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Home , Al Haymon, Amir Khan (boxer), Bob Arum, Kell Brook, Mandatory challenger, Matchroom Sport

18 Established 1961 Sports Sunday, April 5, 2020

Photo of the day NFL could move 2024 Super Bowl due to Mardi Gras NEW ORLEANS: The NFL is considering moving the 2024 Super Bowl out of New Orleans due to potential conflicts with Mardis Gras that emerged with the pending expansion to a 17-game season. New Orleans, which was awarded Super Bowl LVIII during a meeting in 2018, would not lose the game entirely, but rather have it pushed back a year or two. No decision has been made. The game is scheduled for Feb. 4, but that date was set with a 16-game NFL schedule. If a week were to be added to the schedule, the game would be played on Feb. 11 — presenting a conflict with Mardi Gras begin- ning on Feb. 13. “The New Orleans Host Committee, led by the New Orleans Saints and Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, has remained in close communication with league officials about the change to a 17-game regular season, as it relates to the city hosting Super Bowl LVIII in 2024,” Saints vice president of communica- tions Greg Bensel said in a statement on Friday. “During the bid process in 2018, it was contemplated and discussed of the possibility of an extended sched- ule based on a new CBA. The Bid Committee, the New Orleans Saints and NFL worked together to build in contingencies if a potential conflict with Mardi Gras should affect the Super Bowl date. “Mutually agreed upon terms during the bid process granted assurances that the NFL and Host Committee would explore all options for still hosting the game in 2024, or, agreeing to host the Super Bowl in a future year when the citywide calendar permits.” The 17-game schedule, per terms of the new collec- tive bargaining agreement, will be installed as the norm sometime between 2021 and 2023. The NFL has yet to award the 2025 Super Bowl. The other upcoming host cities are Tampa, Fla. (2020 LAAX: Hailey Langland performing at the Laax Open 2020 Slopestyle Finals in Laax, Switzerland. —Photo taken from www.redbullcontentpool.com season), Inglewood, Calif. (2021) and Glendale, Ariz (2022). —Reuters Joshua’s title defence postponed by coronavirus outbreak eyeing career swansong against Pacquiao or Brook

LONDON: ’s world heavyweight title postponed until the end of July warned any further defence against Kubrat Pulev has delay could see a change of plan. been officially postponed due to the coronavirus out- “If it starts kicking on beyond that, you get to a situ- break, promoters announced Friday. ation where if Joshua is only going to box once this year The British champion was due to put his WBA, IBF, he’d like it to be against ,” Hearn told Sky WBO and IBO belts up for grabs against Bulgarian Sports. Fury is expected to complete his trilogy with challenger Pulev at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in later in 2020, having dethroned the on June 20. But the global spread of COVID-19 American in February, but Hearn is hopeful some nego- has put paid to a bout on that date. tiations could be possible. “Anthony Joshua’s defence of his IBF, WBA, WBO “The situation is a little bit out of our hands,” he said. and IBO heavyweight world titles against mandatory “If and (Fury and Wilder’s pro- challenger Kubrat Pulev scheduled to take place at the moters) can talk and make Deontay Wilder wait a little Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday June 20 has bit we would love to go into that fight next. been postponed,” said a Matchroom statement. “We are contractually bound to face Pulev who is “A new date for the event with Bob Arum and there is promoted by Matchroom a deal to be done. A lot and 258 depends on Deontay Management in association Wilder.” Joshua suffered a with and Epic Pacquiao shock seventh-round defeat Sports Entertainment is cur- by Andy Ruiz Jr at New rently being worked on. “We fight York’s Madison Square will announce any updates Garden in June last year that in due course and continue is huge saw him relinquish several to explore the possibility of world titles. hosting this fight at the But his last bout saw the Tottenham Hotspur 30-year-old Joshua avenge Stadium.” This is the second that loss and regain his belts time Pulev has missed out on the chance to face Joshua with a victory over Ruiz in Saudi Arabia in December. Anthony Joshua after a shoulder injury forced him out of a world title Meanwhile, former world champion said bout in October 2017. Friday that he is eager to end his boxing career with a lucrative bout against ring great or in titles, what’s going to motivate you? have been put on hold by the coronavirus pandemic, FURY PREFERENCE an all-British contest with . “A Manny Pacquiao fight is huge, wherever it was, which has led to a state of lockdown in Britain, with Earlier on Friday, , Joshua’s , The 33-year-old Khan, who won his last bout with a then you have Kell Brook, another massive fight in the boxing one of several major sports worldwide effective- said his champion’s lone contest of 2020 might be fourth-round victory over in Saudi Arabia in UK.” Khan won an Olympic silver medal at the age of ly suspended by the spread of COVID-19. with Tyson Fury in a world unification bout if the July, had reportedly been considering retirement, but he just 17 and as a professional took two light-welter- “I want to fight — we just don’t know how long the spread of COVID-19 means he only has time for one is determined to go out with a flourish against high- weight titles. coronavirus is going to last,” added Khan. Last week bout this year. class opposition. But apart from a 2016 bout with Canelo Alvarez, he saw Khan offer his 60,000 square feet (5,600 square- A clash with compatriot Fury, the WBC heavy- “I have a couple of fights left in me — one or two at has been unable to secure a fight against one of box- metre) wedding venue in his home town of to weight champion would be one of the most eagerly least,” said Khan, speaking to promoter Eddie Hearn via ing’s current global stars such as Floyd Mayweather or Britain’s National Health Service amid concerns the anticipated contests in British boxing history. Hearn, Instagram on Friday. “The biggest fights motivate me. Pacquiao. surge in the number of coronavirus patients was leading while open to the possibility of the Pulev fight being When you’ve made so much money and won world But any thoughts about when he might next fight to a shortage of hospital beds. —AFP

The starting grid will feature IndyCar series drivers Ecclestone to Wickens to make champion Josef Newgarden, a host of Indianapolis 500 winners including New Zealand’s Scott Dixon, Australian Will Power and seven-time NASCAR Cup champion be father again IndyCar return Jimmie Johnson. Yet the driver in the spotlight is likely to be Wickens, who will be testing out a steering wheel with at age of 89 in virtual race hand brakes and a gear shifter that he hopes will one day allow him to get back into a real IndyCar. TORONTO: Robert Wickens will be back behind the “It’s weird it is kind of a mental overload my brain was LONDON: Colourful former Formula One boss wheel yesterday for the first time since a near fatal crash exploding from figuring out how to use the hand brakes Bernie Ecclestone is to become a father at the age two years ago and while it will be a virtual IndyCar race the feeling of it and everything,” said Wickens. “It is a lot of of 89 with his wife Fabiana Flosi, who is half his age, the Canadian sees it is another step towards the real thing. work to do in a short amount of time. expecting a son in July, he told The Daily Mail on “I’m just excited to drive something. Last night was the “I always knew race simulation was going to be the Friday. first time I’ve driven any form of race car since the acci- best way to try all the different hand brake configurations Ecclestone, who revolutionised Formula One as Bernie Ecclestone with his wife Fabiana Flosi. dent at Pocono Speedway,” Wickens told reporters during or paddle configurations so this is really just step one of a chief executive from 1978 to 2017, has three adult a conference call on Friday, after getting in his first few hundred to get me back into the IndyCar series.” daughters from two previous marriages. “There’s probably better than before, probably a bit more practice laps at Barber Motorsport Park. While other drivers are treating the iRacing IndyCar nothing that unusual is there?” he told the newspa- relaxed!” “Even though it was virtual it still felt pretty good.” Challenge as a diversion and a bit of fun, for Wickens it is per from the couple’s home in Brazil. The former F1 ringmaster said he was mindful of With the novel coronavirus outbreak forcing a shutdown serious business taking him closer to his stated goal of “I haven’t had a job for a little while so I have had the dangers posed by the coronavirus pandemic. of global sport it has presented an unexpected opportuni- getting back in the cockpit of an IndyCar. plenty of time to practise! “I don’t see there’s any “You hope it’s not going to happen but these things ty for Wickens, who sustained devastating spinal injuries in That had seemed an impossible dream in the aftermath difference between being 89 and 29.” Ecclestone do happen so you just have to cope, what else can the crash, to once again go wheel-to-wheel with his of his horrific crash on Aug. 19 almost two years ago when said his greatest delight was for his 44-year-old you do?” he told the Mail Online. IndyCar Series rivals in the iRacing IndyCar Challenge. his car became airborne, catapulted into the catch-fencing marketing executive wife. “You have to hope that the people who are look- Formula One, NASCAR and IndyCar have all found and disintegrated across the track. “Yes, she (his wife) is thrilled,” he said. “We’re ing after everything have not caught anything them- eager audiences for virtual racing in the absence of the Along with a thoracic spinal fracture and a spinal cord not sure what all the fuss is about! “I’m very happy selves. “I’m not too sure we’re ever going to get rid real thing, with drivers, like fans, looking to fill a sporting injury that left him paralyzed, Wickens also suffered tibia and happy really for my wife, she’s been looking of this bloody nonsense, anymore than the flu that void. Last week’s series opener at a virtual Watkins Glen and fibular fractures to both legs, fractures in both hands, a forward to this happening for quite a few years so happens every year. was won by Sage Karam and attracted more than fractured right forearm, a fractured elbow, four fractured I’m happy she’ll have someone after I’m gone.” “It’s just that at the moment this is a little bit 400,000 viewers on live streaming. Yet those numbers are ribs and a pulmonary contusion. Ecclestone, who said his daughters were delight- more dangerous than what we’ve been used to but expected to jump on Saturday with the Indy Grand Prix of Wickens’s courageous efforts to walk, dance at his ed with the news of the family addition, hoped age when it settles down I think the world will have Alabama airing live on NBCSN, using their number one wedding and get back into a race car have been docu- had improved his parenting skills. “We don’t know, changed an awful lot.” —AFP broadcast crew. mented with regular posts on social media. —Reuters