Charlo a winner in his middleweight debut
NEW YORK — Unbeaten Jermall Charlo of Houston made a dominant debut at middleweight, stopping Jorge Sebastian Heiland in the fourth round Saturday night.
Charlo (26-0, 20 KOs), the former 154-pound champion, became a mandatory challenger for the World Boxing Council 160-pound belt held by Gennady Golovkin by dominating Heiland, who appeared to be battling a leg injury that kept him from being able balance himself. He was knocked down for a second time in the fight late in the fourth round and stumbled well backward and the ringside doctor immediately stopped the fight after Heiland (29-5-2, 16 KOs) got up and nearly fell when trying to put weight on his leg.
In the main event, Mikey Garcia unanimously outpointed Adrien Broner to remain undefeated.
Garcia controlled his first fight at 140 pounds, particularly with body shots he was able to sneak in below Broner’s defense, and won 117-111 on one card and 116-112 on the other two.
A former champion in three lower weight classes, Garcia (37-0, 30 KOs) never seriously hurt Broner (33-3, 24 KOs) but dictated the action for most of the 12 rounds.
Three-time U.S. Olympian Rau’shee Warren earned another title shot with a unanimous decision over McJoe Arroyo, and 2012 women’s Olympic gold medalist Katie Taylor of Ireland easily won her U.S. debut against Jasmine Clarkson.
GOLF 65 puts Hoffman in Canadian lead
Charley Hoffman birdied the final hole for a 7-under-par 65 at Glen Abbey in Oakville, Ontario, to take a one-stroke lead into the final round of the RBC Canadian Open.
Hoffman, 40, had six birdies in a seven-hole stretch that ended on No. 15, bogeyed the par-4 17th and rebounded with the two-putt birdie on the par5 18th.
Hoffman had a 17-under 199 total.
Kevin Chappell was second after a 66 that included a bogey on No. 18.
Robert Garrigus matched the course record with a 62 to join Gary
Woodland (68) at 15 under. In other news:
• Bernhard Langer shot a bogey-free 6-under 65 at Royal Porthcawl in Bridgend, Wales, to take a four-stroke lead in the Senior British Open. The 59-year-old German star has a 5-under 208 total. Corey Pavin (65) was second.
• Hall of Famer Karrie Webb and Sei Young Kim topped the Ladies Scottish Open leader board at Dundonald Links in Irvine. Kim birdied the par-4 17th and par-5 18th in strong wind and rain for a 3-under 69, and Webb birdied the 17th en route to a 70. They were at 6-under 210.
MOTOR SPORTS Preece prevails in Xfinity race
Ryan Preece survived a green-white-checkered finish to win the NASCAR Xfinity race at Iowa Speedway in Newton for his first career victory.
Preece, 26, running the second of a two-race deal in the No. 20 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, held off Kyle Benjamin on three restarts in the final 17 laps. Preece started from the pole. Benjamin was second.
• Christopher Bell grabbed a late lead and held on to win the Camping World Truck race at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa. Bell passed John Hunter Nemechek and held off Ben Rhodes over the final two laps to win for the fourth time this season. Rhodes was second, followed by Ryan Truex, Nemechek and Johnny Sauter. Busch led most of the race until he made contact with Justin Haley and spun into the outside wall.
In other news:
• Will Power, still looking for a victory at the MidOhio Sport Car Course in Lexington, captured his fifth pole of the season, and fellow Team Penske driver Josef Newgarden qualified second for Sunday’s Honda Indy 200.
HORSE RACING Good Samaritan is a Jim Dandy
Good Samaritan stormed to the lead coming down the stretch and won the Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. — a stunning victory in what was billed as a showdown between the winners of the first two legs of thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown.
Good Samaritan, who never had raced on dirt, beat Giuseppe the Great by 43/4 lengths as the two long shots in the race finished in front. Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming was third, Pavel fourth, and Preakness winner Cloud Computing finished last in the five-horse field in a race worth $600,000.
The Jim Dandy is a major prep race for the $1.25 million Travers Stakes on Aug. 26, which is expected to attract Always Dreaming, Cloud Computing and Belmont Stakes winner Tapwrit.
PRO FOOTBALL Falcons’ Fuller sidelined again
Atlanta Falcons receiver Devin Fuller will miss the season with a knee injury, marking the second consecutive year he has had a season-ending injury before playing a game.
Fuller, a seventh-round pick from UCLA in 2016, suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in Friday’s practice and will need season-ending injury after the non-contact injury.
Fuller also missed the 2016 season with a shoulder injury.
PRO BASEBALL Three-run third powers Skeeters
Joe Benson’s two-run single and Dickie Thon’s RBI single in the second inning staked the Skeeters to an early en route to a 4-3 Atlantic League victory over Somerset at Constellation Field in Sugar Land.
Travis Scott’s double in the fifth drove in the Skeeters’ other run.