PHILADELPHIA — The World Boxing Council returned the light heavyweight championship to Bernard Hopkins after declaring his bout with Chad Dawson a technical draw.
Hopkins was stopped for the first time in his career Saturday night in bizarre fashion when Dawson lifted him and tossed him to the canvas late in the second round, leaving the 46-year-old champion with a dislocated joint in his shoulder. Dawson claimed the WBC light heavyweight title from Hopkins on a second- round TKO in Los Angeles.
The WBC reviewed video of the fight and unanimously declared Thursday the action reflects a clear intentional lifting of the body followed with a push by Dawson to Hopkins that made him fall on his left side with part of his body out of the ropes.
Donald shares Disney lead; Simpson two back
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Luke Donald, who figured he might have to win at Disney to have his best shot at capturing the PGA Tour money title, took a good step in the Children’s Miracle Network Classic with a 6-under-par 66 for a seven-way share of the lead.
Donald is playing the opening two rounds with Webb Simpson, whose runner-up finish last week gave him a $363,029 lead in the money list. Simpson also played bogey-free on the easier Palm course for a 68.
“Would have loved to have made a couple more at the end,” Donald said of his six birdies. “I didn’t hit the ball great the last few holes.”
The others at 66 were Arjun Atwal, James Driscoll, Nathan Green, Scott Stallings, Derek Lamely and Gary Woodland.
• Top-ranked Yani Tseng opened her home event with a 4-under 68 to join Japan’s Ai Miyazato atop the leaderboard in the LPGA Taiwan Championship in Yang Mei, Taiwan.
• Ross McGowan shot a 7-under 64 to take a two-shot lead after the opening round of the Castello Masters in Catellon, Spain.
Footnotes.
The New York Red Bulls took advantage of an own goal in the eighth minute to defeat the Philadelphia Union 1-0 in Harrison, N.J., and clinch an MLS playoff berth.
• U.S. Soccer selected Caleb Porter to coach the under-23 men’s national team that will try to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics. Porter will continue coaching at college powerhouse Akron.
• Lamar is looking into whether new basketball coach Pat Knight violated an NCAA rule by allowing two recruits to speak with his father, former Indiana coach Bob Knight.
• Arizona transfer Lamont “Momo” Jones has been granted a hardship waiver by the NCAA and will be eligible to play basketball for Iona this season.
• American cyclist Floyd Landis and former coach Arnie Baker went on trial in absentia in Paris over allegations they spearheaded a plot to hack into an anti-doping laboratory’s computers.
• The United States added a gold medal to its leading Pan American Games tally when Elizabeth Pelton won the women’s 200 backstroke in a games-record 2 minutes, 8.99 seconds in Guadalajara, Mexico. The United States have 34 gold medals and 98 overall.
• NASCAR is providing all its teams a decal that honors Dan Wheldon to place on their cars this weekend at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. Funeral services for the two-time Indianapolis 500 winner will be held Saturday in St. Petersburg, Fla. The Associated Press
