MANILA: Manny Pacquiao threw down the gauntlet to Conor McGregor — and took a dig at Floyd Mayweather — as he promised to give the mixed martial arts star a “real boxing match.”
McGregor lost a megabucks fight in August against the unbeaten Mayweather, who defeated Pacquiao in their disappointing ‘Fight of the Century’ in 2015.
“Happy Thanksgiving! Stay fit my friend. #realboxingmatch #2018 @thenotoriousmma,” Pacquiao posted on Twitter and Instagram, using McGregor’s social media handle.
There was no immediate reaction from McGregor on social media, and Pacquiao’s media team said Friday that there were “no negotiations yet” about a McGregor match.
Pacquiao, who turns 39 in three weeks, lost his World Boxing Organization welterweight title to Australian former teacher Jeff Horn in July, having come out of retirement in 2016 to take the belt from American Jessie Vargas.
McGregor has not fought in mixed martial arts or boxing since losing to Mayweather by 10th-round technical knockout in their much-hyped bout in Las Vegas in August.
Pacquiao’s “#realboxingmatch” reference appears to be a swipe at Mayweather, who beat the Filipino by unanimous decision in 2015 in the richest fight in boxing history.
Pacquiao, who fought with a shoulder injury that later required surgery, has insisted he beat Mayweather, saying he “didn’t do nothing. He was always moving outside.”
Mayweather retired with a record of 50-0 after the McGregor bout.
Real boxing match: Pacquiao calls out MMA star McGregor
Real boxing match: Pacquiao calls out MMA star McGregor
‘Beautiful Saudi Arabia’: Tammy Abraham thanks local fans for inspiring Milan semifinal win over Juventus
- AC Milan scored twice in the final 20 minutes to beat Juve 2-1 in the EA Sports FC Italian Supercup in Riyadh; face city rivals Inter in Monday’s final at Al-Awwal Park
- ‘It was a beautiful atmosphere in a beautiful country. We’re so happy to be here and we can hear the fans singing the whole game’ – Tammy Abraham, AC Milan
RIYADH: Tammy Abraham thanked the fans at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh for inspiring AC Milan to the EA Sports FC Italian Supercup final with a comeback 2-1 win over Juventus, as he called Saudi Arabia “a beautiful country.”
England striker Abraham made a big impact with his forward play after coming on for the last half hour to help AC Milan overturn a 1-0 deficit and seal a spot versus city rivals Inter in Monday night’s final.
Juventus had taken the lead in the 21st minute when Kenan Yildiz thudded high past AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan at his near post after being played through by Samuel Mbangula.
The match turned on its head, however, in the final 20 minutes. Firstly, Christian Pulisic blasted home from the penalty spot, then AC Milan substitute Yunus Musah’s low cross from the right took a wicked deflection off Federico Gatti and spun into the far corner of the net.
The turnaround was first inspired and then greeted with raptures by the AC Milan fans packed into the 25,000 capacity Riyadh stadium on Friday night — and Abraham was very grateful.
Abraham said: “Thank to you everyone who came to watch the game and supported us today. It was a beautiful atmosphere in a beautiful country, a beautiful support. We’re so happy to be here and we can hear the fans singing the whole game. We’re so thankful for them supporting us.
“It’s my first time in this beautiful country and I’m so happy to be here. I knew how beautiful it was before I arrived but coming here you see more and I feel we’re very privileged to host this tournament in this country and the support, like I said, has been amazing. See you all in the final on Monday!”
Abraham’s contribution from the substitutes’ bench delighted Sergio Conceicao in his debut as AC Milan manager. The Portuguese, who took over from compatriot Paulo Fonseca, now has the opportunity to win a trophy in just his second match in charge.
Conceicao said: “We did many mistakes in the first half, but we changed the game in the second half. We need to be brave and believe in what we do. We changed strategy and that was a good one. I noticed strong teamwork, the players united, and I’m happy about that.”
Conceicao was denied the opportunity of playing against son Francisco, the Juventus winger. Juventus manager Thiago Motta said that during the warm-up the No. 7 sustained “a little muscular issue, and he couldn’t play.”
The Juve wideman was instead replaced by Yildiz who, as well as his goal, tested Maignan with a fizzing drive in the first half from outside of the box that was palmed away by the French keeper.
AC Milan’s Theo Hernandez passed up a gilt-edged chance in the 55th minute when he spooned wide after a ricochet from a corner.
After Pulisic and the own-goal put AC Milan in front, however, the Rossoneri could have extended their lead when Michele Di Gregorio superbly saved the American’s dink following excellent work from Tammy Abraham.
The last kick of the match saw Gatti’s close-range shot deflected wide to leave Juventus defeated and AC Milan delighted.
Juventus manager Motta added: “We did a great first half, we took control and scored. In the second half we were able to close the game, but some mistakes were crucial. We need to work every day in order to improve. I truly believe that we have the abilities to perform better. Right away in a defeat, it is hard to find something positive. We will analyze the whole performance and we will do our best to improve.”
The EA Sports FC Supercup is being staged in Saudi Arabia for the fifth time. AC Milan entered the competition as runners-up of last season’s Serie A, while Juventus were included as Coppa Italia winners. Serie A champions Inter Milan, the current Supercup holders and going for three trophies in a row in Riyadh, won Serie A, while Atalanta, who Inter beat 2-0 on Thursday, lost to Juve in May’s Coppa Italia final.
‘Rested’ India skipper Rohit says not retiring from Test cricket
- The acclaimed opener has had a poor series, with critics suggesting his omission from Tests
- ‘This decision is not a retirement decision nor am I going to step aside,’ Rohit Sharma says
NEW DELHI: India captain Rohit Sharma said Saturday he stood down from the decisive ongoing fifth Australia Test because he was not in form but insisted he was not retiring.
The acclaimed opener has had a poor series, with critics suggesting his omission from the Test — with the visitors down 2-1 going into the match at the Sydney Cricket Ground — was the end of his red-ball career.
But the 37-year-old has hit back, telling Indian broadcaster Star Sports at the SCG: “I’m not going anywhere.”
“This decision is not a retirement decision nor am I going to step aside from the game,” he added.
Rohit missed the first Test in Perth for the birth of his second child and has not looked fully engaged since, failing to get past 10 runs in any of his five innings.
Rohit, speaking in Hindi, said that he had told the coach and selectors that he was “not in form” and that for the critical final Test, the team needed “a player in form.”
His recent lacklustre performances come on the back of a similarly poor return during India’s 3-0 home series loss to New Zealand during October-November.
Rohit quit T20 international cricket last year after lifting the World Cup.
Stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah insisted at the coin toss on Friday that Rohit had “opted to rest” for the good of the team rather than being forced out.
Rohit on Saturday called Bumrah “absolute class.”
Thunder run win streak to 14 games as Wemby triumphs in 100th NBA game
- The Thunder matched the longest win streak in franchise history from the 1995-96 season, when they were the Seattle SuperSonics
- Wembanyama was a winner in his 100th NBA game, making two key plays in the last seconds of San Antonio’s 113-110 triumph at Denver
WASHINGTON: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 33 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to their 14th consecutive NBA victory, a 117-107 home win over the New York Knicks on Friday.
The Thunder matched the longest win streak in franchise history from the 1995-96 season, when they were the Seattle SuperSonics, and snapped New York’s nine-game win streak, the Knicks’ longest since 2013.
It was only the fourth time in the NBA’s 79-year history that teams on win streaks of nine or more games faced each other.
Canadian star Gilgeous-Alexander hit 12-of-26 from the floor and 7-of-7 from the free throw line while Jalen Williams added 20 points and Aaron Wiggins had 19 off the bench as Thunder reserves outscored the Knicks bench 35-5.
“They made big plays all night,” said Gilgeous-Alexander of his bench. “We’re a roster of 15 men, 15 professionals, 15 really skilled basketball players. Guys were ready for their moment.”
The Knicks closed the second quarter on a 23-10 run for a 66-54 half-time lead, Mikal Bridges scoring 19 of his team-high 24 points in the first half.
But the Thunder pulled within 88-80 entering the fourth quarter and an 8-0 Oklahoma City run capped by an Isaiah Joe three-pointer pulled the hosts ahead 92-91 with 8:15 to play.
The Thunder went on a 10-0 run with Wiggins hitting a three-point play and a three-pointer for a 108-101 lead with 2:22 remaining and held off the Knicks from there.
“Our (half time) message was just stick to our identity. We’ve gone down at half time the past two or three games. We’ve been there before. We know it’s a long game, a lot of things can change,” said Gilgeous-Alexander.
“We’ve just got to play to our identity as much as we can and when we do so, we usually win.”
Frenchman Victor Wembanyama was a winner in his 100th NBA game, making two key plays in the last seconds of San Antonio’s 113-110 triumph at Denver.
On the eve of his 21st birthday, the 7-foot-3 (2.21m) star assisted on Chris Paul’s go-ahead jumper with 54 seconds remaining and stole a Nikola Jokic pass with four seconds to play to set up Devin Vassell’s dunk for the final points.
In a battle of superstar big men, 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year Wembanyama had 35 points and 18 rebounds with four assists while three-time NBA Most Valuable Player Jokic had 41 points and 18 rebounds plus nine assists.
Wembanyama had a historic first season, the only campaign where an NBA player had more than 1,500 points, 700 rebounds, 250 assists, 250 blocked shots and 100 three-pointers.
This season, “Wemby” is averaging 25.6 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.9 blocked shots a game as well as 3.3 three-pointers per contest.
NBA-best Cleveland improved to 30-4 with a 134-122 victory at Dallas, the Cavaliers stretching their win streak to nine games powered by Evan Mobley’s 34 points and 10 rebounds.
The Mavericks, who dropped their fourth consecutive game, were without star Luka Doncic due to a left calf strain.
Boston’s Derrick White scored 23 points while Jayson Tatum and Payton Pritchard each added 20 to give the reigning NBA champion Celtics (26-9) a 109-86 victory at Houston.
The Rockets, guided by former Boston coach Ime Udoka, fell to 22-12. They lost forward Jabari Smith for 4-8 weeks after he suffered a fractured left hand during Friday’s practice shootaround.
In a matchup of the NBA’s worst clubs, C.J. McCollum scored 50 points on 18-of-27 shooting and host New Orleans beat Washington 132-120.
Tristan da Silva scored a career-high 25 points to lead Orlando to a 106-97 victory at Toronto while Tobias Harris scored 24 points to lead Detroit over visiting Charlotte 98-94.
Fractured ankle rules out Pakistan opener Saim Ayub for at least six weeks
- Ayub fell awkwardly in the outfield and was visibly in lot of pain as he received brief treatment on the ground
- South Africa dominated the day 1 of second Test and piled up 316 for four, with Ryan Rickelton hitting 176 not out
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan all-format opening batter Saim Ayub has been ruled out of cricket for at least six weeks after he fractured his right ankle on the opening day of the second and final Test against South Africa, putting his participation in serious doubt for next month’s Champions Trophy.
Ayub fell awkwardly in the outfield and was visibly in lot of pain as he received brief treatment on the ground before he was rushed to a hospital for precautionary scans.
“An MRI conducted Friday afternoon confirmed the fracture, which has been immobilized in an Ankle Medical Moon Boot,” the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Saturday.
“Although Saim will not participate further in the Test, he will remain with the team and travel back to Pakistan with the squad after the match concludes.”
Ayub’s injury comes as a major blow to Pakistan. The left-handed opener had been in prolific form, especially in white-ball cricket, and scored two centuries as Pakistan swept South Africa 3-0 in the one-day series last month.
The ankle injury has put his participation in doubt for next month’s Champions Trophy which begins on Feb. 19 in Karachi, when Pakistan will take on New Zealand in the opening match.
South Africa dominated the day 1 of the second Test at Newlands and piled up 316 for four, with Ryan Rickelton hitting 176 not out. He shared a fourth-wicket partnership of 235 with his captain, Temba Bavuma, who made 106.
South Africa have already sealed a place in June’s World Test Championship final with a dramatic two-wicket win in the first test at Centurion.
Hideki Matsuyama sets the target at Kapalua and leads Collin Morikawa by 1
- Matsuyama: I’m definitely satisfied with where I am
- Ten players were separated by three shots going into the weekend of the tournament that invites only PGA Tour winners from 2024 and the top 50 from the FedEx Cup
KAPALUA, Hawaii: Collin Morikawa has played Kapalua enough to know that trailing Hideki Matsuyama by seven shots early in the second round was no reason to panic. Sure enough, he nearly caught up to the Japanese star on Friday at The Sentry.
Matsuyama played bogey-free on another gorgeous day on Maui with moderate wind, making seven birdies in a 10-hole stretch in the middle of his round and posting an 8-under 65 for a one-shot lead going into the weekend of the PGA Tour season opener.
Morikawa ran off five straight birdies in the scoring stretch late — only one of them longer than 5 feet — until his streak ended on the par-5 closing hole at the Plantation course with a 12-foot birdie putt that missed on the high side.
He also had a 65 and was expecting more of the same on the weekend. Conditions are prime for scoring, and The Sentry has the best players from the PGA Tour last year.
“When you look at the leaderboard, I’m through six holes and I’m even par and guys are lapping the field already,” Morikawa said. “But like I said, it’s not telling myself I’ve got to be patient. I just know this golf course, and I know at any point you can go on a little stretch of birdies, and I just had to keep playing my game.”
It was the eighth time Morikawa had 65 or better at Kapalua, the most of any player since 2020 when the two-time major champion made his debut.
Matsuyama went about his business, breaking into one big smile when he holed a 35-foot birdie putt across the green on the par-3 11th. He was at 16-under 130 with a pack of players lining up behind him.
“I’m definitely satisfied with where I am,” Matsuyama said.
Ten players were separated by three shots going into the weekend of the tournament that invites only PGA Tour winners from 2024 and the top 50 from the FedEx Cup.
Corey Conners of Canada and Thomas Detry of Belgium were among those at 14-under 132 thanks to big finishes of their own.
Conners holed a 40-foot eagle putt on the par-5 15th, followed with two medium-range birdie putts and two-putted from the front of the green on the 18th for another birdie and a 66. Detry was 6 under on the final six holes. He drove the green on the 306-yard 14th hole to 10 feet for eagle, and had to settle for par on the 18th for a 65.
The field averaged 68.1, which was skewed slightly by Davis Riley posting the first 80 of the season. He made four straight birdies, a tough two-putt par and then took a 9 on the 17th hole with a lost ball to the right on one tee shot and a second tee shot into the left hazard. The margin of those misses was about the length of a football field.
Only four players failed to break par.
For everyone else, it was a case of taking aim at spots on the contoured greens that feed to the hole and cashing in with birdies.
Sepp Straka birdied every hole on the back nine until he hit what he considered his best shot, a 6-iron to 20 feet, only to miss the putt. He shot 65.
Eight players shot 64, a group that included Davis Thompson, who was 14 shots better than his first round of the year. Patrick Cantlay was 10 shots better with his 64.
“Now I need to do it again,” said Cantlay, who still was eight shots behind Matsuyama.
Among the group three shots behind was former US Open champion Wyndham Clark, who birdied eight of his last 10 holes. Clark made the argument the low scoring was a product of the players, not the course.
“I don’t necessarily prefer this low, but at the same time, we make courses like this look easy,” Clark said. “To be honest, it’s not that easy. Typically, there’s a lot of wind here, and we didn’t have much wind today, so you’re going to have a lot of birdie looks and sometimes eagle looks.
“I’ve never really shot 20 under on the PGA Tour, so maybe I can break it this week.”
At this rate, that won’t be enough.
Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley also had a 64, marked by an eagle on the final hole and his two sons racing onto the fairway as he walked to the 18th green. Bradley has not ruled out playing in the Ryder Cup. But that’s a long way off.
“We’re two rounds into 2025,” he said. “So if we get to July and it’s looking like that, then we’ll start to talk, but for now I’m just going to keep playing my best.”
