Canelo Álvarez-Terence Crawford, synonymous with a profitable business

▲ During the pre-fight press conference, there was shoving and challenging between the boxers. Photo @canelo

Juan Manuel Vázquez

La Jornada Newspaper, Monday, June 23, 2025, p. a11

A perfect storm. That's how they described the combination of elements that guarantee one of the most lucrative and gargantuan spectacles in the history of boxing. Turki Al-Shikh, advisor to the Saudi royal court, responsible for organizing huge sporting events in his country; Dana White, a promoter who led mixed martial arts to become the fastest-growing global sport in recent decades; Netflix, the platform that dominates streaming entertainment worldwide. A partnership of this magnitude only required two protagonists who could live up to the hype, and there was no one better suited to the task than the most popular Mexican in the industry, Saúl Canelo Álvarez, and Terence Crawford, considered by many to be the best pound-for-pound fighter of the moment.

No Mexican fighter has ever faced such a promotion before. Regardless of the passions, whether they favor or dislike him, what Canelo has generated in the international entertainment industry is unmatched by what any other Mexican athlete has achieved. Neither the simultaneity of the digital age nor the immediacy and widespread use of social media has allowed them to be lumped together. What the Guadalajara native has achieved is unprecedented in the history of Mexican sports.

In the past, a fight promotion conference was a sort of confrontation in which the opponents hurled insults at each other and ended with threats, which in some cases were actually carried out. What happened at the second New York event of the Canelo -Crawford fight, on September 13 at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, with a capacity of more than 70,000, has the same meaning as the tour promoting the latest Hollywood blockbuster: a global spectacle with calculated profits.

If the Mexican's last fight was a concert of disappointments, due to his poor performance against Cuban William Scull, who ran without putting up a fight, this time the Saudi official warned that for this dimension of the spectacle they intend to offer, they cannot repeat another version of Tom and Jerry, the cartoon where a cat chased a mouse without catching it.

We can no longer support fights that don't excite the public , the Saudi representative warned; we want boxers who fight with heart and pride .

Al-Shikh, responsible for showing a different and friendly face of Saudi Arabia through sports at a time when the country is criticized for human rights violations, set the tone to make the fight attractive and not another dull chase show . He assured that there will be a million-dollar bonus if either of the two gets the knockout.

Just as a point of reference, and very much in the style of an ostentatious kingdom in the Persian Gulf, it was announced that they will award the prize with a pure gold belt. The belt will not be the symbol of an organization, but of the historic boxing magazine The Ring , now owned by him, and the jewel will be the most expensive in the history of all those awarded in this type of fight, valued at almost 4 million pesos.

During the question period, someone questioned a possible genuine rivalry, stemming not only from sporting but also personal animosity, as they mentioned that they had seen the two having dinner in a very friendly manner.

That was before; it's time to get to work , Crawford responded yesterday.

We are professionals and what happens outside the ring is very different from what happens inside the fight , Canelo added.

To avoid suspicions, when it came to face-to-face combat, there were shoves and challenges that would hardly jeopardize the realization of such an undertaking, one of the greatest in boxing history. The perfect storm has been accurately predicted.

AP and AFP

La Jornada Newspaper, Monday, June 23, 2025, p. a11

London. Carlos Alcaraz proved he'll once again be the man to beat at Wimbledon after defeating Jiri Lehecka in the Queen's Tournament final.

The top-seeded Spaniard, the 2023 champion, repeated his victory on London's grass courts with a 7-5, 6-7, 6-2 victory.

It was Alcaraz's 18th consecutive victory (in his fifth consecutive final) after his titles in Rome and the French Open.

On Saturday, Lehecka eliminated local hope Jack Draper to become the first Czech finalist since Ivan Lendl won the title in 1990.

The 23-year-old played his part in a high-quality final with some big serves and powerful groundstrokes.

But Alcaraz, the reigning Wimbledon champion, didn't face a single break point and hit 18 aces en route to his 21st career title.

What I'm most proud of this week is how I've improved every day. From the first day to today, I think I'm a different player on grass. I got used to it very quickly , said the Spaniard.

Bublik, champion in Halle

A perfect week. That's how Alexander Bublik's performance in Halle could be summed up. Following his impressive victory on Thursday against world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, the Kazakh followed up yesterday, securing the title by defeating Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 7-6 in one hour and 21 minutes to claim his fifth career trophy, and his first in 2025.

▲ Carlos Alcaraz earned his 18th consecutive victory. AP Photo

And he did so against an opponent who had beaten him in their six previous matches. Bublik, who beat Halle in 2023, thus repeated his victory in a tournament with which he maintains a special relationship.

It's hard to talk. I've had some very tough months since last Wimbledon until probably this summer , said Bublik, who was outside the Top 75 until last month but will move up to No. 30. I was close to quitting after Wimbledon because I wasn't enjoying it anymore .

Vondrousová wins in Berlin

Czech tennis player Markéta Vondrousová won the Berlin tournament by beating Chinese player Wang Xinyu 7-6, 4-6, 6-2 in the final.

Eight days before the start of the most anticipated grass-court event on the tour, Wimbledon, one of the most special tournaments for Vondrousová, the Czech was back at it again. And that's despite having already defeated world number one Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in the semifinals.

This time, against an opponent she had never faced before, the Czech once again imposed her rule after almost three hours of play.

From the Editorial Staff

La Jornada Newspaper, Monday, June 23, 2025, p. a11

Mexican Patricio O'Ward will have to rethink his season finale if he wants to remain a podium contender in IndyCar. Yesterday, the Monterrey-born driver finished 17th in the XPEL Grand Prix at Road America, in a difficult race from the start, marked by a lack of pace and opportunities to climb positions.

Alex Palou took the win, extending his lead in the championship. O'Ward, on the other hand, relinquished second place to Kyle Kirkwood after dropping to third.

Pato , who started from 11th on the grid, had his worst result of the season. The driver struggled to cope with the lack of speed in the fast sections of the Wisconsin circuit. He finished in 16th place in the first part of the race, losing another spot at the end of the race.

Palou had a strong performance. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver took the victory by a razor-thin margin of just 0.11 seconds over Louis Foster in one of the closest finishes so far in the championship. Other contenders like Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin also remained out of the spotlight.

Wrong forecast

The Mexican driver entered the race as a podium contender after finishing second at the Gateway oval last weekend. However, he failed to live up to expectations.

The race was subject to yellow flags due to a crash involving three drivers who retired from the race. O'Ward struggled with his car due to a lack of engine power, which caused him to lose positions in the closing laps.

Before his race, Patricio admitted that Road America is one of his favorite races of the season.

The Mexican said he really enjoys racing on the Wisconsin circuit, which is one of his favorites this season.

“I love driving at Road America, it’s such a great track, I lost half a second in speed on the Q2 straight, I was really looking forward to fighting for pole , I’ll go out and fight” from 11th place, he posted on X.

The American Road circuit was founded in 1955. It is 6 kilometers long, has 14 turns, and for the Indy race, there are 55 laps in total.

▲ Canadian Shai Gilgeous Alexander led Oklahoma's offense at the Paycom Center. AP Photo

AP and AFP

La Jornada Newspaper, Monday, June 23, 2025, p. a12

Oklahoma. Injuries in sports sometimes come at the cruelest moments. The Oklahoma City Thunder were crowned NBA champions yesterday, for the first time under that name, with a 103-91 victory over the Indiana Pacers, who suffered early in the game due to the injury of star Tyrese Haliburton in one of the most closely contested Finals series in recent years.

"It was heartbreaking, man ," Pacers center Myles Turner told ABC in an interview after the first quarter. "It's unfortunate, but we're behind Tyrese ."

The game played at the Paycom Center was the 20th seven-game series in NBA history and the first since 2016 in the NBA Finals. Oklahoma City captured its first NBA title under its name and the second in franchise history, thanks to the title it won in 1979 when the team played in Seattle as the SuperSonics.

Haliburton, who competed with a strained right calf, fell to the court in the first quarter and immediately began pounding the floor in frustration. Indiana's best player needed help heading to the locker room, disconsolate and with a towel covering his face.

Television replays appeared to show something breaking in the back of his leg. John Haliburton, Tyrese's father, told ABC that it was an Achilles tendon injury.

"I think I have to be as smart as I want to be," Haliburton said before Game 6 of the series. "I have to understand the risks, ask the right questions. I'm a competitor, I want to play, and I'm going to do everything in my power to do that ."

The departure of their main player didn't immediately affect the Indiana team, which maintained a close game throughout the first half. But the 25-year-old's creativity on the court was lacking from the third quarter onwards, where the Thunder unleashed their full offensive arsenal, led by season MVP Shai Gilgeous Alexander.

"I had fun, it was an incredible time, and we lived up to our expectations. We have a team full of competitors ," said the Canadian, who led his team offensively by scoring 29 points, dishing out 12 assists, and grabbing four rebounds. For the Pacers, Pascal Siakam and TJ McConnell led the charge in the face of Haliburton's injury.

Oklahoma became the seventh different champion in the last seven seasons, a streak of parity unmatched in NBA history. Pacers forward Pascal Siakam was part of Toronto's 2019 championship; Thunder guard Alex Caruso was on the Los Angeles Lakers' 2020 victory in the pandemic bubble ; Pacers forward Thomas Bryant won the championship with Denver in 2023.

▲ The Japanese star hit his 26th home run in the eighth inning. AP Photo

Ap

La Jornada Newspaper, Monday, June 23, 2025, p. a12

Los Angeles., Shohei Ohtani pitched a hitless inning in his second start for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday, striking out two and allowing just one baserunner due to an error by Mookie Betts, as the Dodgers beat the Washington Nationals 13-7.

Ohtani threw 18 pitches against Washington at Chavez Ravine, recording 12 strikes with one wild pitch. After leadoff hitter CJ Abrams grounded out, Betts dropped a James Wood popup in the sunshine, but Ohtani struck out Luis Garcia Jr. and Nathaniel Lowe to end the inning.

After pitching, the Japanese hitter took the bat and struck out on seven pitches as the Dodgers' leadoff hitter against Washington's Michael Soroka in the bottom of the first inning.

The Japanese star stood out at the plate in the seventh inning, connecting a three-run triple down the right field line to put the home team up 7-3.

On the mound, Ben Casparius replaced his Japanese teammate in the second inning for the California team, who probably saw what they expected from their two-way player.

Ohtani's fastball topped out at 98.8 mph after hitting 100 in his first outing, and he finished both strikeouts with breaking pitches.

It's worth noting that he allowed two hits and one run while throwing 28 pitches in the first inning last Monday against the San Diego Padres in his first appearance on the mound since 2023.

The Japanese star struck out in his first two at-bats Sunday, but drew a walk in the sixth inning and scored on Max Muncy's grand slam . Ohtani then cleared the bases himself in the seventh inning with his 101.3 mph grounder to the right-field corner.

In addition, in the eighth inning he hit a two-run home run that barely cleared left-center field.

Shohei Ohtani didn't pitch at all last season while recovering from arm surgery during his first season with the Dodgers under a 10-year, $700 million contract. He won his third MVP award, becoming the first player in baseball history with 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a season, and with the Dodgers, he won his first World Series championship.

▲ The game was held at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. AP Photo

From the Editorial Staff

La Jornada Newspaper, Monday, June 23, 2025, p. a34

The image that best defines Mexico's level of performance at the Gold Cup is that of national coach Javier Aguirre, often worried and thoughtful, evidently frustrated by the signs his team is sending toward the 2026 World Cup. His annoyance harks back to a time when the Tricolor was a lackluster opponent, lacking in enthusiasm for work, relying on individual sparks as in processes led by others in his charge. For more than 80 minutes, the 0-0 draw against Costa Rica exposed the offensive weaknesses of his players, who were dominant at the start but lacked the imagination to overcome the experienced goalkeeper Keylor Navas at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

Although he's been in charge for more than 30 years, Aguirre doesn't understand simple worlds. His two previous seasons in charge—Korea-Japan 2002 and South Africa 2010—attracted the same criticisms regarding his squad's performance. From César Montes's mistakes to Raúl Jiménez's attacks that ended with Navas, the first half of the Tricolor team represented the values ​​its fans demand to improve the current football situation: dedication, simplicity, and leadership. Far from any form of stridency, Costa Rica demonstrated its proud connection to the vision of Miguel Herrera, its coach and key figure in the locker room.

"You beat Mexico with a perfect match ," El Piojo said on Saturday about the kind of challenges the Costa Rican team must face to compete in a World Cup again. One of his first tasks was to convince Navas, a former Real Madrid star, to return to defending the national team's goal after a brief retirement. After several phone calls, praise at press conferences, and a personal trip to the city of Rosario, Argentina, where La Pantera, 38, currently defends the goal for Newell's Old Boys, the former Mexican national team coach convinced him to join his adventure. If it weren't for him, his team's resilience would not have been the same.

Navas showed his influence every time Raúl Jiménez and Luis Chávez challenged him. He grew in stature, flew through the six-yard box as he did in his prime with Madrid, and when one of his defenders made a mistake, as in the goal disallowed for Santiago Giménez for an alleged offside, the experienced Costa Rican stood up and kept going. Guatemalan referee Mario Escobar dampened the excitement of thousands of El Tri fans in the final minutes when Giménez, taking advantage of a header from midfielder Orlando Galo, scissor-kicked into the back of the net from a free kick. Despite the effusive celebration, VAR assisted Escobar to disallow the goal for offside.

With first place in Group A secured (7 points out of a possible 9), the Mexican team will face Gold Cup host Saudi Arabia in the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, the Costa Ricans will face the United States, who finished first in Group D with a clean sheet. In the closing match of the first phase, the Dominican Republic and Suriname also played to a goalless draw at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.