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A22 SPORTS
Monday 31 July 2017

Mikey Garcia outpoints Adrien Broner to remain undefeated

By BRIAN MAHONEY 140 or even moving up to corner after the round.
AP Sports Writer 147 if the right opportunity There was no title at stake
NEW YORK (AP) — Mikey was available. — they fought for a manu-
Garcia piled up the punch- He consistently backed factured prize called the
es in another powerful per- Broner into the ropes and WBC Diamond Belt super
formance, and his career is landed hard body shots. lightweight champion-
clearly climbing. Broner repeatedly shook ship — but it was clearly a
Adrien Broner remains his head that none of them big bout for both. Garcia
stalled. hurt and he fought back was able to beat the big-
Garcia unanimously out- well, but they were enough gest name yet he’s faced,
pointed Broner on Satur- to win the majority of the which should help as he
day night to remain unde- rounds. seeks the mainstream at-
feated, a fight that didn’t “I’ve always said I have tention that’s so far eluded
give him a title but could very good timing,” Garcia him.
open more opportunities said. “It is underestimated Broner needed to show
to fight for another one. when you are outside the there’s substance with
Garcia controlled his first Mikey Garcia, center, smiles and poses for photos after defeat- ring but once you get in- his style. The former Floyd
fight at 140 pounds, par- ing Adrien Broner during a boxing bout Saturday, July 29, 2017, side the ring with me, I’m a Mayweather protege had
in New York.
ticularly with body shots he Associated Press step ahead.” lost twice after moving up
was able to sneak in below Broner (33-3, 24 KOs) lost a three divisions by 23 and Garcia, 29, had stopped 19 to welterweight, was twice
Broner’s defense, and won fight he probably needed later added a fourth. But of his last 21 opponents. He stripped of titles for fail-
117-111 on one card and to win to prove he is wor- losses and lethargic per- had to settle for just beat- ing to make weight and
116-112 on the other two. thy of still being considered formances even in his wins, ing Broner, but perhaps his served jail time among his
“This is definitely one of my one of boxing’s headliners along with legal problems knockout power will return repeated legal troubles.
best performances ever. I and capable of beating outside the ring, stalled his if he drops back down in But he said he was focused
think I controlled the fight some of the sport’s best. It career that once rose so weight. for this fight after taking his
in the early rounds and I was better than some of his rapidly. Garcia cracked Broner training camp to Colorado
kept the activity up,” Gar- recent performances, but Garcia, meanwhile, re- with shots all over in the and he made weight easily
cia said. “(Broner) is a great not good enough against mains on a roll and contin- seventh, his most dominant — no doubt enticed by the
fighter who has great skills. I a fighter of Garcia’s cali- ued his dominant run over round of the fight, but Bro- $500,000 fine he faced if he
was the superior fighter to- ber, and even he seemed the last year since return- ner actually began to per- didn’t — actually weighing
night.” to be talking about his ca- ing from a 2 1/2-year layoff form better from there. less that Garcia at under
A former champion in reer in the past after the while he battled contrac- He scored well to the body 139 pounds.
three lower weight class- fight. tual issues. in the ninth and had a But Garcia frustrated him
es, Garcia (37-0, 30 KOs) “At the end of the day I’m He can now weigh options crowd that was chanting with his movement and
never seriously hurt Broner still a four-time world cham- that could be presented “Mikey! Mikey!” a couple made it hard for Broner to
but dictated the action pion at four different weight to him in multiple weight rounds earlier cheering for follow up any time he did
for most of the 12 rounds, classes and I’ll still be in the classes. He said he’d like to him. But Garcia went back have any good moments.
landing nearly twice as history books,” Broner said. go back to 135 pounds in to work in the 10th with pre- “It was ‘Tom and Jerry,’”
many punches according Broner, who turned 28 on search of regaining a title, cision punching, pumping Broner said. “I had to catch
to post-fights stats. Friday, had won titles in but was open to staying at his fist as he returned to his the mouse.”q
John Isner beats Ryan Harrison

to win 4th Atlanta Open title

By MATT WINKELJOHN will move up two spots in Island.The match followed
Associated Press the world ranking to No. 18. service in the first set to
ATLANTA (AP) — John Is- Isner has claimed one-third force a tiebreaker.Harrison
ner rode an overpowering of his 12 ATP titles in Atlanta, rallied from a 2-4 deficit to
service game to his fourth where he’s reached the fi- level the breaker at 6-6 only
Atlanta Open title, beat- nal in seven of the tourna- to see Isner win with a siz-
ing fellow American Ryan ment’s eight years and was zling forehand to the deep
Harrison 7-6 (6), 7-6 (7) on champion for three straight right corner.Isner went 75
Sunday before a friendly years from 2013-15. He had straight service games and
crowd at Atlantic Station. 23 aces to the fourth-seed- seven-plus matches with-
John Isner serves to Ryan Harrison during the finals of the Isner has won two straight ed Harrison’s 10. out being broken before
Atlanta Open tennis tournament Sunday, July 30, 2017, in ATP tournaments since The 32-year-old Isner won Harrison passed him on the
Atlanta. bowing out of Wimbledon the Hall of Fame Open last forehand side early in the
Associated Press in the second round, and week in Newport, Rhode second set. q