IN BRIEF (Page 18)

Pacquiao packs punch in Vegas sports books

Manny Pacquiao has always believed he can do what 47 other fighters before him have failed to do - beat Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the ring.

Manny facing 'fight of my life'

Manny Pacquiao is calling his May 2 showdown with Floyd Mayweather Jr. "the fight of my life" as he gets down to serious training at Freddie Roach's Wild Card Gym in Hollywood.

Zou braced for great leap forward

Come Sunday, current world flyweight champion Amnat Ruenroeng might feel a little like the fabled Trojan sentry who told his pals: "Hey, that's a swell looking wooden horse! Sure, I'll sign for it ..."

Wilder focused on making ring history

Deontay Wilder is driving around in a Hummer and sports cars, leaving his beer delivery truck days far behind. He watched the Super Bowl from the stands instead of his couch and made his rounds at the NBA All-Star Game.

Pellegrini puts captain on the spot

Manuel Pellegrini has warned captain Vincent Kompany he is not assured of regaining his place in Manchester City's starting lineup after he was left out of Wednesday's 2-0 victory over Leicester at the Etihad Stadium.

Gunners ready to reload on the run

Arsene Wenger praised the mental strength of his forwards after Arsenal saw off QPR to make the ideal start to a demanding schedule of five matches in 17 days.

Digest

NFL Manning returning for 18th season

James 'humbled' by milestone

LeBron James doesn't usually spend a lot of time talking about personal accomplishments, but he made an exception on Tuesday night.

Teague keys comeback as Hawks rip Rockets

Al Horford knew the Atlanta Hawks would eventually respond to Houston's big lead.

Lin wants more freedom for players

Lin Dan, widely regarded as the greatest men's player in badminton history, marked his return to the All-England Open with an appeal for his fellow professionals to be given more freedom.

Chinese star still the best, says Gade

Lin Dan's return to the All-England Open for the first time in three years on Wednesday should show, despite his erratic appearances these days, that he is still the world's best badminton player.