North Little Rock, Ark. – Jermain Taylor unanimously outpointed Kassim Ouma on Saturday night to retain his middleweight boxing title.
Taylor, fighting in his home state for the first time since winning the title in 2005, was in control throughout despite a cut around his left eye that appeared to bother him in the later rounds. There was little suspense at the end – open scoring was used at the fight and showed Taylor with a big lead after eight rounds.
Taylor became the middleweight champion in July 2005 by beating Bernard Hopkins in Las Vegas, then beat Hopkins there again last December. Taylor escaped with a draw against Winky Wright in July in Memphis, Tenn., to keep his undisputed title.
After three straight decisions, Taylor (26-0-1) hoped for a knockout in front of his home fans, but Ouma (25-3-1) made the Little Rock native fight the full 12.
BOXING
Khan wins IBF light-welterweight title
Amir Khan won the IBF intercontinental light-welterweight title, recovering from a surprise seventh-round knockdown to beat Rachid Drilzane in a lopsided decision in London.
Khan, the 2004 Olympic lightweight silver medalist, went the 10-round distance for the first time and took many blows to the head from the Frenchman without being able to impose his big-hitting style.
In another fight on the card, former Olympic superheavyweight champion Audley Harrison stopped Danny Williams in the third round of a heavyweight fight.
Two-time heavyweight champion Michael Moorer made quick work of his first fight since December 2004, stopping Cliff Couser in the first round in Hollywood, Fla.
WINTER SPORTS
More World Cup races canceled
Downhill and super-G races in Val D’Isere, France, scheduled for Saturday and next Sunday on the women’s World Cup circuit were canceled because of lack of snow and warm weather.
The International Ski Federation said the course was declared unfit after inspection. A possible replacement site could be determined Monday.
Two other women’s events already have been canceled because of the weather. The season-opening races at Soelden, Austria, in October were wiped out because of heavy rain, and women’s events in St. Moritz, Switzerland, on Saturday and today were called off because of lack of snow. On the men’s circuit, super-G and downhill World Cup races Friday and Saturday in Val Gardena, Italy, will proceed as scheduled because there was enough artificial snow.
Skiing’s governing body also said World Cup cross country races have been rescheduled for Rybinsk, Russia, on Dec. 20-21.
With the U.S. Figure Skating championships less than two months away, 2006 champion Sasha Cohen has yet to decide if she will attempt to defend her title.
Cohen, who will perform today at the Marshalls Challenge on the campus of Boston University, said she plans to compete at the 2010 Olympics and 2009 world championships. Other than that, Cohen said her immediate future was wide open.
Caroline Zhang and Stephen Carriere won individual events for the United States, which became the first country to sweep all four gold medals at the Junior Grand Prix of skating in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker of Colorado Springs won the pairs, and siblings Madison and Keiffer Hubbell took the gold in the ice dance.
Norwegian star Ole Einar Bjorndalen won a 12.5-kilometer pursuit by a wide margin at a biathlon meet in Hochfilzen, Austria, extending his record streak of World Cup victories to nine.
Germany’s Andrea Henkel won the women’s 10-kilometer pursuit, a day after capturing the sprint title.
Evgeni Popov led Russia to a convincing victory in a four-man bobsled race that closed out the season’s second World Cup competition in Park City, Utah.
NFL
O’Neal charged with drunken driving
Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Deltha O’Neal was charged with driving while intoxicated early Saturday after being stopped at a traffic checkpoint.
The two-time Pro Bowler had a blood-alcohol level of 0.10, above Ohio’s legal limit of 0.08, the state Highway Patrol said.
The seven-year veteran is the eighth Bengal arrested this year. Rookie receiver Reggie McNeal was charged with resisting arrest this week outside a Houston nightclub.
The Carolina Panthers promoted rookie quarterback Brett Basanez to the active roster, another signal Jake Delhomme might not be able to play today against the New York Giants.
