,  who  missed
            after a 2-under 69.                                                                    be five British Opens and it’s  the  cut,  now  move  on  to
            Jones,  who  is  a  member                                                             the one major I would most  Royal  Melbourne  for  next
            at  the  host  Australian  Golf                                                        like to win,” Jones said. “To  week’s   Presidents   Cup,
            Club  and  won  his  first  na-                                                        be  able  to  do  that  and  where  they  are  all  mem-
            tional  title  there  in  2015,   Matt  Jones  of  Australia  poses  with  the  Stonehaven  Cup  after   plan  a  schedule  around  bers  of  the  International
            had  a  72-hole  total  of   winning  The  Australian  Open  Golf  Championship  at  The   that, will be fantastic.”  team.
            15-under 269.                Australian Golf Club in Sydney, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2019.     Kanaya said he didn’t real-  Their  team  captain,  Ernie
            Oosthuizen, playing for the                                           Associated Press  ize he needed a birdie putt  Els,  missed  the  Australian
            first time in Sydney, finished                                                         on  18  to  make  it  into  the  Open cut, giving him some
            second  after  a  66.  The  ‘’I was told on the 18th fair-  Japanese amateur Takumi  top three.                     extra  time  to  prepare  for
            South  African  eagled  the  way  that  Louis  had  made  Kanaya  (71)  finished  tied  “No  I  didn’t,  but  happy  to  the  four-day  tournament
            18th  after  hitting  his  sec-  eagle ahead of me,” Jones  for third with Australian Aar-  be going there,” he said.  against  a  United  States
            ond shot to 15 feet, making  said.  “So  it  was  a  pretty  on Pike (69).             Chasing  his  first  big  win  in  team  which  has  only  lost
            things  interesting  for  Jones  good up and down to win  Jones,  Kanaya  and  Pike  Australia,  Marc  Leishman  once previously — at Royal
            at the end.                  the championship.”           qualified for next year’s Brit-  mounted  a  challenge  un-  Melbourne in 1998.q
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