Extreme Sport Site

Jones Jr. - vows to ‘fight like hell’
THE OLD JONES IS BACK

Roy Jones Jr. insists his “bag of tricks is back open” as he prepares to fight Joe Calzaghe on November 8 in New York.

The boxing legend has gone some way to rebuilding his reputation with three successive victories following a disastrous spell which saw him lose to Antonio Tarver twice and also to Glen Johnson, with two of those three defeats by way of knockout.

Some critics called for Jones to call it a day in the wake of his second defeat by Tarver in October 2005, but now at the age of 39 his zest for the sport is as strong as ever before.

And having become a five-time world champion in four different weight classes throughout a glorious professional career spanning nearly 20 years, Jones (52-4, 38KOs) believes his best will be too good for the undefeated Welshman.

Jones said: “Calzaghe is thinking, ‘If Roy Jones hasn’t completely turned back into his old self, I have a chance of winning.’

“At this fight, you will see Roy Jones and you will see Joe Calzaghe. You will see who wins and who loses. You will see greatness.

“My biggest regret in my career is that I didn’t show my face more. Who wouldn’t want to see this face? I denied a lot of people a lot of smiles. I’ve been cheating all of us the extra baggage like I used to give, because my heart was not in it.

“My bag of tricks is back open. I’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”

The “Battle of the Superpowers” will take place at Madison Square Garden and Jones has promised a sensational bout to live long in the memory.

“I am excited to fight at Madison Square Garden. It is the biggest fight in the best place. It really is the Mecca. I used to hate fighting in New York because it is cold, but global warming changed things.

“Who doesn’t want to fight me? This definitely has to be one of the best fights of Calzaghe’s career. People have been telling him to fight me for years.

“We tell each other like it is and like it should be. It is not weird. We don’t have anyone who owns us. We are our own people. We did not need a mediator to make the fight happen. However, we might need a mediator to get me off of him on November 8.

“Joe Calzaghe’s style of fighting is different than mine. Calzaghe punches more than anyone I have ever seen.

“I am a fighter. I can’t play in the World Series. I can’t play in the Super Bowl. I can’t play in the NBA Finals, but I can still fight like hell.”

The American’s faith and humour have helped him through the ups and downs of his career and right now he feels invincible.

He said: “I am a little smarter and older and I realise that when you have God fighting for you, nothing can go wrong.

“My little sister tells me, that I am God’s comedian. My life is having fun and making people laugh. If I’m not having fun, I’m not being me.”

Indications are the men’s regular season will go out with a proper bang this week at the Paris Tennis Masters. Today favorites Andy Roddick, Novak Djokovic, Juan Martin Del Potro and my man Gael Monfils all won rather handily to advance into the third round.

And with Rafael Nadal (who plays Florent Serra Wednesday), Roger Federer (meets Robin Soderling) and Andy Murray (to play Sam Querrey) still to play there’s a lot to look forward to this week in the final stop on the regular tour calendar. And I should add that it’s both nice and surprising to see the top players making the effort this week.

Eyeballing the draw, Nadal is really looking strong to reach the last four with only Monfils in his way. I’ll pick the surging Andy Murray is the favorite to face him in the semifinals. The Scot though will have to navigate possibly Del Potro or Nalbandian, who appear to be headed to yet another collision this month (they’ve split there two prior meets).

In the bottom half, if there’s one match I want to see its Roddick v. Djokovic, but we’re still a ways away from that tasty rematch of their US Open clash. Roddick, who destroyed Feliciano Lopez moments ago, will next have no easy match in the Gilles Simon-Igor Andreev winner. I like Simon there. And Djokovic will also likely have to deal with a Frenchman in JW Tsonga who faces Stepanek tomorrow.

In the last quarter Federer’s path couldn’t be much easier. Soderling’s tricky no doubt, but then a likely date with Marin Cilic followed by a showdown with James Blake in the quarters, neither of which should pose much of a threat for the Swiss who’s been flying high since his US Open title. And right now I actually like Rog here to come through for this title. The draw and what looks to be a slower surface than Madrid set up really well for Fed.

Of course there is also an ongoing race for the last three spots at the Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai. And at the moment it’s still hard to bet against the current three favorites – Roddick, Del Potro and Simon – getting in. For that not to happen a Blake, Ferrer, Tsonga, Wawrinka or Nalbandian will have to go very deep in this field, and I really don’t see that happening. That said if there’s a long shot I’d take Nalbandian only who needs to defend his title and win Paris to harbor a chance, but heck, he could do it.

All five guys in chase are playing Wednesday, so by this time tomorrow the last eight could very well be set.

As for Djokovic and his mask, apparently it works. In addition to scaring me, it scared Dmitry Tursunov into submission today. I wonder if he’ll accessorize, or maybe play with it on. Oh the options…To be honest, though, for now I’m just going to act like I didn’t see it (but I did!), and I’ll leave it at that.

Indications are the men’s regular season will go out with a proper bang this week at the Paris Tennis Masters. Today favorites Andy Roddick, Novak Djokovic, Juan Martin Del Potro and my man Gael Monfils all won rather handily to advance into the third round.

And with Rafael Nadal (who plays Florent Serra Wednesday), Roger Federer (meets Robin Soderling) and Andy Murray (to play Sam Querrey) still to play there’s a lot to look forward to this week in the final stop on the regular tour calendar. And I should add that it’s both nice and surprising to see the top players making the effort this week.

Eyeballing the draw, Nadal is really looking strong to reach the last four with only Monfils in his way. I’ll pick the surging Andy Murray is the favorite to face him in the semifinals. The Scot though will have to navigate possibly Del Potro or Nalbandian, who appear to be headed to yet another collision this month (they’ve split there two prior meets).

In the bottom half, if there’s one match I want to see its Roddick v. Djokovic, but we’re still a ways away from that tasty rematch of their US Open clash. Roddick, who destroyed Feliciano Lopez moments ago, will next have no easy match in the Gilles Simon-Igor Andreev winner. I like Simon there. And Djokovic will also likely have to deal with a Frenchman in JW Tsonga who faces Stepanek tomorrow.

In the last quarter Federer’s path couldn’t be much easier. Soderling’s tricky no doubt, but then a likely date with Marin Cilic followed by a showdown with James Blake in the quarters, neither of which should pose much of a threat for the Swiss who’s been flying high since his US Open title. And right now I actually like Rog here to come through for this title. The draw and what looks to be a slower surface than Madrid set up really well for Fed.

Of course there is also an ongoing race for the last three spots at the Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai. And at the moment it’s still hard to bet against the current three favorites – Roddick, Del Potro and Simon – getting in. For that not to happen a Blake, Ferrer, Tsonga, Wawrinka or Nalbandian will have to go very deep in this field, and I really don’t see that happening. That said if there’s a long shot I’d take Nalbandian only who needs to defend his title and win Paris to harbor a chance, but heck, he could do it.

All five guys in chase are playing Wednesday, so by this time tomorrow the last eight could very well be set.

As for Djokovic and his mask, apparently it works. In addition to scaring me, it scared Dmitry Tursunov into submission today. I wonder if he’ll accessorize, or maybe play with it on. Oh the options…To be honest, though, for now I’m just going to act like I didn’t see it (but I did!), and I’ll leave it at that.

Kurt Gidley - ruled out.
GIDLEY MISSES OUT

Australia utility back Kurt Gidley has been ruled out of Sunday’s World Cup pool match against England with a knee injury.

Gidley, who was a substitute in the Kangaroos’ 30-6 opening win over New Zealand in Sydney on Sunday, will play no further part in the tournament after scans today revealed he had knocked a small piece of cartilage off the joint surface of his left patella.

“It’s a bitterly disappointing way to end the season, especially off the back of our strong performance against the Kiwis on Sunday night,” said Gidley.

“The squad has gelled really well and I’m just devastated I won’t be able to take any further part in the tournament.”

Gidley, younger brother of St Helens’ former Australia centre Matt Gidley, will remain in camp with the squad this week before returning to Newcastle for surgery following Sunday’s game at the Telstra Dome.

Australia also have a doubt over scrum-half Johnathan Thurston, who did not train with the squad at Olympic Park today and instead underwent scans on his damaged shoulder.

Thurston picked up the injury in Sunday’s game, in which he starred despite still coming to terms with the violent death of his uncle the day before.

The North Queensland half-back has a history of shoulder problems and underwent reconstructions on both joints at the end of the 2007 season.

England will name their team tomorrow and are expected to make at least one change, with winger Lee Smith rated extremely doubtful because of a foot injury.

Arafat - will play for Sussex next season.
SUSSEX GIVE YASIR A JOB

Sussex have signed Pakistan fast bowler Yasir Arafat for the 2009 season.

It will be the second spell at the club for the 26-year-old who was a pivotal member of the team who won the County Championship and NatWest Trophy double in 2006.

Yasir took 41 wickets while filling in for the injured Rana Naved.

He spent last season at Kent, where he took 38 first-class wickets in 12 games at an average of 29.07.

The Rawalpindi-born player was Kent’s leading wicket-taker in both one-day and Twenty20 cricket, taking 27 wickets at an average of 17.74 runs in the former and 23 at an average of 14.82 in Twenty20.

Mark Robinson, Sussex’s professional cricket manager, said: “Yasir’s signing is fantastic news and we are flattered that he is keen to return to Hove.

“It’s further evidence that people who play for the club fall in love with it.

“He’s not only an outstanding new and old ball bowler, but a fantastic lower-middle order batsman, who should stand out in both our four and one-day cricket.”

West Indies could tour England next year.
WINDIES PONDER ENGLAND TOUR

The West Indies Cricket Board are considering an offer to tour England next year.

The England and Wales Cricket Board have invited the Windies to play two Test matches and three one-day internationals after scheduled opponents Sri Lanka pulled out as their players were keen to honour individual contracts with the Indian Premier League.

WICB chief executive Dr Donald Peters told windiescricket.com: “The WICB has a request to play two Tests and three ODIs in England.

“We are examining all possibilities. At this stage it presents some challenges because the West Indies will be hosting a series - including Tests and one-day internationals - against Bangladesh in early May next year.

“If we accept the invitation we would have to determine how best we could work out the logistics and planning issues.”

England have turned to West Indies after a proposed tour by Zimbabwe was cancelled for political reasons while replacements Sri Lanka could only send a second-string side due to the dates clashing with the second season of the IPL.

Jesse Ryder - scored 91.
BLACK CAPS IN COMMAND

New Zealand dominated the final two sessions against Bangladesh today to quash any faint hopes the hosts had of nicking an unlikely win in what has effectively become a two-day Test.

After play was washed out for the first three days, the action finally got under way on day four despite an early rain delay and Bangladesh had the tourists on the ropes at lunch on 55 for three.

But Jesse Ryder, who fell nine runs short of his maiden ton, and Brendon McCullum (66) got the Black Caps back on track after lunch before captain Daniel Vettori declared on 262 for six.

Vettori then took three wickets in his only over of the evening to reduce Bangladesh to 13 for three before bad light stopped play.

When the conditions eventually allowed play to begin, the hosts won the toss and chose to field first.

And they could hardly have asked for a better start with Mashrafe Mortaza trapping Aaron Redmond (two) lbw at the end of the third over as the New Zealand opener played forward with only 10 on the scoreboard.

Just two balls later and without a run added, Jamie How (eight) followed Redmond back to the pavilion when he was bowled between bat and pad by Mahbubul Alam.

Ryder and Ross Taylor steadied the ship following the double blow and moved the total onto 49 for two through just over 12 overs until Taylor (19) was bowled by Shahadat Hossain in his only over of the morning session.

New Zealand managed to get firmly back on track after lunch, however, with Ryder and wicketkeeper McCullum sharing a 137-run partnership for the fourth wicket.

Ryder completed his half-century in 78 balls with six fours, with McCullum soon following suit off 86 balls with seven boundaries and one six.

The stand came to an end when Ryder was caught at square leg by Mehrab Hossain Jr off the bowling of Abdur Razzak, nine runs short of his ton.

McCullum fell shortly after tea, caught at mid-wicket by Mohammad Ashraful off the bowling of Shakib Al Hasan for 66, before Vettori was bowled off an inside edge from Ashraful.

Daniel Flynn finished unbeaten on 35 alongside Grant Elliott (eight not out) when the declaration came on 262.

Then Vettori took centre-stage with the ball, snaring wickets with the first, third and final balls of an amazing over.

First he had Junaid Siddique stumped by McCullum for four, and then Mohammad Ashraful and Rajin Saleh were trapped lbw playing forward without having troubled the scorers.

Opener Tamim Iqbal remains at the crease with Mehrab Hossain Jr, on eight and nought respectively.

New Zealand lead the two-Test series 1-0 following their three-wicket victory in Dhaka.

Trinidad & Tobago celebrate their victory.
MIDDLESEX MISS OUT ON PAY DAY

Middlesex paid heavily for dropped catches as Trinidad & Tobago were crowned Champions Cup winners at the Stanford Super Series.

Shaun Udal’s side were on top when a trio of misses in the field late in Trinidad’s chase of 118 at Coolidge relinquished momentum.

It meant that although the English domestic 20-over kings managed to raise the required run rate to nine an over in the second half of the innings, the Caribbean team cruised home in the final over with five wickets intact.

Darren Bravo finished things with a straight six off Tyron Henderson as Trinidad won with four balls to spare.

Once again it was an inability to cling onto chances under the low floodlights - a feature of the tournament - that cost Middlesex the US $280,000 winners’ cheque.

The turning point in this contest came in the 14th over when Bravo, teenage brother of West Indies star Dwayne, lofted to long-on.

Although Ed Joyce steadied himself, he floored a comfortable chance and, having been given that life on six, Bravo enjoyed another reprieve when a slice to backward point when on 17, off spinner Murali Kartik, was inexplicably spilled by Neil Carter.

Two balls later, at the start of the 17th over, the third drop in quick succession brought the loudest cheers of all as Denesh Ramdin’s towering blow off left-armer Carter was palmed for six by Eoin Morgan at long-off.

Middlesex had been given a perfect start attempting to defend such a paltry score when their opening bowlers Tim Murtagh and Neil Carter both struck inside seven deliveries.

Murtagh clung onto a fierce return chance offered by William Perkins and left-armer Carter followed up with one that shaped back in to secure a straightforward leg before against Lendl Simmons.

That double blow dictated a rebuilding job by the Ganga brothers, whose tip-and-run tactics took their side to 46 for two at the halfway stage.

It was at that point, however, Middlesex captain Udal produced a masterstroke, throwing the ball to leg-spinner Dawid Malan.

The youngster responded with the dismissal of both: Sherwin Ganga holing out to deep midwicket off his very first ball and captain Daren Ganga the victim of a classical leg-spinner’s dismissal - lured forward by a perfectly-pitched delivery and brilliantly stumped by Ben Scott.

By the time Scott enacted his second such dismissal in the penultimate over to dismiss Ramdin for a match-high 41, only two were required.

Middlesex were suffocated by spin as they posted only 117 for eight.

Trinidad’s trio of spinners capped the scoring from the start as domestic cricket’s 20-over champions struggled to find answers to the slow stuff on a sluggish pitch.

It took a mix of brains and brawn from Neil Dexter, a recent signing from Kent, to address a pitiful position of 56 for five in the 14th over.

Dexter managed to contribute more than half of Middlesex’s boundary count with three sixes followed by two well-placed fours towards the death in a fine 39.

Of the top order, only Morgan, an England performance squad player, adapted to the conditions, striking 30 from 31 balls.

Former West Indies paceman Ravi Rampaul struck twice with the new ball to send back Carter and Joyce - and he doubled his wicket tally in the final over - but it was Trinidad’s spinners Samuel Badree, Sherwin Ganga and Amit Jaggernauth who were decisive, conceding only 62 runs between them in a dozen overs.

Unable to get Rampaul’s opening partner Badree, a leg-spinner, away, England Test batsman Andrew Strauss lost patience against off-spinner Sherwin Ganga and was stumped.

Middlesex recalled match-winner Henderson in place of youngster Steve Finn and he was sent in as early as the eighth over to up the tempo.

Although he managed one of only two fours in the first half of the innings, via a sliced drive through the off-side, he missed an ugly hoik soon afterwards.

Middlesex’s young batting stars Morgan and Malan were both caught at short fine-leg via flicks, suffering from a lack of pace on the ball.

Andy Murray - ranked number four.
LLOYD: MURRAY CAN BE THE BEST

Great Britain Davis Cup captain John Lloyd believes Andy Murray can be the world number one and is “millimetres away” from a grand slam victory.

The 21-year-old British number one reached his first grand slam final at the US Open last month and has followed it up with back-to-back trophies at the Madrid Masters and St Petersburg Open.

Murray goes into this week’s Paris Masters as the fourth best player in the world - but Lloyd believes he can overtake Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

“Andy is already a great player and now he has a chance to be the one - the number one,” Lloyd told the Guardian.

“He is millimetres away from winning a grand slam. It would not surprise me if he wins one next year.

“I still think he’s two years away from playing his best tennis - which is a scary thought. I think he’s very much a learner.

“He’s very astute in that he picks up things all the time and he knows what he needs to get that extra step.

“He’s been gradually chipping away at the top three guys - and in a lot of cases, beating the top three guys - but he’s taking it all on board.

“He is realistic enough to know that there is still a way to go but I think he knows what he has to do now.”

Collins - threw for 193 yards.
WHITE STARS FOR TITANS

LenDale White scored two touchdowns and Rob Bironas kicked three field goals as the Tennessee Titans continued their unbeaten start with a 31-21 victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Monday.

Kerry Collins was efficient, throwing for 193 yards on 24-of-37 passing for the Titans (7-0), who used ball control and their stingy defense to extend the best start in the organisation’s history.

Tennessee took advantage of a good kick-off return and scored on the game’s first possession, taking a 3-0 lead on Bironas’ 34-yard field goal with 9:43 left in the first quarter.

Indianapolis capitalised on some good field position of their own to take a 7-3 lead on a 26-yard touchdown pass from Peyton Manning to tight end Dallas Clark with 3:27 left in the first quarter after Craig Hentrich’s 33-yard punt and a short return gave Indianapolis the ball at the Tennessee 37 to start the drive.

After another Bironas field goal in the second quarter, Clark and Manning hooked up on another touchdown pass from 19 yards to give the Colts a 14-6 lead with 11:06 left in the third quarter.

But the Titans answered with a 14-play, 80-yard drive - capped by a White one-yard touchdown before the two-point conversion pass to Ahmard Hall tied the score at 14-14 with 3:24 left in the third.

Bironas’ third field goal, a 48-yarder, gave the Titans a 17-14 lead with 14:45 remaining after the Titans started the drive on the Colts’ 47-yard line after Indianapolis turned the ball over on downs

The Titans increased their lead to 24-14 on White’s one-yard TD run with 4:37 left, capping a 13-play, 66-yard drive.

Rookie Chris Johnson made it 31-14 on a 16-yard run, one play after Chris Hope’s second interception of the game.

Manning completed 26-of-41 passes for 223 yards with three touchdowns - one rushing - and two interceptions for the Colts (3-4), while wide receivers Reggie Wayne and Marvin Harrison were limited to just four catches for 41 yards combined.