Sports
‘Wife thinks I’m an idiot’: ex-All Black Spencer returns to ring
AFP
Former All Blacks star Carlos Spencer will return to the boxing ring on Thursday, but admitted it was a hard fight to convince his wife about his latest charity bout.
The 46-year-old will face ex-New Zealand rugby league star Paul Whatuira, 40, over three rounds in Auckland in a ‘Fight for Life’ charity event.
“This one was always going to be hard getting it across the line with my wife,” Spencer told news site Stuff.co.nz.
“This is the last thing she thinks I should be doing.
“She thinks I’m bloody mad and I’m a bloody idiot, but I managed to convince her that I’ll be fine and it is for a great cause, after all.”
Spencer will be back in the ring after previous charity bouts against ex-league players Awen Guttenbeil, Jarrod McCracken and most recently Monty Betham, his only defeat, in 2014.
Spencer retired from rugby in 2010 having made 44 appearances and scoring 383 points for New Zealand.
He has just returned from the USA after a stint as assistant coach to Major League Rugby side New Orleans Gold.
“I’ve only been back in New Zealand for four weeks,” Spencer told the New Zealand Herald.
“It’s about learning to box again rather than conditioning.
“I’ve put on weight — I’m normally around 84kg, but I’ve put on six kilos in three weeks, to get a bit more power behind my punches.”
Like many fellow New Zealanders, Spencer was dismayed to see the All Blacks lose the home series to Ireland after a 32-22 defeat in last Saturday’s third Test in Wellington.
“They’ve become a bit predictable on attack,” Spencer said of the All Blacks.
“With the players we’ve got, that should never happen.
“Whereas the northern teams used to be a few steps behind us, they are a step ahead now I think.
“Ireland have good variety to their game and play an exciting brand -– I enjoy watching them.”
International
Arsenal stun Real Madrid at the Bernabéu to reach Champions League semifinals
Arsenal enjoyed a “historic night” on Wednesday after defeating Real Madrid 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabéu, knocking them out of the Champions League quarterfinals, midfielder Declan Rice said.
“It’s such a special night for this club, a historic night for this club,” said Rice, who scored twice in the first leg in London, speaking to TNT Sports.
The English international was named Man of the Match in both legs — the 3-0 win in London and the second leg in Madrid.
“It’s amazing. I knew we were on an upward trajectory and we’ve done incredibly well in this competition. We deserve it and we have full confidence in our coach. Reaching the semifinals is unbelievable,” Rice added.
International
Two fans killed in gate collapse outside Chile’s Estadio Monumental
Two people lost their lives near the Estadio Monumental in Santiago, Chile, following a chaotic incident that occurred before the Copa Libertadores match between Colo Colo and Brazil’s Fortaleza on April 10. According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the victims were crushed after a fence on the stadium perimeter collapsed, though authorities are investigating whether a police armored vehicle may have played a role.
It was a black Thursday at Chile’s Estadio Monumental. Two local fans died outside the stadium after a yet-unclarified incident caused a metal gate to fall on them, leading to fatal asphyxiation.
Local media reports indicate that a group of fans attempted to force their way into the stadium before kickoff. In response, local police allegedly deployed armored vehicles to block the breach.
Preliminary reports cited by local newspapers and news agencies like EFE identify the victims as two young individuals—one 18 years old and the other just 13.
Sports
Neymar Returns to Santos Training After Month-Long Injury Layoff
Neymar returned to full training on Tuesday with the Santos squad after spending a month recovering from a left thigh injury, the Brazilian club reported.
The number 10 joined warm-up activities with the team and later took part in a ball control and passing drill. According to the sports outlet Ge, he “did not show any discomfort from the injury” during the 30-minute session that was open to the press.
The Brazilian star had spent the past month undergoing physiotherapy, recovery work, and muscle strengthening due to the injury that had kept him out of Santos matches and even from the Brazilian national team. He had initially been called up, but was later withdrawn from the squad ahead of the World Cup qualifying matches against Colombia and Argentina.
Santos will continue daily training sessions this week ahead of their upcoming match against Fluminense on Sunday in the Brazilian Championship.
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