Crawford Beats Postol in Title Unification Fight
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MONDAY, JULY 25, 2016 SPORTS Wounded Taylor looks to Rio to regain golden touch LONDON: Irish boxing superstar Katie taken her one clear of Indian great Mary she makes regardless of victory or mantle yet. For me she remains the ing body the International Boxing Taylor along with Nicola Adams estab- Kom-the consolation was she qualified defeat. However, within the ring she is a greatest Irish female athlete.” Association (AIBA) has indicated it would lished womens boxing in London in the for the Olympics. tigress prowling for the killer punch and Taylor, who has suffered just nine fight tooth and nail to secure her servic- 2012 Olympics as a must see event but “It’s a dream come true, everyone merciless once her opponent is on the defeats in 11 years in the ring, similarly es. “What Katie Taylor has achieved over four years on cracks are appearing in her knows how much the Olympic Games ropes. Despite all her success, though, dismisses claims she is the greatest the last 10 years in international compe- armour. The 30-year-old Olympic light- mean to me and to have a chance to she continues to reject the belief held by pound for pound fighter in women’s tition, including the Olympic Games and weight champion-who also has five defend my title is an absolute honour,” many she has replaced her idol Sonia boxing. “I think it’s great to be in the mix International Boxing Association World world, six European crowns and the said Taylor. “We’re going to have some O’Sullivan as her country’s greatest ever and mentioned in that conversation but Women’s Elite Championships, has been inaugural European Games title-had team in Rio and I think we’re going to female sportswoman. it’s very opinionated as well,” said Taylor. absolutely outstanding,” said AIBA presi- been unbeaten since 2011 going into come home with a few gold medals.” O’Sullivan won the world outdoor sil- “When you’re so consistent people dent Dr Wu Ching-Kuo. 2016 but she has suffered two defeats ver medal over 5,000 metres in 1995, have to stand up and take notice. It’s Taylor, who gives a lot of her spare already this year. This included a contro- DEVOUT BOXER won silver at the 2000 Olympics in the great to have that support back home as time to charitable causes, insists the fire versial loss in the world championship Taylor can be a hard character to same event. She was also crowned well. I don’t think people praise consis- is still in her belly and it would be a fool semi-finals to impressive Frenchwoman read. For most of her career she has European champion three times, includ- tency enough and it’s great to get that who discounts her chances of retaining Estelle Mossely, whom she beat in the been carefully protected by her English ing the 5,000m and 10,000m double at praise.” Taylor-an all-round sportswoman her Olympic crown. European Games in Baku last year. The father Peter who serves as her mentor the 1998 championships. who has represented Ireland in football “I think I’m as hungry now as I ever defeat prevented Taylor from taking a and coach.seat recently and her brother “I’m not sure I can go that far,” said and is also a superb Gaelic Footballer- was. I just want to continue to improve. record sixth world crown. Lee is in her corner now with national Taylor on winning her European Games has thought not of retirement but to People on their way up want to take my Despite her disappointment at not coach Zaur Antia. She is a devout title. “Sonia O’Sullivan has always been turning professional. place so it is up to me to continue to achieving that mark-which would have Christian and restrained in the remarks my idol. I don’t know if I can take her However, the amateur sport’s govern- improve.” —AFP Shakur Stevenson, next US boxing sensation? NEW YORK: The story of teenage Olympic them to Brazil. Winning gold will help pro- medal hopeful Shakur Stevenson reads like vide a better life for his family, he says-that the plot line for a “Rocky” movie. The includes getting them all out of Newark for American bantamweight is the oldest of a new start somewhere else. nine siblings, took up boxing at the age of just five and grew up in a rough neighbor- PROFESSIONAL THREAT hood of Newark, New Jersey where it was As befits a teenager who had to grow up all too easy to fall prey to a life of crime. His fast and describes himself as the family style, speed and smart boxing brain has bread-winner, Stevenson does not lack drawn comparisons to Floyd Mayweather, confidence, saying recently: “I expect it who fought in the Olympics in 1996 and (Rio) to be an amazing place, something went on to become a boxing legend before like I’ve never seen before and I want to retiring last year unbeaten. stay focused on what I do. “I’m looking for- And if the “Shakur” sounds familiar, it ward to winning a gold medal and doing it should-Stevenson is named after Tupac in front of all my family.” Shakur, the influential rapper who was shot Stevenson is dismissive of the threat dead in 1996 on a trip to Las Vegas to see a posed by professionals in Rio. “I don’t mind boxing match. But behind the ever-beam- it,” Stevenson, who boasts a perfect 23-0 ing grin, supreme confidence and memo- international record but has lost to rable name there is undoubted talent: American rival Ruben Villa twice, told the Stevenson, who is only 19, is the first official Olympic website. American male to win junior and youth “I feel like professionals are coming to world titles and a Youth Olympic Games my territory because they’re not used to gold medal. “He really didn’t need any fighting every single day and they’re not motivation once he got into boxing used to having to make the weight every because it was something he had to do,” single day. It’s a quicker pace.” said his grandfather Wali Moses, who was The Olympics have heralded some of his first coach. American boxing’s great careers- “He knew that he wanted to do some- Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, George thing besides be a kid on the streets of Foreman, Sugar Ray Leonard and Evander Newark so he made extra (efforts) to make Holyfield were all in the Games. sure that he wasn’t,” Moses told USA Today. But there is added pressure on The latest chapter in Stevenson’s rapid Stevenson because while the United States LAS VEGAS: Terence Crawford, right, hits Viktor Postol during their WBC-WBO junior welterweight title unification boxing bout in Las Vegas on rise to what many boxing experts say will tops the medal table in Olympic boxing Saturday. —AP be the top comes in Rio, where profession- history, the men’s team failed to win a sin- als will step into the ring for the first time in gle medal in London four years ago. the Olympics. No male American boxer has won gold The bubbly teenager already has a “Rio since 2004 when Andre Ward, now an Crawford beats Postol in 2016” tattoo on one shoulder blade and is unbeaten pro, topped the podium. regarded as Team USA’s brightest medal “I saw that the 2012 (boxing) team-not hope in the Olympic boxing competition. to say anything bad about them-they Stevenson remains an amateur for now- didn’t do too good and didn’t bring back title unification fight only a handful of pros will take part in Rio- no medals,” says Stevenson, a grin forming and is so desperate to have his large family again across his youthful features. behind him that he launched a crowd- “I felt, put me in their position, I think I LAS VEGAS: Terence Crawford was so sure of his ring Nov. 5 and promoter Bob Arum said the in the first round and dropping Rueda with a funding campaign to raise money to get will bring back a gold medal.” — AFP victory Saturday night that he spent part of the winner of the fight would be a prime candidate hook to the body in the second. Rueda got up final round with his hands at his side, taunting as an opponent. but Valdez swarmed over him, landing several Viktor Postol. Postol, whose wife gave birth to twins earlier more punches to put him down for a second What he’s not so sure of is that Manny in the week, said Crawford forced him out of his time and end the fight at 2:18 of the second Valentina Shevchenko stuns Pacquiao will agree to his terms and fight him at rhythm and he was unable to carry out his fight round. Valdez leaped into the arms of his corner- 140 pounds in November. “It will be at 140, defi- plan. “He was quicker than me. He’s one of the man screaming in joy at becoming a champion Holly Holm at UFC Chicago nitely,” Crawford said. “But I’m going on vacation best in the world,” Postol said. “I just didn’t have in his 20th professional fight. “It’s a dream,” he now. We’re not worried about Manny Pacquiao the answers tonight.” said.