A Sports Filled Weekend It Was

Boxing’s big-time return to the free-TV stage (if you consider ESPN free) carried with it the sports usual tainted dramatics.

Ten-time champion Manny Pacquiao landed twice as many punches as challenger Jeff Horn but lost a unanimous decision and his welterweight title to Horn in Horn’s hometown of Brisbane, Australia on Saturday night.

Of all the people who viewed the fight, apparently the only three who thought Horn won were the judges. They’re the ones who count. Referee Mark Nelson, after the ninth round, found it necessary to warn Horn he was close to stopping the fight unless he saw some more fight from the young Aussie.

But, as they say, whatever happens is best for boxing. There is a rematch dictated in the contract and Pacquiao, 38, said he would gladly fight Horn again … in Brisbane.

NASCAR: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won the Coke Zero 400 on Saturday night at Daytona. A huge wreck (can you imagine that in a NASCAR race?) on Lap 152 erased a good portion of the field, wiping out Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney. Clint Bowyer was the runner-up.

GOLF: Five years had passed since Kyle Stanley’s first and only win on the PGA Tour. So when his 5-foot putt for par on the first playoff hole gave him a victory on Sunday in the Quicken Loans National, the tears flowed. “You certainly question if you’ll get back…and have a moment like this. It makes this pretty special, for sure,” Stanley said…Kenny Perry won the U.S. Senior Open for the second time, collecting his fourth major title on PGA Tour Champions.

MLB: Boston’s Mookie Betts drove in eight runs as the Red Sox completed a three-game road sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday with a 15-1 win…Rookie Ian Happ homered twice and drove in four runs as the Chicago Cubs stopped the Cincinnati Reds from sweeping them with a 6-2 win behind Jake Arrieta.

NBA: Free agency opened with a flurry. The Toronto Raptors agreed to re-sign All-
Star Kyle Lowry, the Minnesota Timberwolves traded guard Ricky Rubio and all-purpose stud Andre Iguodala will be staying with the Golden State Warriors. The Oklahoma City Thunder acquired Paul George from the Indianapolis Pacers.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman