Oakland undefeated champ Ward elected to Boxing Hall of Fame
Unbeaten multi-division champions Andre Ward and Floyd Mayweather are the headliners in a stellar 13-person class that was elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame’s Class of 2021 on Tuesday.
Oakland’s Ward was 32-0 with 16 knockouts and won titles at super middleweight and light heavyweight.
Mayweather won world titles in five weight classes — super featherweight, lightweight, super lightweight, welterweight and super welterweight — while going 50- 0 with 27 knockouts and establishing himself as the greatest boxer of his era.
“I’ve been waiting for this call for most of my life,” Ward told Yahoo Sports. “It finally came. I’m a first-ballot Hall of Famer. God has been good to me. I can finally rest now. This chapter of my life is complete.”
College basketball
FLORIDA’S JOHNSON SPEAKING AND CALLING TEAMMATES VIA FACETIME >> Florida forward Keyontae Johnson is speaking with family members and doctors and was even able to FaceTime his teammates Tuesday, his parents said in a statement released by the school.
Nika and Marrecus Johnson added that they “feel so much love and support from everyone.”
“We’re beyond grateful for the care and attention that Keyontae has received throughout these past several days,” they said.
Olympics
TOKYO GAMES RELAY OPENS IN 100 DAYS WITH 10,000 TORCHBEARERS >> The torch relay for the postponed Tokyo Games will start in just
over three months, and it faces the same questions as the Olympics about being held safely during the coronavirus pandemic.
Organizers said the relay is set to begin on March 25 from the northeastern prefecture of Fukushima. This was also to have been the starting point for the relay before the Olympics were postponed nine months ago.
This coastal area of Japan was devastated almost 10 years ago by an earthquake and tsunami and the subsequent meltdown of three nuclear reactors.
MLB
R A NGE RS SIGN OF DAVID DAHL TO $2.7 MILLION, 1-YEAR CONTRACT >> The Texas Rangers have signed free agent outfielder David Dahl to a $2.7 million, oneyear contract after Colorado didn’t offer him a contract coming off right shoulder surgery.
Dahl hit .183 with no homers and nine RBIs while spending about a month of the pandemicshortened 60-game regular
season on the injured list. Dahl, who spent his first nine years in pro ball with the Rockies, also dealt with back soreness last season.
Dahl had the first hit at the Rangers’ new retractable-roof stadium in 2020, a third-inning single against Lance Lynn on July 24.
College football
GAMECOCKS’ BEAMER GETS 5-YEAR DEAL WORTH $13.75 MILLION >> New South Carolina coach Shane Beamer has received a five-year contract worth $13.75 million.
Beamer, 43, was named to replace fired Will Muschamp earlier this month. Beamer’s contract was approved by the South Carolina Board of Trustees.
Beamer will make $2.75 million per season with a base salary of $1.1 million and guaranteed compensation of $1.65 million from outside rights holders. OHIO STATE’S FIELDS CHOSEN BIG TEN OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF YEAR >> Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields is the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, according to a vote by conference coaches and media.
A Heisman Trophy finalist in 2019 when he delivered one of the most productive seasons by a Buckeyes quarterback, Fields has been spectacular this year for the third-ranked Buckeyes. The junior leads the nation in completion percentage and the Big Ten in total yards per game by a wide margin at 392.2. He has 1,407 yards passing with 15 touchdowns and three interceptions in five games.
MICHIGAN CANCELS GAME AT NO. 18 IOWA >> An ongoing COVID-19 outbreak at Michigan has forced the Wolverines to cancel their football game at No. 18 Iowa on Saturday. This will be the third straight game canceled. The Wolverines didn’t play Dec. 5 at home against Maryland or last week at No. 3 Ohio State. INDIANA-PURDUE RIVALRY GAME OFF >> Indiana and Purdue have squared off on the football field every year since 1920. Now, their rivalry game for the Old Oaken Bucket has been canceled for the second time in two weeks — and the third time this season. Athletic directors Scott Dolson and Mike Bobinski said Friday’s game had been scrapped because of continuing concerns over COVID-19. FRISCO BOWL CANCELED >> The first bowl game scheduled to played this season has been canceled.
The Frisco Bowl scheduled for Saturday was called off because SMU is having COVID-19 issues. The Mustangs were scheduled to play Texas-San Antonio in Frisco, Texas. UTSA will instead play in the First Responder Bowl at Gerald J. Ford Stadium on SMU’s campus outside Dallas on Dec. 26 against an opponent to be determined.