More sports

Steward training Winky's opponent

By TIMES WIRES
Published May 5, 2006

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Middleweight champion Jermain Taylor is training without Patrick Burns leading to next month's fight against St. Petersburg's Winky Wright .

Taylor moved his training camp to Detroit, where new trainer Emanuel Steward is based, from Miami. Taylor was expected to work with both Steward and Burns, but camp started Monday without Burns.

Ozell Nelson , Taylor's amateur coach, said last month both trainers would work together. He now says Burns was left out because having two trainers could have been too distracting.

"I wish Jermain well. I certainly want him to win this fight," Burns said from Miami.

Wright trainer Dan Birmingham was shocked when told of the move. He believes it is a clear sign the Taylor camp is worried about Wright, who is 50-3 and ranked No.1.

"I think they are very worried," Birmingham said. "But he could have Humpty Dumpty in the corner and it's not going to help put all the pieces back together when Winky is done with him."

Taylor is coming off two wins over middleweight legend Bernard Hopkins . Birmingham said he doesn't know why Steward is being brought in.

"He'll tweak a few things, but you can't just change a fighter in two months."

Taylor, who is from Little Rock, is 25-0 heading into the June 17 fight with Wright in Memphis, Tenn.

Times staff writer John C. Cotey contributed to this report.

FISHING

Kenyon Hill of Norman, Okla., caught 21 pounds, 13 ounces of fish to take the lead after the first day of the Bassmasters Elite Series on Clarks Hill Lake in Appling, Ga. Hill held a 4-ounce margin over fellow veteran Steve Daniel of Clewiston (21 pounds, 9 ounces) in the tournament, which pays $100,000 to the winner.

SOCCER

Steve McClaren was hired as the next coach of England's national team and shrugged off suggestions that he was far from the first choice. McClaren succeeds Sven-Goran Eriksson in the job after the World Cup. McClaren became the favorite in the recent days after three months of speculation that the FA had been chasing more prominent candidates.

ENGLISH PREMIERE LEAGUE: Arsenal defeated Manchester City 3-1 on two goals in the final 12 minutes from substitute Jose Antonio Reyes . The victory left the race for fourth place in the standings - the last Champions League place - wide open going into Sunday's final round.

TENNIS

Venus Williams overcame leg cramps and an inconsistent serve to beat Martina Hingis 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 in the second round of the J&S Cup in Warsaw, Poland. It was the first meeting between the players since 2002. Williams received medical treatment for leg cramps in the third set.

ET CETERA

ARENA FOOTBALL: The Storm activated lineman Buck Gurley for Saturday's game at Columbus, Ohio, and placed lineman Steve White (elbow) and defensive specialist Jonathan Ordway (knee) on injured reserve. Lineman Kevin Dogins and fullback/linebacker Jarrod Penright will be deactivated.

DAREDEVIL: Mike Metzger broke the world record for longest motorcycle backflip, flying 125 feet over the fountains at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and becoming only the second person to clear the pool on two wheels. Robbie Knievel , son of Evel Knievel , successfully landed a jump in 1989.

TAMPA BAY DOWNS: Jane Cibelli was named trainer of the month. Her horses won 12 of 64 starts this season, with four since April 15.

[Last modified May 5, 2006, 02:42:53]