Times wires
Sunday, June 12, 2011
BOXING
TYSON SPEAKS OF HIS MENTOR AT HALL INDUCTION
CANASTOTA, N.Y. — The once-proclaimed "baddest man on the planet" fumbled for words that wouldn't come. Sylvester Stallone knew exactly what Mike Tyson felt.
Both were inducted Sunday in the International Boxing Hall of Fame, Tyson for his reign as heavyweight champion, Stallone for his Rocky movie series.
"I've got to be goofy about this or I'll get emotional up here," Tyson warned before trying to honor the late trainer Cus D'Amato, who after Tyson's mother died became his legal guardian and taught him to box.
"I was in reform school because I was always robbing people. All my life I watched these guys. I look at them different," Tyson said as he looked around at a dais that included Jake LaMotta, Leon Spinks and Marvin Hagler. "Why would I want to be like these guys, I always say. I don't know."
Tyson 44, was unable to finish his speech because he became so emotional. If anyone could understand it was Stallone, who penned the script about an underdog boxer from Philadelphia named Rocky Balboa, then played the part in the movies. Rocky, released in 1976, won Academy Awards for best picture and best director.
Mexican champ Julio Cesar Chavez, Russian-born junior welterweight Kostya Tszyu, Mexican trainer Ignacio "Nacho" Beristain and referee Joe Cortez were among the others inducted.
HORSES
Anger after bump at Belmont Stakes
Controversy flared the day after the Belmont Stakes, when John Velazquez accused Rajiv Maragh of careless riding in a chain reaction that nearly knocked Velazquez off Animal Kingdom early in the race Saturday. Velazquez also suggested that Maragh, on Isn't He Perfect, might have deliberately veered left to impede Mucho Macho Man, on whom he lost the mount after finishing sixth in the Preakness. "That's what I think," Velazquez said on a conference call.
MONMOUTH STAKES: Teaks North beat Sleepless Knight by three-quarters of a length to win the $250,000 race at Monmouth Park.
TENNIS
Wozniacki winner in her homeland
Top-ranked Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark won her second straight Sony Ericsson Open title in Copenhagen, 6-1, 6-4 over fourth seed Lucie Safarova.
RAINOUTS: The Queen's Club final in London between Andy Murray and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was postponed to today by rain, as was the Aegon Classic final between Sabine Lisicki and Daniela Hantuchova in Birmingham, England.
SOCCER
Mexico moves on with Gold Cup win
Andres Guardado scored twice as Mexico cruised into the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup with a 4-1 victory over Costa Rica in Chicago. Also in Group A play in Chicago, Rodolfo Zelaya scored in each half as El Salvador defeated Cuba 6-1.
MLS: Cristian Nazarit scored on a rebound in stoppage time to lift Chicago to a 1-0 victory at Columbus to end an 11-game winless streak.
ET CETERA
SWIMMING: Sean Ryan won the men's 5-kilometer race and Ashley Twichell took the women's title at the USA Swimming Open Water National Championships in Fort Lauderdale.
Times wires