Boxing great Julio César Chávez defends son arrested by US immigration agents

MEXICO CITY >> As a professional, Julio César Chávez fought 115 times in the ring. Now, the former world champion said he was ready to fight outside of it to defend his same-name son, who was arrested by U.S. immigration agents at his Los Angeles home for overstaying his visa and lying on a green card application.

The 39-year-old Chávez Junior also has an active warrant for his arrest in Mexico for alleged arms and drug trafficking and suggested ties to the Sinaloa Cartel.

“It’s complicated, there’s a lot of talk, but we’re calm because we know my son’s innocence,” the elder Chavez told El Heraldo newspaper. “My son will be anything you want, anything, but he is not a criminal and less everything he’s being accused of.”

Alejandro Gertz Manero, Mexico’s Attorney General, said on Sunday that the investigation against Chávez Junior started in 2019 after a complaint filed by U.S. authorities against the Sinaloa Cartel for organized crime, human trafficking, arms trafficking, and drug trafficking.

Ricky Hatton, 46, to make boxing comeback 13 years after his last fight

MANCHESTER, England >> Ricky Hatton, the 46-year-old former two-weight world champion, will return to the ring to fight in the United Arab Emirates in December, 13 years after he retired.

The Manchester native, who turns 47 in October, will face Eisa Al Dah in Dubai on Dec. 2, it has been announced.

Hatton (45-3) has not fought since losing in his last comeback bout to Vyacheslav Senchenko in November 2012.

“Fight! Fight! Fight! It’s official,” Hatton posted on X.

He won world titles at welterweight and light-welterweight, with his other two losses coming against pound-for-pound greats Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao.

He is the latest former champion to announce a comeback long after retirement in a growing market for such events, with Pacquiao, Mike Tyson, Roy Jones Jr. and Julio César Chávez Jr. all making lucrative returns.

Al Dah, also 46, has not fought since 2021 and only once since 2012. But he was adamant it will be action packed.

Cam York and the Flyers agree to a 5-year deal worth $25.75 million

Cam York and the Philadelphia Flyers agreed to terms Monday on a five-year contract worth $25.75 million, with re-signing the restricted free agent defenseman completing perhaps the team’s last important piece of offseason business.

York, 25, will count $5.15 million against the salary cap through the 2029-30 NHL season. That price could turn out to be a bargain with the upper limit rising from $88 million this past season to $113.5 million by 2027-28.

The Flyers are trying to shift from rebuilding to contending, and York was the final player on the roster without a contract. They acquired Trevor Zegras in a trade from Anaheim last month and signed fellow center Christian Dvorak and backup goaltender Dan Vladar on the first day of free agency.

York, the 14th pick in the 2019 draft, has skated nearly 21 minutes a game so far in his pro career, all with Philadelphia. He has 77 points in 235 games for the Flyers, who have not made the playoffs since 2020.

— The Associated Press