Boxing: Hitchins Challenges Haney After Win

Richardson Hitchins called out Devin Haney after claiming a dominant win over George Kambosos Jr to retain his IBF light-welterweight title.

The 27-year-old headlined a show in his hometown New York for the first time and stopped Kambosos with a left hook to the body in the eighth round.

Hitchins was making his first defence of the title he earned by beating Liam Paro in December.

He dominated throughout at The Theater at Madison Square Garden, landing a far greater number of blows than Kambosos, a former world champion at lightweight.

After being floored in the eighth round, the Australian rose to his feet before the count of 10 but was still grimacing in pain and was unable to continue.

Victory meant Hitchins extended his unbeaten record to 20-0, including eight knockouts.

“I’ve been telling the boxing world I was coming and they should have listened,” he said.

“I told his [Kambosos’] dad: ‘If you love your son, you’ll stop the fight.’ He was tough, a true competitor, but I was just the better man tonight.”

Kambosos shocked Teofimo Lopez at the same venue in 2021 to become the unified lightweight champion.

But the 32-year-old then lost back-to-back fights to Haney and has now lost four of his past six fights for a 22-4 record.

Hitchins added: “I knew I had to go to some unsafe places to get some good shots off. I put myself in harm’s way.

“He caught me with a couple of good shots, but they didn’t hurt me, so I just went for the [finish].”

WBO champion Lopez entered the ring after the fight but Hitchins called out the unbeaten Haney, who moved up to welterweight to beat Jose Ramirez last month.

Haney later said on X:, external “We could get it at 147 (welterweight).”

Brighton fighter Adam Maca made his professional debut on the undercard and beat Rafael Castillo via a second-round knockout.

Bbc.com

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Boxing: Crocker-Donovan Rematch Gets World Title Status

The rematch between Lewis Crocker and Paddy Donovan has been officially upgraded to a world title fight with the vacant IBF welterweight belt now on the line.

Promoters Matchroom Boxing confirmed on Thursday that the title previously held by American Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis would be the prize for the winner of the rematch.

The bout will be the first time two boxers from the island of Ireland have met in a world title fight.

A date and venue has yet to be confirmed but Saturday, 13 September has been floated as a potential date with Windsor Park, the home of the Northern Ireland football team, the preferred venue.

Speaking to BBC Sport NI in June, Matchroom Boxing chief executive Frank Smith said things were “moving the right direction” for the fight to take place at the football stadium and that talks with the Irish Football Association had been “positive”.

The first meeting between the pair on 1 March was a final eliminator for the IBF title and ended in controversial fashion with Crocker taking the win by disqualification in front of a 8,500 crowd at the SSE Arena in Belfast.

Donovan, who had twice previously been deducted points, was thrown out at the end of the eighth round for punching after the bell.

An appeal from Donovan’s team resulted in the IBF granting a rematch which would again serve as a final eliminator for the world title but with champion Ennis moving up to the light-middleweight, the belt became vacant.

Bbc.com

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Ahead Federation Election: Judo President, Oshodi Receives Support From Nasarawa Stata

The Nasarawa State Ministry of Youth and Sports Development has assured President of the Nigeria Judo Federation, Dr. Musa Oshodi, of its support for his re-election bid.

Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Ibrahim Adamu Alhassan, gave the assurance when he received the National President of the Judo Federation and his entourage who were in Lafia, the State capital, on Thursday, to solicit support.

In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary said, “We heard about your coming, and, and we have also heard about the good things you have done for us as a State, ranging from donations of sporting equipment to other supports, particularly to one of the aspiring daughters of our State, Esther Obile Allu, who is currently a certified International Judo Referee and Financial Secretary of the Nigeria Judo Referees’ Association.

“These are, indeed, proud moments for us as a State.

“As a State, we like continuity and advancement. We kindly request your further supports for our coaches and athletes to be at par with their counterparts around the world.

“On behalf of my principal, the Honourable Commissioner, who has directed me to receive you on his behalf, I want to thank you for the numerous pledges you have made to develop our Judo activities and personnel which align with the blueprint of the current administration of Governor Abdullahi Sule for sports and talent development in the State.

“Kindly consider Nasarawa State in your developmental programmes once you assume the function of your second tenure.

“Your leadership has supported and stood for Nasarawa State in sundry ways. It’s now only right to reciprocate the gesture by supporting your desire to vie again for the position of the President of the Nigeria Judo Federation.

“Rest assured that you have our full support for the next Federation’s election. We will also use our contacts and networks across other States to campaign for you so that you will emerge victorious at the end of the contest.

“Only by your victory can we benefit from your myriads of programmes for our State”, the Permanent Secretary remarked.

Speaking earlier, President of the Nigeria Judo Federation, Dr. Musa Oshodi, revealed the essence of his visit to Nasarawa State.

“Nasarawa is an important State to me, not because I am seeking re-election but because of things we have done together in the past and still doing today.

“The State has contributed immensely to judo development in the country, particularly to talent development, where one of your great ambassadors, Mrs. Esther Obile Allu, has continued to distinguish herself in the sport as she is about being the only female Nigerian recognized by the International Judo Federation as a certified referee – she is the latest and most up-to-date referee we have in the Nigeria Judo Federation today.

“In an ideal situation, a State with such passion for Judo development should be a stop-over spot for anyone who desires the best in this sport.

“I want Nasarawa State to benefit more under my leadership, which is why I have come to reveal some of the lofty packages I have for the State and its judo community.

“I kindly solicit your support to enable me emerge victorious next month when our election will hold”, the Lagos State-based Judo Federation President appealed.

Oshodi who is seeking a second, four-year tenure added that his second tenure would be characterized with massive infrastructural development, capacity building, and fostering mutually beneficial partnerships with organisations and individuals around the world to move the Judo Federation in Nigeria to Category A from its current Category C in the league of the International Judo Federation.

He said he would ensure a National Judo Tournament is held in Nasarawa State in honour of Governor Abdullahi Sule in appreciation of his massive support to Judo development in the State and Nigeria.

Oshodi assumed office as President of the Nigeria Judo Federation about four years ago.

Directors and a few staff of the Ministry joined the Permanent Secretary in receiving the President and his team.

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Cycling: Healy Claims First Tour Stage; Van Der Poel Regains Yellow

Ireland’s Ben Healy produced a stunning solo break to win stage six of the Tour de France while Mathieu van der Poel regained the race leader’s yellow jersey.

Healy and Van der Poel spent most of the 201.5km hilly stage in an eight-man breakaway before the former attacked with 42km remaining.

The EF Education-EasyPost rider then pulled away to claim his first stage win on the Tour, crossing the line in Vire Normandie almost three minutes before Quinn Simmons and Michael Storer.

Dutchman Van der Poel came in about four minutes after Healy, followed by Tadej Pogacar at the front of the peloton, and the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider had done enough to take the yellow jersey back from reigning champion Pogacar by one second.

Healy was in the breakaway several times last year, when he finished 27th on his debut, and the 24-year-old said he targeted this hilly stage when the route was announced.

“Last year was a real eye-opener and it really made me believe that I could do it,” he said.

“It’s really incredible and [down to] hours and hours of hard work by so many people. To pay them back today is really amazing.”

Pogacar claimed the yellow jersey from Van der Poel after Wednesday’s time trial

There were six categorised climbs on the route from Bayeux, with the temperature rising to 27C, yet the peloton maintained a ferocious average speed of 47km per hour (29mph) over the first three hours.

Healy and Simmons were the first to go clear, with the likes of Van der Poel, British rider Simon Yates and Irish debutant Eddie Dunbar soon joining them in the lead group.

They were clear of the peloton for more than 100km and had a gap of almost four minutes when Healy made his move on the flat before the final three climbs.

By the start of the next climb, Healy led by 47 seconds, and he gradually increased his lead on his way to what was ultimately a comfortable win.

“Once I was in [the break] we really had to work for that gap,” Healy added.

“I knew I needed to get away from the group and picked my moment. I think I timed it well and hopefully caught them by surprise.”

It was Ireland’s 15th Tour stage win, by seven riders, and the country’s first since Sam Bennett won the last stage of the 2020 edition on the Champs-Elysees in Paris.

Dunbar made it two Irish riders in the first four on the stage while Van der Poel sat up and came in eighth, potentially saving energy for stage seven.

It is another hilly stage, covering 197km from Saint-Malo to Mur-de-Bretagne Guerledan, where Van der Poel claimed his first stage win in 2021.

Stage six results