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A18 SPORTS
Friday 9 November 2018
Soon-to-be-retired Bellew eyes perfect farewell against Usyk

By STEVE DOUGLAS The 35-year-old Liverpool
AP Sports Writer native has already been
In Oleksandr Usyk, boxing world cruiserweight cham-
has a rising, unbeaten star pion and has a 30-2-1 re-
ready to further shake up cord. The fight against Usyk
a revitalized heavyweight is set to be his last before
division. retirement.
The Ukrainian fighter just "One more night to survive
has one last job to finish off through," Bellew said, "and
at cruiserweight level. then I go on to live the
Usyk makes the first defense dream life with my family."
of his four cruiserweight ti- It could be the biggest
tles when he takes on Tony night of his boxing career
Bellew in Manchester on — and possibly the tough-
Saturday. It will be Usyk's est.
16th professional fight, and Usyk, a southpaw, has risen
likely his last in a division he virtually untouched through
unified in July. the professional ranks since
The 31-year-old Usyk is plan- leaving his amateur days
ning to make the step up to behind him after the Lon-
heavyweight — the division don Olympics. Eleven of his
in which he won Olympic 15 wins have come inside
gold at the 2012 London the distance. As an ama-
Games — and there's al- teur, he was also a world In this Thursday, May 3, 2018 file photo, Tony Bellew gestures during a press conference prior to
ready talk of a fight against and European champion. the heavyweight bout against David Haye in London.
Anthony Joshua, the IBF, "The only chance I have Associated Press
WBO and WBA titleholder. is a puncher's chance — I
This all sounds familiar to cannot outbox this man," someone with something Ukraine in 2014. gle with.
Bellew. Bellew said. "He is a formi- inside him." He became undisputed Comparing the two fight-
Last year, Bellew climbed dable opponent. He has Given Bellew's improved cruiserweight champion ers, Bellew — the underdog
up from cruiserweight to everything any boxer could standing in recent years after fighting three times in — appears to have one
heavyweight to fight David possibly want and he is a and the fact the fight is 10 months in the World Box- major advantage: Experi-
Haye, another boxer who horrible southpaw. being held in Britain, Usyk's ing Super Series, in which ence.
intended to use Bellew as a "But I've shown what I can profile is set to be bigger he beat Marco Huck, the And potentially another.
way to get a lucrative fight do at heavyweight and, than ever if he wins. then-WBC champion Mairis "Tony's left hook is the
with Joshua. believe you me, I will show "Tony is my best opponent Briedis, and most recently equalizer," the now-retired
Bellew upset the odds by even more what I can do ever, definitely," he said Murat Gassiev in July. Haye said in the build-up.
knocking out Haye in the at cruiserweight. I am fast- Thursday. What stood out, in particu- "If Tony can land that left
11th round and then, in a er, sharper and possibly Usyk was born in Crimea lar, during those wins was hook to the head, that left
rematch in May, stopped even stronger at cruiser- and has said he was forced his remarkable footwork hook to the body, he can
the former heavyweight weight. As good as he is, as to leave the peninsula af- and movement that the really get a foothold in this
champion in the fifth round. great as he is, he is meeting ter Russia annexed it from aging Bellew could strug- fight and turn the tide."q

Garcia dominant on Day 1 at Nedbank Golf Challenge

SUN CITY, South Africa after a double-bogey six for 17 years. He began with
(AP) — Sergio Garcia on his second-to-last hole a birdie on Thursday and
flew into a four-shot spoiled his round. twice reeled off three in a
lead at the Nedbank McIlroy missed the fairway row.
Golf Challenge after an off the tee on No. 17 and "I felt great," he said. "I rolled
8-under 64 on Thursday then found a bunker. He the ball nicely. I made
secured the biggest first- ended the day in a tie for some good putts here and
round advantage on the 21st. there. I probably wasn't
European Tour for a year. Li Haotong, who can swinging unbelievably, but
Garcia, twice a Sun also win the Race to I kept it under control. I kept
City winner before the Dubai at next week's Tour the ball in play all the time,
Nedbank became part Championship, carded a which is difficult to do here."
of the tour, made eight 71. A third player capable The 38-year-old Garcia is
birdies in a brilliant start of ending the year as seeking a second straight
to the penultimate Europe's No. 1, Lucas victory after winning
tournament of the season Bjerregaard, was 3-over. last month's Andalucia
to move four strokes clear Race to Dubai leader Valderrama Masters, which
of Charl Schwartzel, Mike In this Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018 file photo, Europe's Sergio Garcia Francesco Molinari and his foundation sponsors.
Lorenzo-Vera and Mikko celebrates after holing a putt on the 17th green during a fourball second-placed Tommy McIlroy, without a European
match on the second day of the 42nd Ryder Cup at Le Golf Na-
Korhonen at the Gary tional in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, outside Paris, France. Fleetwood aren't playing in Tour win this season, needs
Player Country Club. The Associated Press Sun City. at least one victory in the
lead was the biggest first- Garcia's two Nedbank titles next two weeks to have a
round advantage since November. being crowned European came in 2001 and 2003, chance of being crowned
Arjun Atwal led by four at Rory McIlroy, one of five No. 1 at the end of the and his 64 was his lowest Europe's No. 1 for a fourth
the Mauritius Open last players with a chance of season, shot a level-par 72 round at the tournament time.q