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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

In brief: Mayweather wins easily in return bout

Floyd Mayweather Jr., right, connects with Juan Manuel Marquez during their non-title fight in Las Vegas Saturday night.  (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
From Staff And Wire Reports

Boxing: Floyd Mayweather Jr. returned to the ring with another emphatic victory.

Maybe next time he’ll pick on somebody his own size.

Mayweather overpowered the smaller, lighter Juan Manuel Marquez for a unanimous decision Saturday night in Las Vegas, maintaining his perfect record in his return from retirement and a 21-month ring absence.

Mayweather knocked down Marquez in the second round and then peppered him with countless damaging shots to remain unbeaten (40-0, 25 KOs).

“I can get better,” Mayweather said. “He’s tough as nails.”

Marquez (50-5-1) was a 130-pounder 18 months ago, but the Mexican champion moved up two weight classes to be Mayweather’s hand-picked comeback opponent. At Friday’s weigh-in, he was 4 pounds lighter than Mayweather, who paid a $600,000 penalty for missing the bout weight of 144 pounds.

The size disparity was painfully obvious from the opening bell, but Marquez stayed on his feet for 12 one-sided rounds.

Sylvester wins middleweight title: Sebastian Sylvester of Germany captured the vacant IBF middleweight title with a split decision over Giovanni Lorenzo at Neubrandenburg, Germany.

Belfort TKOs Franklin in first round

Mixed Martial Arts: It was a return to remember for Vitor Belfort.

Belfort knocked out Rich Franklin 3:02 into the first round to win the headline bout of UFC 103 before a rabid, sold-out crowd at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.

Belfort, making his return to the UFC after four years fighting for other organizations, buckled Franklin’s knees with a booming left hand, then swarmed him and delivered three devastating punches to the back of his head before the bout was called.

In the secondary match on the main card, Junior Dos Santos won a heavyweight bout over Mirko Cro Cop via TKO in the third round.

Choi up two shots at Torrey Pines

Golf: Na Yeon Choi of South Korea shot a career best 9-under-par 63 to take a two-stroke lead over compatriot Jiyai Shin in the Samsung World Championship at Torrey Pines in San Diego.

Choi finished at 15-under 201 to tie the tournament’s three-round record that Annika Sorenstam set when she won here in 2002 and 2005. Choi began the day three strokes behind second-round leader Shin, who shot a 68.

Choi has never won on the LPGA Tour, but has eight top-10 finishes this year.

No. 1-ranked Lorena Ochoa of Mexico shot a 72 and was tied for fourth place with Paula Creamer, seven strokes back.

Haas, Price tied for lead: Jay Haas and Nick Price shared the lead at the Greater Hickory Classic, but 31 players were within six strokes of the leaders going into the final round at the Champions Tour event in Conover, N.C.

Haas, the 2005 winner, and Price are at 11-under 133 after two rounds at Rock Barn Golf and Spa’s Robert Trent Jones course.

Haas shot a 1-under 71, while Price vaulted into contention with a 5-under 67.

Gil Morgan (70), who trailed Haas by three strokes after Friday’s round, slid into a tie for third at 135 with Andy Bean (68) and Russ Cochran (68).

Fever advance with sweep of Mystics

WNBA Playoffs: The Indiana Fever scored the final five points to defeat the Washington Mystics 81-74 and sweep their Eastern Conference semifinal series in Indianapolis.

The top-seeded Fever travel to Detroit on Wednesday for the conference finals.

Mercury even series: Diana Taurasi scored 24 points and had six rebounds, five assists and two blocked shots to lead Phoenix past San Antonio to even their Western Conference semifinal series at a game apiece in Phoenix.

Track official offers apology for denial

Miscellany: South Africa’s top track official apologized for denying knowledge of gender tests done on runner Caster Semenya in the country, saying he lied to protect her privacy.

Athletics South Africa president Leonard Chuene told reporters his constant denials of the tests, which he said he was aware of when they were done in early August, were an “error of judgment” and never meant to “deceive” the public.

South African officials repeatedly said tests were done on the 18-year-old runner only abroad, not in South Africa.

Spain, Czech Republic advance in Davis Cup: Defending champion Spain defeated Israel 3-0 in the Davis Cup semifinals at Torre Pacheco, Spain.

Feliciano Lopez and Tommy Robredo beat Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram 7-6 (6), 6-7 (7), 6-4, 6-2 . With injured Rafael Nadal and Fernando Verdasco cheering them on, Lopez and Robredo won in front of a large crowd at the Torre Pacheco tennis club.

Spain will play the Czech Republic in the December final. The Czechs beat Croatia 3-0 in the other semifinal.

U.S. bans swim suits: USA Swimming voted to ban high-tech swim suits three months before the sport’s world governing body is expected to do the same.

More than 400 delegates representing swim clubs from all 50 states voted overwhelmingly for early implementation of a ban on the suits.

Auriemma’s daughter won’t be paid for blog: A newspaper that hired a daughter of Connecticut women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma says she’ll continue to write a monthly blog for its Web site but will no longer be paid.

Hartford Courant sports editor Jeff Otterbein said that Alysa Auriemma was paid for posts in July and August but won’t be paid for future posts to “avoid any appearance of impropriety.”