MOSCOW: Ukraine’s Vitali Klitschko successfully defended his WBC heavyweight title here Saturday after the referee stopped his bout with Germany’s Manuel Charr in the fourth round due to a cut over the challenger’s right eye.
The fight was stopped with 56sec remaining in the round.
Klitschko improved his record to 45-2, while Charr, who was unbeaten before his meeting with Ukraine’s 41-year-old veteran, fell to 21-1.
“I was a bit disappointed as I wanted to win today by a real knockout, not a technical one,” said Klitschko.
“I was ready to contine the bout and Charr was also ready for further boxing but it was the decision of the doctor and the referee, who are responsible for it and we could do nothing about it.
Fighting in the 30,000-seater Olimpiyski indoor sports arena, the hugely-experienced Klitschko started the bout as a hot favorite in what was his 17th world heavyweight championship fight.
Charr, a 27-year-old Beirut-born former kickboxer, brought with him an unblemished record in 21 fights and a seventh ranking by the WBC, but none of his opponents had been of the highest calibre.
The much smaller Charr was immediately on the defensive as the towering Klitschko stalked him behind his powerful jab and it was only in the closing seconds that the German attempted a couple of tentative punches.
Klitschko stayed well on top in the second round and he sent Charr crashing to the floor seconds before the bell for a standing eight count with a right hook to the side of the head.
The German challenger recovered well though and caught Klitschko with a brief flurry of punches in the third, but it was the Ukrainian who again won the round.
The fight then came to an aprupt end in the fourth when a Klitschko left hook brought a gush of blood from above Charr’s right eye and the referee was quick to step in and end the contest.
The German was furious with the decision, kicking the ropes in his anger, but it was clear from the amount of blood that there was no way he could continue.
“In the first two rounds Charr was concentrated on defense only and it was slightly difficult for me as I like it better when my opponents are fighting back,” Klitschko said.
“In the third and fourth he started to come out of his shell more and I had more chances to attack.
“But Charr is a true fighter. He was ready to fight to the end. I think this defeat will not stop him and I believe he has chances for a promising career in boxing.”
Ward stops Dawson
in 10th to retain titles
In Oakland, California, Andre Ward stopped Chad Dawson in the 10th round on Saturday to remain unbeaten and retain his World Boxing Association and World Boxing Council super middleweight world titles.
Ward pummelled Dawson — the reigning WBC light heavyweight champion who came down in weight to take the fight — sending him to the canvas in the third and fourth rounds before his final barrage ended it at 2:45 of the 10th.
Dawson rose from the canvas but looked dazed before referee Steve Smoger called a halt.
“These kinds of fights, you’ve got to take risks... you can mess around and lose your title to a fighter of that caliber,” said Ward, who improved to 26-0 with 14 knockouts.
Dawson fell to 31-2 with 17 wins inside the distance.
Ward’s speed and punishing left hand neutralized Dawson’s height and reach advantage. It was a left to the chin that sent Dawson down for the first time late in the third round.
Early in the fourth Dawson was down again as Ward landed another solid left and Ward was on top throughout the round with blows to Dawson’s body and head.
It was an impressive performance from the super middleweight champion who is respected for his skills but had not posted a win inside the distance since 2009.
“I love to win,” said Ward, who won Olympic gold for the United States at Athens in 2004 and emerged last year on top of the Super Six tournament to unify the super middleweight titles. “Finishing guys is the last piece of the puzzle.”
Dawson not only came down in weight, he agreed to fight in Ward’s hometown of Oakland. He praised Ward, but hinted that dropping the weight may have been more draining than he realized.
On the undercard, WBC lightweight champion Antonio DeMarco of Mexico stopped John Molina Jr. 44 seconds into the first round.
DeMarco improved to 28-2-1 with 21 knockouts while Molina fell to 24-2.
Klitschko stops Charr in 4th, keeps title
Klitschko stops Charr in 4th, keeps title
Lebanon’s Ramadan Ondash to face undefeated Thai star
- ONE Friday Fights 114 will take place on at Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium on June 27
DUBAI: Lebanon’s rising Muay Thai star Ramadan Ondash is set to face Thai star Chartpayak Saksatoon at the ONE Championship event, ONE Friday Fights 114, on June 27.
Over three rounds, the strawweight Muay Thai contest will see two of the sport’s most exciting young talents clash inside Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium.
The 18-year-old Lebanese athlete is hoping to secure his fourth consecutive win in the global martial arts organization and keep his clean record intact.
Nicknamed “The Scorpion,” Ondash opened his account with an imposing knockout victory in January 2024, dropping Thailand’s Yangdam Jitmuangnon 80 seconds into the matchup.
He followed his debut win with two equally impressive victories by unanimous decision at the expense of experienced Thai fighters Pichitchai PK Saenchai and Kongchai Chanaidonmueang
After watching his older brother, Abdallah Ondash, pick up a first-round knockout win in the main ONE Friday Fights 112 event on June 13, the former Lebanon, Arab and IFMA Youth world champion now hopes to raise his own overall professional record to 11-2.
However, the next bout represents the Lebanese athlete’s most difficult yet. His opponent, Saksatoon, is a veteran of 83 fights with a 68-15 record. Since his ONE Friday Fights debut, the 26-year-old Thai has amassed a 7-0 record with five wins out of seven coming via knockout.
Messi to face PSG after Miami and Palmeiras draw to go through
MIAMI GARDENS, US: Lionel Messi faces a reunion with his former club Paris Saint-Germain after his Inter Miami side reached the last 16 of the Club World Cup with a 2-2 draw with Palmeiras.
The Brazilian side fought back from two goals down to earn a 2-2 draw at Hard Rock Stadium, a result which secured both teams a place in the knock-out stages.
Goals from Tadeo Allende and Luis Suarez had Miami on course for a second surprise victory in the tournament after their win over Porto.
But the Brazilian side struck twice in the last 10 minutes through Paulinho and Mauricio to make sure of their place in the next round.
Few expected Miami to make it out of the group but they now face the European champions while Palmeiras will have an all-Brazilian encounter with Botofogo.
For Messi, who celebrates his 38th birthday on Tuesday, the tie in Atlanta will see him face his former club PSG for the first time since leaving them to join Miami in 2023.
The result meant that Egyptian club Al Ahly and Porto were both eliminated despite producing a highly entertaining 4-4 draw at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
There were six Argentines in the Miami starting line-up which took the field in front of a large Brazilian contingent in the 60,914 crowd.
The traveling fans were on their feet in the opening minutes when Gustavo Gomez powered a header goalwards from a corner but Oscar Ustari was down well to save.
Miami grabbed the lead in the 16th minute when Suarez brilliantly chested a long ball into the path of the on-rushing Allende who showed pace to break clear of the Brazilian defense and then composure to fire past Weverton.
Palmeiras’s tactics of sitting off Miami were not working with Messi dropping deep and linking up with Sergio Busquets and Federico Redondo as the Major League Soccer side enjoyed plenty of possession.
The only chance for Palmeiras before the break came when Facundo Torres found himself in a promising position after some sloppy Miami defending but he screwed his shot wide.
Messi’s first real effort on goal came four minutes after the restart when he eked out just enough room on the edge of the box for a low shot but Weverton was down well.
Allende threatened again when he broke down the right and flashed a shot just wide of the post and Messi drove a bouncing ball narrowly over the bar as Miami pushed for a second goal.
That came in the 65th minute with the 38-year-old former Barcelona striker Suarez rolling back the years as he dribbled past two defenders and then blasted into the top corner.
Top spot in the group mattered to Miami as it would have avoided the clash with PSG but it was not to be as Palmeiras earned themselves a crucial point with their late revival.
Substitute Paulinho fired home in the 80th minute after a lovely reverse pass from Allan Andrade.
Then, with three minutes left on the clock, Maxi Falcon’s header fell straight to Mauricio who pounced on the opportunity, rifling into the far corner to make it 2-2.
“It’s a historic night for MLS, because we are into the best 16 teams in the world. All of the MLS has to be proud of Inter Miami,” Miami coach Javier Mascherano told DAZN.
“We played with heart. Normally these kinds of games are more intense than we have in the domestic league, but we also tried to progress with the ball by playing football,” he said.
PSG ease past Seattle Sounders and into Club World Cup last 16
- The French champions will now go through to a tie against the Group A runners-up in Atlanta on Sunday
SEATTLE: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Achraf Hakimi scored either side of half-time as European champions Paris Saint-Germain eased to a 2-0 win over Seattle Sounders on Monday to secure their place in the last 16 of the Club World Cup.
PSG needed to bounce back from their 1-0 loss at the hands of Botafogo in their last Group B outing and they were too strong for the MLS side without ever really playing to their full potential.
Kvaratskhelia deflected a wayward Vitinha shot into the net to open the scoring on 35 minutes in front of 50,628 fans at Lumen Field, Sounders’ home stadium.
Hakimi then made it 2-0 just before the midway point in the second half to kill off any prospect of a comeback by the hosts.
PSG are through to the next round and advance as group winners on goal difference, climbing up from second place because of Botafogo’s late defeat at the hands of Atletico Madrid at the same time in Pasadena.
The French champions will now go through to a tie against the Group A runners-up in Atlanta on Sunday, as they leave the west coast for the first time since arriving in the United States.
Paris coach Luis Enrique made four changes to his line-up following the defeat at the hands of Botafogo, with captain Marquinhos, Nuno Mendes, Fabian Ruiz and Joao Neves all coming in.
However Ousmane Dembele, their top scorer during the European season just finished with 33 goals in all competitions, played no part for a third game running after traveling to the tournament with an injury.
The Sounders needed a big win combined with a defeat for Atletico to progress to the last 16, something which was always going to be a big ask for the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League winners.
They didn’t have the quality to overly trouble PSG, who saw Desire Doue threaten early on with a powerful shot that was tipped over by home goalkeeper Stefan Frei.
A mistake by goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma at the other end gifted a chance to the home side, but it was not an easy one for Jesus Ferreira and he fired off-target.
The UEFA Champions League winners got the opening goal 10 minutes before the interval when the ball came out to Vitinha on the edge of the area and his attempt took a rather lucky touch off the back of Kvaratskhelia to find the net.
The second goal arrived on 66 minutes after Doue played a delightful pass out to the wing for Bradley Barcola and the substitute cut in from the left before setting up Hakimi to control and slot in his 10th goal since the season began.
Atletico Madrid earns 1-0 victory, but Botafogo advances out of Group B
It took nearly the entire second half, but relentless attacks on goal paid off for Antoine Griezmann in the 87th minute on Monday.
After teammate Angel Correa’s shot was blocked by a defender, Griezmann sent a left-footed shot into the net to lift Atletico Madrid to a 1-0 victory over Botafogo in Group B action of the FIFA Club World Cup in Pasadena, California
Unfortunately, it was not enough to send the Spaniards on to the knockout rounds as Atletico Madrid needed to book a victory of at least three goals to advance out of Group B. Paris Saint-Germain, which defeated the Seattle Sounders 2-0 on Monday, and Botafogo — which defeated PSG earlier this week — claimed the group’s top two spots.
In the 10th minute, Botafogo had a prime opportunity to strike first after a through ball to Jefferson Savarino gave the striker a run at goal. Atletico Madrid’s Jan Oblak, however, stretched out for a score-saving deflection.
Julian Alvarez nearly gave Atletico Madrid the lead just before the half. The forward collected an entry pass just outside the goal area, turned and whipped a right-footed blast, but his attempt was pulled wide to the left to keep the match in a scorelesss draw.
Early in the second half, Atletico again put the pressure on Botafogo with Griezmann settling a lofted ball down the left side and beating his defender along the goal line. Griezmann then attempted to sneak in a left-footed shot by the near post, but it caromed off the post and out of play.
In the 67th minute, Botafogo went on the offensive as Cuiabano lofted a cross into the box that Igor Jesus one-timed on goal. Again, Oblak was there to punch the attempt away to maintain a clean sheet.
Atletico had several chances to build upon its lead following the 87th-minute score from Griezmann, but Botafogo continued to deny the Spaniards.
Oblak finished with three saves for Atletico Madrid, which outshot Botafogo 23-7 (5-3 on goal). Botafogo’s John was credited with four saves.
Alesso releases official remix for Esports World Cup 2025
- Remix of EWC Music’s orchestral theme “Ascension” features cello sensation Tina Guo and merges electronic music with competitive energy in celebration of world’s biggest esports event
GRAMMY-nominated producer and global electronic music sensation Alesso has released an official remix of “Ascension”, the lead track from the original music suite created for the Esports World Cup 2025 – the world’s largest esports and gaming event.
Originally composed by Edouard Brenneisen of Hollywood Scoring and recorded at Abbey Road Studios, “Ascension” features fellow GRAMMY nominee and virtuoso cellist Tina Guo. Alesso’s remix reimagines the orchestral original with his signature euphoric production style. The sonic maven seamlessly fuses his progressive house sound with Guo’s powerful tone, transforming the cinematic piece into a high-energy rework designed to capture the intensity and emotion of elite esports competition.
The track is part of the EWC Music initiative, a new programme creating an original musical identity for the Esports World Cup and celebrating esports’ deep connection with music. Launched in April with a four-track suite by 2WEI and Hollywood Scoring, recorded at Abbey Road Studios, the programme continues with live performances, artist collaborations, and global fan activations. “Ascension (Alesso Remix)” will be featured across tournament broadcasts, live events, and digital content throughout the seven-week competition, which begins on July 7 in Riyadh.
The Opening Ceremony, on July 10, will be headlined by 9x diamond-certified artist Post Malone.
Alesso said of the track, “I was so excited when this opportunity came to me. I’m a huge fan of esports and gaming tournaments – I’m a gamer myself, so combining my two worlds into one on this remix felt so natural. Creating this alongside Tina was incredible. We were able to create something that truly brings listeners into another world. I can’t wait to share this moment with all of you.”
Tina Guo said of the collaboration, "I'm thrilled to have worked with Alesso on this remix and so excited to be a part of the Esports World Cup! This collaboration brings together my passion for music and gaming in a progressive house and cinematic fusion. The energy and creativity that Alesso brings to the table are truly inspiring, and being involved in such a monumental event like the Esports World Cup is a dream come true. I can't wait to share this experience with everyone!"
Ariel Horn, Executive Producer at the Esports World Cup Foundation, added: “Gaming and EDM have moved together for years, from Marshmello’s Fortnite show to major esports collaborations like League of Legends and VALORANT’s work with Zedd. With Alesso and Tina Guo, we’re building another bridge. Tina has scored games, rocked League Worlds, and played on iconic Hans Zimmer soundtracks – including Wonder Woman. Just as EWC is reimagining what global esports can be, this track reimagines the role music plays in connecting players, fans and culture, turning competition into something you don’t just watch – you feel.”
The Esports World Cup 2025 is the world’s premier esports event. Its unique cross-game format will reward Clubs and players competing for a life-changing prize pool across multiple platforms and genres – bringing together the best teams, players, and titles under one banner in the largest-ever celebration of competitive gaming.
EWC 2025 will feature 2,000 elite players and 200 Clubs from over 100 countries, competing in 25 tournaments across 24 games for a record-breaking $70+ million prize pool. Tickets, including access to the Opening Ceremony, are now available at esportsworldcup.com.
