ZURICH, Switzerland — Evander Holyfield insists he has at least one more great fight left in him. If he summons it tonight, he'll become the oldest man to regain a world heavyweight title.
Standing between the 46-year-old American and a record fifth championship is the tallest and the heaviest boxer to hold a major belt, Russia's Nikolai Valuev, the WBA champion.
Holyfield will concede nearly 100 pounds to the 7-foot Russian, who has lost once in 50 career bouts and comes in as the bookmakers' overwhelming favorite.
Holyfield weighed in Friday at 214.3 pounds, while Valuev tipped the scales at 310.8 pounds.
Golf
Ex-Wildcat Furyk leads by 3 at Chevron World Challenge
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Thousand Oaks, Calif. — Jim Furyk, taking a break from his four-month vacation, shot a 71 Friday and held a three-stroke lead at the halfway point of the Chevron World Challenge.
Furyk was at 5-under 139, two shots ahead of Anthony Kim (70), Camilo Villegas (67) and K.J. Choi (71). Fred Couples (69), at 49 the oldest player in the field, and Steve Stricker (71) were another shot behind in the $5.75 million tournament hosted by the recuperating Tiger Woods.
"I hung in there today," Furyk said. "That's the best I can say."
The good news for Furyk, a former Arizona Wildcat standout, is that he finally made a birdie on a par 5. Sherwood has five of them.
It came on the 16th hole, which he reached in two and lagged nicely to tap-in range to reach 6 under.
"It only took me 10 tries," he said.
● In Paarl, South Africa, France's Michael Lorenzo-Vera had five birdies in six holes Friday to shoot a second-round 65 and take a two-shot lead at the South African Open.
College Basketball
Lackluster Wake Forest still has too much for Richmond
RICHMOND, Va. — Chas McFarland had 20 points and 14 rebounds Friday night, and No. 10 Wake Forest overcame a lackluster performance in an 86-79 victory over Richmond.
The Demon Deacons (10-0) also got 21 points from Jeff Teague.
● No. 24 Marquette 94, Western Carolina 77: In Milwaukee, Lazar Hayward scored a career-high 27 points as Marquette ran away from Western Carolina.
Hayward provided the fireworks in a decisive 12-4 Marquette run midway through the first half, powering the Golden Eagles (9-2) to a 20-point lead and quickly putting the game out of reach for the Catamounts (5-4).
baseball
Ex-pitcher Dock Ellis dies; says he had no-hitter on LSD
Dock Ellis, who claimed he pitched a no-hitter for Pittsburgh under the influence of LSD and later fiercely spoke out against drug and alcohol addiction, died Friday. He was 63.
Ellis died in California from a liver ailment, former agent Tom Reich said.
Ellis went 138-119 with a 3.46 ERA from 1968-79, spending most of his career with the Pirates. He went 19-9 in 1971 when Pittsburgh won the World Series, and made his only All-Star appearance that summer.
In 1970, Ellis overcame eight walks to pitch a no-hitter in the first game of a doubleheader at San Diego.
Several years after he retired, the right-hander said he was high on LSD during the victory.
Ellis played on four Pirates teams that won the NL East and also pitched for the New York Yankees, Oakland, Texas and the New York Mets.
He was 17-8 in 1976 for the Yankees and won a game in the AL championship series against Kansas City.
The Yankees hired Ellis in 1986 to offer guidance to their minor-leaguers on drug and alcohol abuse.
● Shortstop Rafael Furcal finalized his three-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday, agreeing to terms of a contract worth at least $30 million with the Dodgers two days earlier. Furcal hit .357 with five homers and 16 RBIs last season, but was limited to 36 games and 143 at-bats by back problems.
He had back surgery July 3 and was sidelined until the season's final week, but started each of the Dodgers' eight postseason games, hitting .258 with one homer, three RBIs and nine runs scored.
● The Arizona Diamondbacks signed pitcher Travis Blackley to a one-year contract Friday, bringing their 40-man roster to 37 players.
Blackley had a 5-10 record and 5.41 ERA in 28 games last season for the Philadelphia Phillies' Triple-A affiliate in Lehigh Valley.
SOCCER
Goalkeeper, midfielder named American athletes of the year
CHICAGO — Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard was selected as U.S. soccer's male athlete of the year, and midfielder Carli Lloyd was picked as the top female athlete.
Howard had consecutive shutouts in World Cup qualifiers against Guatemala, Cuba and Trinidad and Tobago. Lloyd scored as the United States beat Brazil 1-0 in extra time in the gold medal game of the Beijing Olympics.
In the under-23 category, midfielder Sacha Kljestan was the young male athlete of the year, and midfielder Kristie Mewis the young female athlete of the year.
