Pacquiao and Cotto set to fight in November U.S. wins title

Boxer Manny Pacquiao will have the opportunity to win a world title in a fourth division in November when he fights his Top Rank promotions stablemate Miguel Cotto on Nov. 14 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, the fighters’ promoter announced Monday.

Although contracts have yet to be signed -- and that detail resulted in a lengthy delay before Pacquiao’s most recent fight with England’s Ricky Hatton was finalized -- promoter Bob Arum announced that he has secured verbal agreements from his fighters to stage a World Boxing Organization welterweight title bout at a catch weight of 145 pounds.

Arum said he expects the contracts to be signed by the end of the week. HBO pay-per-view will televise the bout.

“I’m very excited about this because it’s a good fight for boxing,” Arum told The Times on Monday. “It wasn’t difficult to do, because they both wanted the fight.”

-- Lance Pugmire

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JURISPRUDENCE

Gatti’s wife to remain in jail

A judge said that Arturo Gatti’s wife will remain in jail pending a judicial decision despite the release of an autopsy report casting doubt on whether the former champion boxer was killed.

Meanwhile, police in Rio de Janeiro are backing off statements that Gatti’s wife was unquestionably responsible for his death.

Earlier they said she undoubtedly strangled him with her purse strap as he drunkenly slept.

The judge’s decision came on the same day about 1,000 people turned out for Gatti’s funeral in his adopted hometown of Montreal.

Authorities in Nashville say former NFL star Steve McNair had a blood-alcohol level twice Tennessee’s legal limit for driving when his girlfriend shot him to death.

Tennessee Assistant Medical Examiner Feng Li said that a toxicology report showed a trace amount of marijuana in the body of Sahel Kazemi. Police say Kazemi shot McNair on July 4 in a Nashville condo before killing herself.

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BASEBALL

White Sox activate Quentin

Chicago White Sox outfielder Carlos Quentin was activated from the disabled list after missing nearly two months because of plantar fasciitis in his left foot.

Quentin, who had 36 homers and 100 RBIs last season, got off to a slow start and had not played since May 25.

The Texas Rangers put closer Frank Francisco on the 15-day disabled list because of pneumonia. . . . The Oakland Athletics put struggling slugger Jason Giambi on the disabled list because of a strained right quadriceps muscle. . . . General Manager Dayton Moore has given Kansas City Royals Manager Trey Hillman a vote of confidence, saying he will return next season. . . . Pitcher Chien-Ming Wang’s right biceps felt tender when he played catch Monday, making it unlikely he will return to the New York Yankees any time soon. . . . Pedro Martinez was medically cleared to pitch a simulated game today, moving the Philadelphia Phillies’ newest pitcher a step closer to getting back on the mound.

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ETC.

Thompson makes All-Star team

Sparks forward Tina Thompson was voted by WNBA coaches as a reserve for the Western Conference in Saturday’s All-Star game. She joins teammate Lisa Leslie, who was voted by fans to be the West’s starting center.

-- Mark Medina

The Kings re-signed restricted free-agent right wing Teddy Purcell to a one-year, $600,000 contract. Purcell, 24, had four goals and 16 points in 40 games with the Kings last season and 16 goals and 38 points in 38 games with their Manchester (N.H.) farm team. The Kings also signed center prospect Justin Azevedo to a multi-year entry-level contract and signed restricted free-agent defenseman Drew Bagnall to a one-year deal.

-- Helene Elliott

Mississippi defensive end Greg Hardy should be ready for the start of the preseason after a car accident 10 days ago. The preseason first-team all-SEC selection will be in a walking boot for two more weeks. . . . Notre Dame will play Army in the first football game at new Yankee Stadium on Saturday night Nov. 20, 2010. . . . UCLA announced that its season-opening game against San Diego State at the Rose Bowl on Sept. 5 will start at 4:30 p.m.

Rafael Nadal is training for the first time since being sidelined by a knee injury.

Nadal has been out of action with tendinitis in his right knee since losing in the fourth round of the French Open, where the Spaniard had been the four-time defending champion.

American hurdler Lolo Jones won the women’s 100-meter hurdles in a world-leading 12.47 seconds at the Vardinoyiannia track meet at Rethimno, Crete.