AUSTIN, Texas — Former welterweight champion Antonio Margarito was approved to fight in Texas on Thursday, which clears the way for a potentially lucrative fight against pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao at the opulent Cowboys Stadium in November.
Margarito is expected to face Pacquiao for a vacant junior middleweight title Nov. 13.
The “Tijuana Tornado” hasn’t fought in the United States since January 2009, when a plaster-like substance was found in his hand wraps before a fight against Shane Mosley in Los Angeles. Margarito’s license was revoked for at least one year by the California State Athletic Commission, a decision that was upheld by other states.
Dupree’s 32 lead Mercury
PHOENIX — Candice Dupree scored a career-high 32 points to lead the Phoenix Mercury to a 106-93 victory over the San Antonio Silver Stars in the first game of the WNBA Western Conference semifinal series. Former CSU star Becky Hammon led the Silver Stars with 19 points.
• A 17-2 fourth-quarter run powered the New York Liberty past the visiting Indiana Fever 85-73 in an Eastern Conference series opener.
• Liberty point guard Leilani Mitchell, who increased her scoring average by nearly seven points to 9.3, was named the WNBA’s most improved player.
Guerin no longer in Pens’ plans
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Penguins won’t re-sign forward Bill Guerin, preferring instead to give several young forwards a chance to play on one of their top lines.
Guerin, 39, scored 21 goals last season and had four more during the playoffs while often playing on Sidney Crosby‘s line. He has 429 goals and 427 assists in 1,263 career games with eight teams.
Meanwhile, Penguins forward Jordan Staal‘s surgically repaired right foot will be examined by team doctors next week to determine if he will be ready for the start of training camp in September.
• The Dallas Stars and defenseman Nicklas Grossman agreed to a two-year deal worth $3.25 million.
Footnotes.
Maurice Clarett will try out for the Omaha Nighthawks on Sunday, but the former Ohio State star can’t sign with the United Football League team until it has a support system in place for the once-troubled running back, the commissioner of the league said.
• Texas Tech athletic director Gerald Myers, who brought Hall of Famer Bob Knight to the West Texas campus and got caught up in the contentious final year of football coach Mike Leach‘s tenure, will step down in May.
• Danny Ferry, a former general manager for the Cleveland Cavaliers, will be vice president of basketball operations for the San Antonio Spurs.
• Philadelphia 76ers forward Andres Nocioni won’t play for Argentina at the world championships that start Saturday in Turkey because of a left ankle injury.
• Rachel Alexandra has been made the 2-5 morning-line favorite over four rivals for Sunday’s $300,000 Personal Ensign Invitational in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
The Associated Press
