Manny Pacquiao is more concerned with the set list for his upcoming concert than he is with Floyd Mayweather Jr.
The fight every boxing fan wants to see may never happen, but Pacquiao has a firm date to sing at Lake Tahoe before heading home and more formal duties as a congressman in the Philippines.
All was well early Sunday after Pacquiao cemented his claim as boxing’s best by giving Antonio Margarito such a brutal beating in Arlington, Tex., that he went to the hospital. About the only problem was that Pacquiao couldn’t sign autographs for his adoring fans because he found it hard to hold a pen.
Margarito remained in the hospital on Sunday and promoter Bob Arum said the boxer has a broken right eye socket and will have surgery Tuesday in Texas.
Small wonder, considering Pacquiao spent 12 rounds bouncing those hands off of Margarito’s head. He hit Margarito from almost every angle and with stunning accuracy, closing both his eyes and bloodying his face while dominating every round of their 150-pound showdown.
Soccer
Zlatan Ibrahimovic converted a penalty kick in the fifth minute, and AC Milan beat Inter Milan, 1-0, in the Derby della Madonnina, ending the host team’s 52-game home unbeaten streak. . . .
English Premier League leader Chelsea was thrashed, 3-0, at home by Sunderland to throw the title race wide open in England.
United States goalkeeper Tim Howard allowed a goal in each half as Arsenal beat Everton, 2-1, to move into second place and within two points of Chelsea, the reigning champion. . . .
David Ferreira had a goal and an assist to help FC Dallas advance to the MLS Cup with a 3-0 victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy in the Western Conference final in Carson, Calif.
FC Dallas, the last of MLS’s original teams to reach the final, will make its MLS Cup debut against Colorado on Nov. 21 in Toronto.
Colleges
Top-seeded Maryland rallied to beat No. 5 Connecticut, 3-1, to advance to the NCAA field hockey tournament semifinals, which will be played Friday in College Park. Katie O’Donnell had three assists Sunday in College Park as the Terrapins improved to 21-1. Maryland will face No. 7 Ohio State on Friday; the Buckeyes beat fourth-seeded Syracuse, 3-2 in overtime.
Third-seeded Virginia beat No. 6 Princeton, 4-2, to advance to Friday’s semifinals. Freshman Elly Buckley had two goals for the Cavaliers (18-3), who will face No. 2 North Carolina on Friday.
Baseball
The Pittsburgh Pirates will introduce former Colorado Rockies manager Clint Hurdle as their new manager at a news conference Monday. Hurdle, the batting coach for the AL champion Texas Rangers, replaces John Russell, who was fired the day after completing a 105-loss season – the Pirates’ worst in 58 years and their record-extending 18th consecutive losing season.
Golf
Robert Garrigus shot an 8-under-par 64 to win the Children’s Miracle Network Classic in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., allowing him to keep his PGA Tour card and atoning for his colossal collapse earlier this year at Memphis.
Garrigus finished three shots clear of Roland Thatcher for his first tour victory.
Garrigus began the week 122nd in earnings and needed a solid finish to stay inside the top 125 – the cutoff for full PGA Tour status. Thatcher shot a final-round 70 and jumped from 179th to 122nd to keep his playing privileges, blowing a four-stroke lead but keeping his job.
The victory was sweet redemption for Garrigus. He made triple bogey with a three-shot lead on the final hole at Memphis, allowing Lee Westwood to win his only tour event this year – a win that allowed him to earn the No. 1 ranking. . . .
Stuart Appleby ended a nine-year drought at home by winning the Australian Masters in Melbourne, rallying from a seven-shot deficit with birdies on his last two holes for a 6-under 65. Defending champion Tiger Woods completed an entire year without a victory, although he finished in style, alone in fourth. Woods made two eagles over the last four holes, played the last six holes in 6 under and matched his best score of the year with a 65. . . .
South Korea’s In-Kyung Kim won the Lorena Ochoa Invitational in Guadalajara, Mexico, for her third LPGA Tour title, closing with an 8-under 64 for a three-stroke stroke victory over Suzann Pettersen.
Misc.
Tampa Bay Lightning captain Vincent Lecavalier will have surgery to expedite the healing of his broken right hand. The team’s original timetable of Lecavalier missing three to four weeks has not changed. The break occurred near the knuckle of the index finger. . . .
Sebastian Vettel became the youngest champion in Formula One history, clinching the title when he won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and Fernando Alonso faltered in the season-ending race. . . .
Robin Soderling of Sweden won his first Masters 1000 title by beating Gael Monfils of France, 6-1, 7-6 (7-1), in the Paris Masters final, his sixth career title.
