BOXING
Anthony Joshua will defend his WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight titles against former undisputed world cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sept. 25.
The fight pits two 2012 London Olympic gold medallists against each other: Joshua topped the podium in the super-heavyweight division and Usyk reigned supreme in the heavyweight bracket.
“We are two Olympic gold medallists who have fought our way to the top and never avoided challenges,” Joshua said in a statement on Tuesday. “The stadium is exceptional, the atmosphere will be electric, I’m honored to be the first person to fight in such an awe inspiring venue. I am ready to handle business.”
The mandatory WBO title fight fills a vacancy after Joshua’s all-British blockbuster against Tyson Fury in Saudi Arabia in August was scuppered when a United States arbitrator ordered the WBC champion to take on Deontay Wilder again. That contest is in October.
BASEBALL
NECBL: Mitchell Morales went 3 for 5, including a two-run triple, to fuel a five-run sixth inning, and the Sanford Mainers (10-19) beat the Upper Valley Nighthawks, 10-1, on Tuesday at Goodall Park in Sanford.
Sanford starter Matthew Aronson surrendered a solo homer in the top of the first inning, but the mainers answered with one run in their half and four more in the second, keyed by Dayne Leonard’s two-run double.
Alan Roden had a single and home run for the Nighthawks (19-13).
HOCKEY
NHL: Remember that “shoulder surgery” defenseman Ryan Ellis had before he was traded to the Flyers?
Yeah, about that: Ellis says he didn’t have surgery. And it wasn’t even a shoulder that was injured.
Ellis said he missed 20 games this past season with the Nashville Predators because he broke a knuckle on his left hand.
“I don’t know what shoulder you’re talking about,” Ellis said on Tuesday. “I shattered my knuckle last year. That’s what I missed time for. Other than that, I’m good.”
Bizarre.
The 30-year-old Ellis was traded to the Flyers on Saturday for defenseman Philippe Myers and forward Nolan Patrick, and concerns were raised in Philly that the team acquired damaged goods. Because of the NHL’s murky injury reporting rules, the Predators only listed Ellis out with an upper-body injury after he was hurt in a Feb. 28 game. At some point, stories emerged that Ellis – going into the third year of an eight-year contract worth $6.25 million a year through the 2026-27 season – had an injured shoulder and needed surgery.
TENNIS
PALERMO OPEN: Top-seeded Danielle Collins reached the last 16 of the Palermo Ladies Open by beating Katharina Gerlach of Germany 7-5, 6-3 on Tuesday. The American, a semifinalist at the Australian Open in 2019, will next face Maddison Inglis of Australia.
Fourth-seeded Zhang Shuai joined her in the next round with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Cristina Bucsa of Spain. Home favorite Lucia Bronzetti upset fifth-seeded Viktoriya Tomova of Bulgaria 6-4, 6-1. Olga Danilovic, an unseeded player from Serbia, came back to beat eighth-seeded Kamilla Rakhimova of Russia 3-6, 6-2, 6-2. Seventh-seed Astra Sharma of Australia beat Italy’s Lucrezia Stefanini 6-4, 1-6, 6-3.
AUTO RACING
INDYCAR: IndyCar announced an extension with NBC Sports on Tuesday that guarantees a majority of its races will be on the main network broadcast rather than cable, including a series-high 13 events on the flagship channel next season.
Still, the migration toward streaming will hit full speed next season as NBC Sports plans to exclusively stream two IndyCar races on Peacock. The rest of the IndyCar schedule, which is expected to be 17 races but has not yet been released, will air on USA Network.
SOCCER
AC MILAN: AC Milan chief executive Ivan Gazidis has been diagnosed with throat cancer, the club announced.
The Serie A club said doctors expect the 56-year-old Gazidis to make a full recovery and that he will remain operational during his treatment.
Gazidis joined Milan in December 2018 after occupying the same position at Arsenal in the 10 years prior.
Milan finished second in Serie A last season, qualifying for the Champions League for the first time since 2013.
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