Saturday, July 19, 2008
Welterweight boxer Oscar Diaz remains in critical but stable condition two days after collapsing during a fight, but the doctor who performed surgery on him said he should survive.
David Jimenez said Diaz is still in a coma, but that is to be expected after a severe brain injury.
"Overall, I think ultimately he should survive the injury and should recover," Jimenez said.
But Jimenez said it's too early to tell whether the 25-year-old Diaz, who collapsed before the 11th round of the televised USBA welterweight championship fight Wednesday night, will be able to lead a normal life.
"I think the fact that he's young, the fact that he's healthy, the fact that he doesn't have a whole lot of medical problems, is on his side," said Jimenez, who removed a piece of Diaz's skull to relieve brain swelling.
· TENNIS: Venus Williams and Lindsay Davenport withdrew from next week's East West Bank Classic, both citing right knee injuries.
Williams hasn't played a tournament since defeating her younger sister Serena this month to win her fifth Wimbledon title.
"I have been receiving treatment for tendinitis in my right knee over the last several days and my medical advisers have encouraged me to allow myself an additional week to completely recover," she said in a statement.
Williams said she still plans to play in the Rogers Cup in Montreal, the Beijing Olympics and the U.S. Open this summer.
· BASKETBALL: The Sacramento Kings have expressed interest in acquiring Dallas Mavericks swingman Josh Howard in a trade for all-star forward Ron Artest, but the Mavericks aren't interested, according to an NBA source.
The Mavericks reportedly were willing to offer forward Brandon Bass and guard Jerry Stackhouse for Artest. But the Kings wanted Howard included in the deal, halting the discussions.
Because the Mavericks won't budge on Howard, a potential trade for Artest is all but dead, the source said. . . .
In the WNBA, Sheryl Swoopes led the Seattle Storm (15-7) past the Indiana Fever (10-11), 65-59. Swoopes led all scorers with 15 points and grabbed six rebounds.
· HOCKEY: Nashville Predators forward Alex Radulov was one of six players whose new contracts were suspended by the International Ice Hockey Federation yesterday until the legality of the deals could be investigated.
Radulov, under contract for another season with the Predators, signed a contract with a Russian team in the new Continental Hockey League (KHL). That deal seemingly would be in breach of a pact agreed to July 10 between the KHL, the NHL, the NHL Players Association, and international hockey leagues in which contracts worldwide would be honored and respected.
· FOOTBALL: Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Jerry Porter had surgery yesterday to repair a torn hamstring tendon and will miss all of the preseason.
-- From News Services
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