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It’s a Quick Knockout for Wladimir Klitschko

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From Associated Press

Wladimir Klitschko stopped Fabio Moli 97 seconds into the first round of a heavyweight fight Saturday night at Munich, Germany.

The younger of the two Ukrainian Klitschko brothers threw a left that Moli, the seven-time South American champion, ducked into. The punch slammed into Moli’s forehand and sent him into the ropes.

Klitschko, once an up-and-coming heavyweight, had his career derailed in March when South African Corrie Sanders knocked him out and took away his WBO title.

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Moli (29-3) was fighting for the first time out of South America, and the crowd of 11,500 booed him for his performance.

Klitschko, 27, didn’t say if the quick fight against an overmatched opponent proved much. He threatened to retire if he couldn’t beat Moli.

“I did what I had to do in the ring,” Klitschko (41-2) said.

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Motor Racing

Teenage teammates Brian Vickers and Kyle Busch finished first and second in the Busch Series Winn-Dixie 200 at Darlington, S.C.

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The 19-year-old Vickers was trailing veteran Winston Cup driver Michael Waltrip late in the race when Scott Wimmer’s crash brought out the fifth caution flag of the race.

All the leaders went in for a pit stop and Vickers’ Hendrick Motorsports crew got him back onto the track just ahead of Waltrip.

With an assist from the weather, Bruno Junqueira earned his second consecutive pole at the CART Grand Prix of Denver.

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Light rain dampened sections of the 1.65-mile street course for early qualifiers, creating a slick track. Rain then intensified, wiping out the qualifying attempt of the next-to-last driver, Adrian Fernandez.

That meant Junqueira, who won Friday’s provisional pole and who would have been last to qualify on Saturday, didn’t need to make an attempt.

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Soccer

David Beckham took only two minutes to score in his Spanish league debut, getting a goal in defending champion Real Madrid’s 2-1 victory over Real Betis in the season opener at Madrid.

Beckham scored from close range off a low cross from Brazilian Ronaldo for his second goal in three days.

Brazil defeated Spain, 1-0, on a seventh-minute goal by Leonardo to win the FIFA Under-17 World Championship at Helsinki. Brazil became the first team to win the junior title three times. Argentina won the bronze medal, beating Colombia on penalty kicks, 5-4.

Chelsea agreed to sign Real Madrid midfielder Claude Makelele for a fee of $26.2 million, Real Madrid sports director Jorge Valdano said.

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Chelsea failed to win for the first time this season in the Premier League as Andy Cole of Blackburn scored twice in a 2-2 tie.

In another Premier League game, Michael Owen scored twice to help Liverpool defeat rival Everton, 3-0.

Miscellany

Defenseman Oleg Tverdovsky is returning to Russia to play hockey after playing last season for the Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils. He signed a two-year contract with Avangard of the Super League on Aug. 23, the Russian club said on its Web site.

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Passings

Claude Passeau, who pitched a one-hitter for the Chicago Cubs in the 1945 World Series, died Saturday. He was 94.

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