Page 24 - Irish Examiner USA
P. 24
IRISH EXAMINER | January 25th, 201724 sportsexaminer
Ronnie O’Sullivan Wins Record
Seventh Masters Title
Ronnie O’Sullivan ceated history as he sealed a record The Gentleman started to miss crucial balls and that Woodley Claims
seventh Dafabet Masters title after coming back to helped the five-time world champion take the next McGregor vs Mayweather
defeat Joe Perry in a 10-7 triumph at Alexandra Palace. frame courtesy of a 42 clearance before breaks of 44
O’Sullivan’s victory means he has surpassed and 55 ended the afternoon session at four frames Fight Will Happen This
Stephen Hendry’s tally of six Masters trophies as the apiece. Year
41-year-old fought back from 4-1 down to retain the
crown that he won in emphatic fashion in last year’s It didn’t slip past anyone that Ronnie wasn’t at his
final against Barry Hawkins. best.
It’s a phenomenal achievement and one people The evening session kicked off with O’Sullivan
have been quick to recognize. coming out on top in a lengthy tactical battle to go
ahead for the first time in the match.
It didn’t start well for the The Rocket as Perry won
the opening two frames, with an out-of-sorts O’Sullivan capitalised on a missed red by Perry to
O’Sullivan struggling before he eventually got on the take frame 15 with a clearance of 112, leaving him just
board with the aid of a 58 break in the third. one frame away from making history, but he missed a
straightforward black to gift Perry the frame and
Perry moved further ahead to 3-1 courtesy of a 74 reduce the score to 9-7.
clearance and continued his fine form to take the fifth
frame when he put together a 115 break but O’Sullivan Perry raced into a 39-0 lead in the 17th frame but he
hit back. could not stop The Rocket from fighting back to seal
an historic seventh Masters title. C
Celtic Match Lisbon Lions’ Once upon a time the idea that Conor
Unbeaten Record McGregor might actually fight Floyd Mayweather
would be laughed off if brought up in conversation
Celtic matched the Lisbon Lions' Rangers at the top of the theless the achievement in – all the stories were thought to be meritless
unbeaten domestic record as Ladbrokes Premiership. Brendan Rodgers’ first season is rumours fuelled by the two fighters.
Dedryck Boyata scored the commendable and points the way
only goal of the game in a 1-0 win And while any comparisons to a possible domestic treble, the But something has changed recently, whereby
against St Johnstone at Parkhead. with Stein’s side has to be put in Betfred Cup already in the everyone involved in the conversation is speaking
context of a much-changed Parkhead trophy room. C differently – Mayweather looks like he wants to
Jock Stein’s all-conquering Scottish football landscape, never- get the fight sorted, for the right price, Dana White
Hoops side of 1967 went 26 games is trying to arrange it, and McGregor seems as seri-
without defeat in Scotland at the ous as he always did.
start of the season which saw them
win which every competition they UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley is
played in including the European the latest to state he thinks the fight will genuinely
Cup. happen, this year, when asked during promotion
for his rematch with Stephen Thomson.
With skipper Scott Brown mak-
ing his 400th appearance for the Both men, who face off again at UFC 209, think
club, Celtic struggled to break The Notorious will lose in a boxing match against
down an organised Saints side Money.
until the 73rd minute when
defender Boyata, just back in the But Woodley definitely believes there will be a
side against Albion Rovers at the fight.
weekend and making only his
third appearance of the season, “He is gonna go out, he’s gonna lose… I think
headed in a Stuart Armstrong cor- it’s gonna happen this year. I have very strong
ner. insight that it will happen,” the Ferguson, Missouri
fighter said.
Celtic moved 22 points clear of
“He (McGregor) is from a karate background,
he’s a striker by nature. He probably could last a
couple rounds.”
“I think he’s gonna bring something to boxing
that Floyd Mayweather has never seen before”,
Wonderboy said. “He will lose, but still, it won’t
be a first round thing.”
“He will lose, he will lose very convincingly,”
Woodley, who said a fight against McGregor
would be better for his career than a rematch with
Thomson, said. “He (Mayweather) would need at
least six rounds. Conor has been known to take
some crazy punches with 4oz gloves on, so if you
punch him with 8oz gloves it’s a different thing.”
It’s set to be an interesting year. C
