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SPORTS Thursday 28 March 2019
Cleaning up the mess in

boxing's heavyweight class

By TIM DAHLBERG possibly even great, fight- and there are a number of
AP Sports Columnist ers. But so far — for reasons fringe title contenders who
Lennox Lewis always want- that start with greed and on the right night might
ed to fight everybody, and go beyond the fighters make heavyweight history.
did so often enough to be- themselves — there's been But a highly anticipated
come the last person to a lack of great fights. rematch between Wilder
hold all the major heavy- "My aim was always to be and Fury of their December
weight titles at the same the undisputed champion," draw is off because Fury
time. said Lewis, who now works signed with Top Rank and
That meant Riddick Bowe, for Fox Sports as a ringside ESPN while Wilder is fighting
even after Bowe threw a analyst. "These boxers now — at least for now — under
title belt in a garbage can aren't really talking about the Showtime banner. Wild-
to avoid him. that." er against Joshua seems to
It also meant Mike Tyson, That could change if fight- be even further from real-
even after Tyson threat- ers, their promoters and ity as the two camps can't
ened to eat his children. the various television plat- agree on broadcasters,
"Just prison talk," Lewis said. forms somehow find a way terms or even if they really
"At the time I didn't even to work together. But that want to fight each other.
have any children." was unlikely to begin with, So Joshua is fighting at
The best fighting the best. and even more unlikely Madison Square Garden in
That was always Lewis' phi- now that the major partici- June, but instead of Wilder In this March 3, 2018, file photo, Deontay Wilder poses for pho-
tographs after the WBC heavyweight champion defeated Luis
losophy, and it culminated pants in the heavyweight he's got an opponent in Jar- Ortiz in New York.
in a 2002 annihilation of Ty- sweepstakes have aligned rell "Big Baby" Miller who is a Associated Press
son that cemented his leg- themselves with promot- decent fighter but hardly a
acy as an all-time heavy- ers and broadcasting plat- household name. Wilder is And we're suddenly no days, they want to be un-
weight great. forms that don't play well fighting Dominic Breazeale closer to a first undisputed disputed but the business
It's also what makes it pain- together. on May 18 at Barclay's heavyweight champion machine takes over and
ful to look at the mess that Anthony Joshua versus Center in Brooklyn, while since Lewis beat Evander managers take over," Lewis
is the heavyweight division Deontay Wilder is the fight Fury returns to the ring June Holyfield 20 years ago to said. "They want longevity,
today. everyone wants to see. Ty- 15 against Germany's Tom win all the belts. but they're basically slow-
There's no lack of good, son Fury is right in the mix, Schwarz in Las Vegas. "The heavyweights nowa- ing down the process."q

Pulisic scores, leaves with leg injury as U.S. ties Chile 1-1

HOUSTON (AP) — Shortly af- ros (then $73 million) and in Couva, when his first half Chile dominated posses-
ter becoming the youngest loaned him back to the own goal on a failed clear- sion. Yedlin started at right
American with 10 interna- German club for the rest of ance started the Ameri- back in place of Tyler Ad-
tional goals, Christian Pulisic the season. cans' downfall. ams, who returned to RB
limped off with another leg "I think he's at a top club Chile, ranked 13th in the Leipzig in Germany, and
injury. and going to a top club," world, tied the score in the Tim Ream remained at left
Pulisic scored in the fourth Berhalter said. "We have ninth minute when 28-year- back. Gonzalez and Matt
minute of the United States' very high-level medical old defender Oscar Opa- Miaza took over from John
1-1 exhibition tie against personnel on our side, and zo scored his first interna- Brooks and Aaron Long in
South American champion we'll get it right." tional goal. The Americans central defense, Michael
Chile on Tuesday night, a Pulisic scored in the fourth failed to clear the ball as it Bradley replaced Wil Trapp
result that denied Gregg minute, bursting toward bounced around the pen- in defensive midfield.
Berhalter's bid to become goal, running onto a one- alty area, and Opazo one- Left back Daniel Lovitz en-
the first American coach to touch pass from Gyasi timed the ball past Horvath, tered in the 56th minute for
win his first four games. Zardes and beating goal- with the ball taking a slight winger Corey Baird, and
Pulisic has been limited to keeper Gabriel Arias from deflection off a defender. the formation shifted to five
15 league matches and just inside the penalty area. Right back DeAndre Yed- defenders, with Ream mov-
25 overall this season for At 20 years, 189 days, Pulisic lin, who captained the U.S. ing to the middle.
Borussia Dortmund. He tore broke the American mark for the first time, credited "The five-back formation
a calf muscle last Octo- for youngest to double- Berhalter for an aggressive United States midfielder Chris- wasn't a formation we
ber and a thigh muscle in digit goals, set in October style of play. tian Pulisic celebrates his dur- had worked on in training,
February, and lost playing 2010 by Jozy Altidore at "There's going to be a lot ing the first half of an interna- so it was something we
tional friendly soccer match
time because of the emer- 20 years, 337 days. Goal- of media that are going against Chile, Tuesday, March had to kind of adjust to in
gence of 19-year-old Eng- keeper Ethan Horvath had to say, 'They are stubborn 26, 2019, in Houston. the game," Yedlin said. "I
lish winger Jadon Sancho. cleared the ball to Zardes and stupid for trying to play Associated Press thought the team did pret-
"I think you look into the at midfield. while they are pressing,' but ty well with it. There were
why, and you do an inqui- Pulisic had not scored since the point of the fact is that halter, who opened with some times where we are
ry as to why it's happen- the October 2017 loss at we are playing a friendly three wins to match the U.S. a little hesitant to do some
ing and you make adjust- Trinidad and Tobago that for a reason, and that is to record set by Bob Bradley things, but I think for the
ments," Berhalter said. cost the U.S. a World Cup work on the things you work in 2007. most part, we kept pretty
Chelsea agreed in Janu- berth. Defender Omar on in training." Berhalter changed seven good possession of the ball
ary to buy Pulisic from Gonzalez made his first ap- The U.S. had not previously starters from Friday's 1-0 and defended well when
Dortmund for 64 million eu- pearance since that night allowed a goal under Ber- win over Ecuador, and we needed to defend."q