People, Places and Things
GWEN DERU
TODAY…
**READ THE BIRMINGHAM TIMES. Catch up on the news!
**THURSDAY NIGHT WORKOUTS with Live Females at the Blu Onyx.
**THE GAMBLE + THE SINGLES at The Nick.
**LIVE KARAOKE SHOWCASE hosted by LOGAN THE ENTERTAINER, every Thursday at Ruth”s Place in Irondale, 2404 Derby Way. DJ MOSE STOVALL is on crowd control.
**EVERY THURSDAY HAPPY HOUR, 5:30 – 9 p.m. at the Kappa Komplex, 45 6th Avenue South.
**KARAOKE, 5-9 p.m. at Courtyard Alabaster Bar and Grill.
**TASTEMAKER THURSDAY – Every Thursday at Blaze Ultra Lounge, 228 Roebuck Plaza Drive, 8 p.m.- 12 a.m. with DJ Ace Twon (95.7 JAMZ) in the mix hosted by Audio Life and GMC Promo.
**THIRSTY THURSDAY at Hookah 114 17th Street No.
**THIRD THURSDAY BLUES JAM, 7 p.m. at True Story Brewing.
**TEQUILA THURSDAY at the Vibe Bar & Lounge.
**THROW BACK THURSDAY at Tha Vibe Bar & Lounge, 3801 Richard Arrington, Jr., Blvd.
FRIDAY…
**30th ANNUAL MAGIC CITY ART CONNECTION at Sloss Furnaces.
**QUE’S BAR & GRILL GROOVIN’ on 19th Street in Ensley.
**LIT FRIDAYS WITH RIPCORD, 8 p.m. – 2 a.m. at 4501 Gary Avenue in Fairfield.
**SAXOPHONIST JESSE J at Perfect Note.
**SHUGAPALOOZA at Iron City.
**SPIRITS REPUBLIC + JESSE CROWE + VEERIES at The Nick.
**LIT FRIDAYS WITH RIPCORD, 8 p.m. – 2 a.m. at 4501 Gary Avenue in Fairfield.
**FREE HOOKAH FRIDAYS at Blu Onyx, 10 p.m.
**AFRO CARIBBEAN NIGHTS (Every Friday Night) at Ash’s on 2nd, 7 p.m. until with Reggae, Afro Beats, Dancehall and Top 40 Hits.
**FIREBALL FRIDAY at Tha Vibe Bar & Lounge.
**FRIDAY NIGHT RAP, Every 1st and 3rd Friday at Crescent Cultural Center, 1121 Tuscaloosa Avenue, W.
SATURDAY…
**30th ANNUAL MAGIC CITY ART CONNECTION at Sloss Furnaces.
**SPRING FLING MARKET, 1-5 p.m. at Ross Bridge
**SATURDAYS IN THE GARDENS at Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
**WINE DOWN HAPPY HOUR, 4 p.m.- 9 p.m. at Saferoom Lounge Bar..
**MS. JOHNNIE AND THE JAMMERS Live After Five, 7-10 p.m. at Bistro on 19th located at 109 19th St. N., Bessemer. EVERY 2nd and 4th SATURDAY!!
**SOLD OUT SATURDAYS at the Blu Onyx Every Saturday.
**CIROC SATURDAYS at Blu Onyx.
**VON STRANTZ with MEGAN MCMILLAN at The Nick.
**DNA presents TEAM BIRMINGHAM, 6 p.m. at Perfect Note with 2 shows.
SUNDAY…
**WORSHIP AT THE SIXTH, 9:30 a.m. at Sixth Avenue Baptist Church.
**30th ANNUAL MAGIC CITY ART CONNECTION at Sloss Furnaces.
**WOODLAWN STREET MARKET, 12 p.m. at Woodlawn Street Market.
**FOODIES, BEATZ, VIBEZ, 2-9 p.m. at 604 Bar & Lounge at 604 9th St. No.
**SUNDAY HAPPY HOUR with JW TELLER at The Nick.
**MARBIN at The Nick.
**2 SEXY SUNDAY at the Blu Onyx, 8- 12 p.m.
**SUNDAY FUNDAY for the grown Folks Kickback at Tha Vibe Bar & Lounge.
MONDAY…
**EVERY MONDAY is MONSLAYYY – THE CARIBBEAN WAY, 8 p.m. at the Vault with TRINI and BRENT TRINI-FRESH PIERRE. FREE.
**A DEER A HORSE WITH KAMIKAZE ZOMBIE + POWER SINK at The Nick.
**KARAOKE NIGHTS WITH RICKEY SMILEY at the StarDome Comedy.
TUESDAY…
**INDUSTRY NIGHT TUESDAY at Blu Onyx, 8 p.m.
**EVERY TUESDAY – TRUE STORY BREWING JAZZ SESSIONS, 7- 10 p.m., 5510 Crestwood Blvd.
**TASTY TUESDAYS at Platinum of Birmingham.
**EVERY TUESDAY LIT AND JAZZ with DAVID TALLEY AND FRIENDS, 7 p.m. at Lit on 8th, 518 Rev. Abraham Woods Blvd.
**FAT TUESDAY at Tha Vibe Bar & Lounge.
**BLAC RABBIT WITH SATCHY at The Nick.
WEDNESDAY…
**INTERFAITH NOONDAY PRAYER SERVICES every Wednesday, Noon at Linn Park in Downtown Birmingham.
**JD PINKUS (OF THE BUTTHOLE SURFERS AND THE MELVINS)at The Nick.
**WEDNESDAYS WEEKLY JAZZ JAM, 7- 10 p.m. at True Story Brewing Company, 5510 Crestwood Blvd. Food until 9 p.m. Music until 10 p.m. and Drink until 11 p.m.
**OPEN BAR WEDNESDAY, 8 p.m. at Blu Onyx.
NEXT THURSDAY…
**READ THE BIRMINGHAM TIMES. Catch up on the news!
**THURSDAY NIGHT WORKOUTS with Live Females at the Blu Onyx.
*WORST SPILLS + TREES ON THE MOON at The Nick.
NEXT FRIDAY…
**QUE’S BAR & GRILL GROOVIN’ on 19th Street in Ensley.
**LIT FRIDAYS WITH RIPCORD, 8 p.m. – 2 a.m. at 4501 Gary Avenue in Fairfield.
**OLD SCHOOL FUNK FEST with DENO POSEY at Perfect Note.
**TODD SNIDER – RETURN OF THE STORYTELLER TOUR at Iron City.
*DAMNED TO EARTH, THE GODDAMN RIGHTS & BIG OAF at The Nick.
THIS WEEKEND…
IN TALLADEGA…
**TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY GEICO 500…
*NEW ‘NEXT GEN’ CAR AND MORE – Not only will you see the New Next‘ Gen Car in play this weekend, but Talladega Superspeedway will pay a special tribute to one of NASCAR’s greatest drivers, fan favorite and hero – the late, great Davey Allison – on the 35th Anniversary of his first career NASCAR Cup Series victory, prior to the start of the GEICO 500 on SUNDAY. Two-time Talladega Superspeedway winner (2010, 2011) and FOX Sports Analyst Clint Bowyer will drive an authentic black, red-numbered 28 Ford Thunderbird during a ceremonial lap around the biggest and baddest race track on the planet just before the engines are fired to start the GEICO 500, which Bowyer and Mike Joy will call on FOX. The beautiful machine, which was driven by Allison in the 1993 DAYTONA 500, mirrors the car that Allison took to Ruoff Mortgage Victory Lane at Talladega in the 1992, his final Talladega triumph. The crew chief that day was none other than ‘America’s Crew Chief,’ FOX Sports’ Larry McReynolds.
*SPECIAL VIDEO ABOUT DAVEY ALLISON – A special video will be shown to those in attendance that will celebrate not only the Alabama native’s (Hueytown) initial premier series triumph 35 years ago in the spring of 1987, but also his other triumphs at Talladega. The car will be on display during the weekend (Saturday and Sunday morning) in the track’s one-of-a-kind Talladega Garage Experience, allowing fans to get an up-close view of the historic T-bird.
**NASCAR’s NEW ‘NEXT GEN’ CAR – The new ‘Next Gen’ car will see its first action on Talladega’s 33-degree banking in the GEICO 500. Debuting in the season-opening DAYTONA 500, the Next Gen car is a collaboration of the brightest engineering minds in racing and the automotive industry. It is designed to give the drivers greater control and will put an emphasis back on race strategies, team personnel and vehicle setups while returning the ‘stock car’ look to NASCAR.
(Photo: Actor Alexander Skarsgard) (Provided)
*GRAND MARSHAL ALEXANDER SKARSGARD – Actor Alexander Skarsgård from the new epic action film The Northman, will serve as the Grand Marshal for Talladega Superspeedway’s GEICO 500 NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday. The Northman is an action-filled epic that follows a young Viking prince on his quest to avenge his father’s murder. The all-star cast includes Nicole Kidman, Claes Bang, Anya Taylor-Joy, Ethan Hawke, Björk, and Willem Dafoe. So, in addition to the GEICO 500 NASCAR Cup Series race (2 p.m. CDT), which will see NASCAR’s Next Gen car on the 31-degree banking for the first time, Saturday will feature a doubleheader including the General Tire 200 (12 p.m. CDT) for the ARCA Menards Series and the Ag-Pro 300 (3 p.m. CDT) for the NASCAR Xfinity Series. KLĒNSKIN Pole Qualifying to determine the starting lineup for the GEICO 500 will also be on Saturday, beginning at 10 a.m. CDT. Fans with a Sunday GEICO 500 ticket will also get admission to the traditional Saturday Night Infield Concert featuring country music artist Riley Green. To see all weekend opportunities, visit www.talladegasuperspeedway.com or call 1-877-Go2-DEGA. Fans are encouraged to keep up with all the happenings at the biggest, baddest race track on the planet by following Talladega Superspeedway on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
IN MARION, AL…
**THE BLACKBELT REUNION BLUES SHOW AND TAILGATE, SATURDAY, 1 p.m. until with host PORTIA SHEPHERD, JAY MORRIS GROUP, OMAR CUNNINGHAM, MAC MAN MACK, P2K, TRAVIUS KEANDRIC, KING SOUTH, BIG YAYO, LJ ECHOLS and MC/DJ TRUCKER. Tailgate setup is 8 – 11 a.m.
IN MIDFIELD…
**WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL, SATURDAY featuring BIG FITZ THE POET, POETICALLY EMBODIED, MOTORCITY FATTS, CASH, FREANKNALDO, COMEDIAN EUGENE and GLENWOOD URBZ at A Place to Remember Event Center, 202 By Williams Sr., Dr. in Midfield, 7 p.m.
NEWS TO USE AND PEOPLE IN THE NEWS…
FOR FOOD LOVERS AND MORE…RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER…JUNE IS NATIONAL SOUL FOOD MONTH….right around the corner… Here is a little for getting you started looking for food recipes and articles on food and plenty of good food…..
**CCDN FOOD HUBWEDNESDAY, Every Wednesday of each month in Fountain Heights Old Sardis Baptist Church, 1240 4th Street North, 10 – noon. For more, www.communitycaredn.org.
**ROSS BRIDGE FARMERS MARKET, May 13, 4 p.m.
(Look for more about plants, gardening, food, environment and Mother Earth.)
**A CELEBRATION OF OUR JOURNEY: A VIRTUAL CULINARY EXPERIENCE – The Birmingham (AL) Chapter of The Links, Inc. will host ‘A Celebration of Our Journey: A Virtual Culinary Experience’ on Saturday, April 30, at 6 p.m. This fun-filled evening will spotlight food, music and culture and feature musical guests ANTHONY HAMILTON, CHRISETTE MICHELLE. The event will feature international acclaimed Food Historian and award-winning professor DR. JESSICA B. HARRIS who is considered by many to be one of the leading authorities on food of the African diaspora. (Netflix’s 2021 docu-series ‘High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America is based on several of Harris’ literary works about Black culinary culture.) Harris’ articles have appeared in Vogue, Essence, Food & Wine, and The New Yorker. The evening will spotlight several celebrity chefs, mixologists, and food influencers from across the country namely Chef Clayton Sherrod (World Chefs Tour Against Hunger), Chef Kolby Kash (The Culture’s Cook), Chef Alex Johnson (Executive Chef at Watkins Branch Bourbon and Brasserie) and Chef Phillip Ashley (Chocolate Artisan). They will demo their favorite cooking and cocktail recipes, share cooking tips, techniques and answer questions from a virtual live audience. The proceeds will benefit some of the Links, Inc. community service programs.
FOR MUSIC LOVERS…
**KEITH SWEAT, MONICA, TAMAR BRAXTON, GINUWINE and SILK, June 5 at Legacy Arena. This is Birmingham R&B Music Experience.
FOR THE CHILDREN…
**SUMMER CAMP – Birmingham Park and Recreation Summer Camp, June 6 – July 30, ages 5 – 12. Educational enrichment, athletics, arts and crafts and more! Call 205-254-2303 for information on a camp near you.
AT SIXTH AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH
…SEE YOU AT THE SIXTH …
**EVERY MONDAY MORNING MEDITATION WITH PASTOR CANTELOW, 7:15 a.m. Contact the church at (205) 321-1136 or (205) 321-1137.
FOR LOVERS OF FILMS…
**IN ATLANTA…ATLANTA FILM FESTIVAL 46th annual fest through – May 1 in Atlanta, Georgia. The lineup includes Cooper Raiff’s Cha Cha Real Smooth, John Patton Ford’s Emily the Criminal, and Summering, a coming-of-age story directed by Georgia-native and ATLFF alumni James Ponsoldt. The opening film will be Abi Damaris Corbin’s 892 and the closing film will be Isabel Castro’s Mija. For more go to www.atlantafilmfestival.com.
FOR OUTDOOR LOVERS…
**SATURDAY KAYAK AND CANOE OUTING, Meet 9:45 a.m. for Southeastern Outings Kayak and Canoe Outing, Big Wills Creek near Gadsden, Alabama.
DETAILS: This is a scenic stretch of river located in a very rural area. See wildflowers and investigate islands and beaches. Each novice canoeist must be partnered with an experienced canoeist in their canoe. Rent canoes and one or two-person (tandem) sit-upon plastic kayaks and paddles from Big Wills Outfitters. Rental fees include life jackets and shuttle service. Also the outfitter will shuttle for a fee all private boats used on this outing. If you wish to rent a boat from Big Wills Outfitters, please call the outfitter BEFORE Saturday, April 23 at 256/538-3226 to reserve your boat and more details. Well-behaved, properly supervised children age 10 and over welcome. Plan to go to a restaurant in Gadsden for dinner depending on time we finish boating. Bring a change of clothes. Reservations Required: You must contact Dan Frederick, email seoutings@bellsouth.netor call 205/631-4680 if you plan to come on this trip. Meet 9:45 a.m. at the Applebee’s in Trussville. Depart from there at 10 a.m.
**SUNDAY DAY WALK, Meet 1:45 p.m. with Southeastern Outings Wildflower Walk in a Forest Preserve in Homewood at Homewood Forest Preserve- DETAILS: The City of Homewood owns two forest preserves on Shades Mountain adjacent to the Homewood High School. Spend a relaxing two hours walking and admiring spring wildflowers in the lower preserve. Rated moderately easy. Well-behaved, carefully supervised children age 6 and older welcome. Meet 1:45 p.m.in the Homewood High School east (nearest Brookwood Village Shopping Center) parking lot, just off Lakeshore Drive in Homewood. Depart at 2 p.m.Info: Dan Frederick, seoutings@bellsouth.net, or 205/631-4680.
COMING SOON…
**JULY 7-17, 2022 – THE WORLD GAMES are coming. Look for more!
Well, that’s it. Tell you more ‘next’ time. People, Places and Things by Gwen DeRu is a weekly column. Send comments to my emails: gwenderu@yahoo.com and thelewisgroup@birminghamtimes.com.
Dream Popup: Facebook Alert Informs Maryland Couple They Scooped Cool Million On Lottery
By Lee Bullen
A Maryland couple discovered that they scooped 1 million dollars on the lottery after receiving a Facebook alert that someone from the store they used had won the jackpot.
Paul and Teresa Hartsoe, from the town of Conowingo in Cecil County in the US state of Maryland, won a cool million on the state’s Mega Millions draw.
In a statement obtained by Zenger News, the Maryland Lottery said on April 15: “A Cecil County couple could not stop smiling as they claimed a 1-million-dollar Mega Millions prize Friday morning.
“Paul Hartsoe matched the five white balls drawn in the Tuesday, April 12 drawing, missing only the Mega Ball. He is the second Marylander to win a second-tier Mega Millions prize in 2022.
“The commercial construction worker is a fan of both the Powerball and Mega Millions jackpot games and plays them weekly. Last Tuesday, Paul stopped at Royal Farms #087 in Conowingo to fill up his work truck and play his jackpot games.”
Paul and Teresa Hartsoe did not watch the Mega Millions draw that night and he went to work the next day while his wife stayed home.
Maryland Lottery said: “She became curious when a Maryland Lottery Facebook alert came across her phone. The alert said someone purchased a USD 1 million Mega Millions ticket at the same Royal Farms store where Paul bought his tickets. Teresa called him at work to share the news.
Teresa, 60, said: “I told him to check his tickets because someone won Mega Millions from Conowingo. He told me the tickets were at home, so I got them from the dresser and began reading off the winning numbers.”
Paul, 62, said: “I was in disbelief. We kept checking the numbers over and over.
“Conowingo is a small town, so the word got out. I don’t want to toot our own horn, but everyone was saying how we are so deserving of this prize.”
The couple, who have two adult children and six grandchildren, claimed the prize on Friday morning.
The lottery company said: “Paul said he hopes to retire in a few years and will put some money aside for that. Teresa hopes to upgrade her vehicle. They both want to make improvements to their farmhouse.”
Last month, a Maryland teacher won 50,000 dollars when her thoughtful husband bought her a scratch card to lift her spirits after a tough week.
Robyn Mejia, 39, from Thurmont in Frederick County, won 50,000 dollars on a ‘Ca$h to Go!’ card.
Robyn’s husband decided to buy the elementary school teacher the ticket after a tough week at work.
Maryland Lottery said: “Last month, when Robyn Mejia was having a rough week, her husband brought home a Ca$h to Go! scratch-off to try and lift her spirits.
“Not only did the purchase lift her spirits, it made their plan to buy a new house a reality.
“Robyn scratched off the instant ticket on March 12, soon after her husband brought it home from 7-Eleven #28960 in Thurmont.
“They couldn’t believe their eyes when the 5-dollar scratch-off revealed a 50,000-dollar top prize.”
The mother of two said: “We have been saving money for a down payment on a house, thinking we would be ready by the end of the year, but now we don’t have to wait!”
The lottery company said: “The seasoned teacher, with 18 years of experience, kept the instant ticket in a safe until she was able to come to Baltimore to claim the prize during her school system’s spring break.
In December last year, a 43-year-old Maryland woman won 50,000 dollars on a scratch card after accidentally buying the wrong game instead of her favorite.
Maryland Lottery said the woman, who chose not to reveal her name and decided to call herself ‘Winner by Default’ because she had pressed the wrong button on the vending machine, won big on the 5-dollar ‘Deluxe Crossword’ scratch card.
The lottery company said: “A 43-year-old can thank the slip of her hand for a recent 50,000-dollar top prize win on a scratch-off game.
“The fortunate player went to purchase one of the Maryland Lottery’s 20-dollar scratch-off games out of a self-service Lottery vending machine, but pushed the wrong button and ended up with a 5-dollar Deluxe Crossword game instead.”
As well as saving 15 dollars by selecting the wrong card, the woman, who lives in the city of Hagerstown, ended up winning the cheaper game’s top prize.
Maryland Lottery said the woman “reluctantly” went home with the card to scratch it, discovering she had won the 50,000-dollar prize.
The single mother-of-three called it “unreal”, adding: “I thought something was wrong with the app so I scanned it again.”
She said she jumped up and down and then called her children to tell them the news: “I put the ticket on the counter and scanned it again so they could see the winning message. They couldn’t believe it was real.”
The winner told lottery officials she has just bought a new family home and will use some of the prize money to carry out renovations, with the rest going in the bank.
Recommended from our partners
The post Dream Popup: Facebook Alert Informs Maryland Couple They Scooped Cool Million On Lottery appeared first on Zenger News.
Neighbor From Hell: Bitter Woman Makes Couple’s Life Misery With Constant Banging In Viral Vid
This viral video shows a neighbor from hell incessantly banging on the ceiling after the couple in the flat above accidentally dropped a broomstick.
The clip was posted to TikTok by 22-year-old nursery school teacher Hannah Baker, who lives in Dallas, Texas, USA, on April 9. At the time of writing, it had racked up an astonishing 3.8 million views.
Hannah captioned the clip: “this all started bc i dropped my broom stick while i was sweeping. IF U DONT LIKE NOISE DONT LIVE IN AN APARTMENT” (sic).
In an exclusive interview, Hannah told Zenger News: “The video was taken on April 7 around 7:30 pm. We moved in the middle of September but didn’t hear any knocking until the beginning of March.
“My boyfriend and I got back from a week vacation on the 10th. On the 11th we went grocery shopping and when we were walking down the steps she heard us and came outside with a broomstick in her hand screaming ‘when you wanna fight let’s fight’ and when I asked her ‘what are you talking about’ she said ‘ever since y’all moved in y’all have been loud as f*ck’.
“So I asked her what it is that’s so loud and she said ‘whenever you wanna fight let’s fight’ about five times so I walked away.
“She knocks on her ceiling pretty much every day.”
In the viral clip, Hannah is seen walking around her apartment while a constant thudding noise is heard in the background and fails to subside.
She told Zenger News: “The night my boyfriend recorded that video she was non-stop hitting the ceiling for over 20 minutes.
“We called our courtesy officer that lives at the same building complex we do but went to voicemail twice so we called the actual police.
“When the police officer showed up he asked me if I had any proof of her threatening to fight me and sadly I didn’t, so he said I couldn’t press any charges.
“Also I couldn’t press charges for her hitting the ceiling since she is doing it from inside her apartment.
“So we reached out to the regional manager since no one at the leasing office wanted to help us. The regional manager was very nice and apologized numerous times.
“His sister manages a different apartment complex in a safer city so he let us break our lease for free and we are transferring to her apartment complex on May 12th!”
Recommended from our partners
The post Neighbor From Hell: Bitter Woman Makes Couple’s Life Misery With Constant Banging In Viral Vid appeared first on Zenger News.
Million Seller Millipede: Scientist Fan Of Taylor Swift Names New Species Of Creepy-Crawly After Her
Scientists have named a new species of millipede that lives hidden in leaves on the forest floor after the popular American singer Taylor Swift.
Dr. Derek Hennen told Zenger News that these images show the “typical habitat for the millipedes”, with Nannaria swiftae species having been “named after Taylor Swift”.
Hennen said that he is a huge fan of Taylor Swift, adding: “Her music helped me get through the highs and lows of graduate school, so naming a new millipede species after her is my way of saying thanks.”
But he also revealed that another newly discovered species has been named Nannaria marianae and that it was “named after my wife”.
The researchers included Hennen, as well as Jackson Means and Paul Marek, from the Virginia Tech University, in Blacksburg, in the US state of Virginia, described the new species in research published in the academic journal ZooKeys.
The researchers said in a statement obtained by Zenger News that the American superstar singer-songwriter, “known for hits such as ‘Shake It Off’ and ‘You Belong With Me’” had “earned a new accolade”, adding that she has “a new species of millipede named in her honor.”
The scientists said that the “twisted-claw millipede Nannaria swiftae joins 16 other new species described from the Appalachian Mountains of the United States.”
They said that the invertebrates play valuable roles in the ecosystem by breaking down leaves and releasing their nutrients.
They said: “They live on the forest floor, where they feed on decaying leaves and other plant matter, and in fact, they are somewhat tricky to catch, because they tend to remain buried in the soil, sometimes staying completely beneath the surface.”
Scientists had suspected for a long time that twisted-claw millipedes might include numerous new species, but, the researchers said, “these specimens went undescribed for decades”.
The experts embarked on a project spanning years in a bid to collect new specimens in the eastern United States, traveling to 17 different states and “checking under leaf litter, rocks, and logs to find species so that they could sequence their DNA and scientifically describe them.”
They studied over 1,800 specimens, either in the field all taken from university museum collections and, as a result, they identified 17 new species.
They also found out that “millipedes prefer to live in forested habitats near streams and are often found buried under the soil, exhibiting more cryptic behaviors than relatives.”
The scientists said that “the newly-described millipedes range between 18 and 38 millimeters [0.7 and 1.4 inches] long, have shiny caramel-brown to black bodies with white, red, or orange spots, and have white legs. The males have small, twisted and flattened claws on their anterior legs, which is the basis for their common name.”
Recommended from our partners
The post Million Seller Millipede: Scientist Fan Of Taylor Swift Names New Species Of Creepy-Crawly After Her appeared first on Zenger News.
Errol Spence Overcomes Perilous Sixth Round To Stop Yordenis Ugas
Errol Spence declared “I’m the best fighter at 147 pounds and arguably the best fighter in the world” before Saturday’s 10th-round technical knockout over Yordenis Ugas in front of nearly 40,000 spectators at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Remaining undefeated at 28-0 with an equally impressive 22 KOs, Spence made his case once again in the ring.
The Desoto, Texas, resident nicknamed “The Truth” added the Cuban’s WBA crown to his IBF/WBC versions by out-landing Ugas (27-5, 12 KOs) by more than 2 to 1 in both power shots (192 to 77) and overall punches (216 to 96) with a 24-19 advantage in jabs.
After the victory, Spence had an obscenity-laced message for WBO counterpart Terence Crawford (38–0, 29 KOs): “Terence, I’m coming for that motherf***ing belt.”
Spence was ringside in November at Las Vegas’ sold-out Michelob ULTRA Arena for Crawford’s two-knockdown, 10th-round TKO of two-time title winner Shawn Porter. Although Crawford was not ringside on Saturday, the 34-year-old watched from afar as Spence ended a 16-month ring absence by handing Ugas, the 2008 Olympic bronze medalist, his first KO loss and fifth professional loss overall.
Crawford tweeted round-by-round responses on social media, ultimately stating: “@Errol Spence Jr. congratulations great fight now the real fight happens. No more talk no more side of the street let’s go!!!!”
The stage is now set for a clash of unbeatens between Spence and Crawford, who had defended his title for the fifth time and recorded his sixth straight knockout at 147 pounds in defeating Porter (31-4-1, 17 KOs) to improve to 16–0 (13 KOs) in title fights.
“Everybody knows who I want next. I want Terence Crawford next,” said Spence following the sixth defense since May 2017 when his two-knockdown, 11th-round knockout dethroned IBF titlist Kell Brook whose swollen left eye’s orbital bone was broken in the fight.
“That’s the fight that I want,” Spence said of a match with Crawford, “and that’s the fight that everybody else wants, and like I said, I was gonna come in here and take these straps and go over there and take his s**t too. ‘Man Down.’ It’s strap season. Y’all know what time it is, baby. …”
Fighting for the first time since the surgical repair of retinal tear in his left eye in August, Spence was a slugging aggressor against Ugas, masterfully dictating toe-to-toe action with a vicious body attack, left uppercuts and crosses as well as right hooks from behind a piston jab.
“I was throwing the left. It wasn’t working, so I started using the jab to set it up, right hooks, coming over the top and using short shots underneath. I started placing and picking my shots, letting them go,” said Spence, who was hobbled in the sixth round.
“I felt him breaking down because he wasn’t throwing like he usually does,” Spence said of Ugas. “So I was like, ‘I got him now.’ I did see the eye closing, but I was targeting what was open and trying to punch through his guard. I thought the referee was going to stop it a lot earlier, but he just let it keep going.”
Ugas’ right eye was noticeably swollen by the sixth round and ballooning into a hematoma. The worsening condition prompted referee Laurence Cole to stop the fight at the 1:44 mark of the 10th round on the advice of the ringside physician.
The triumph was the second during a 31-month period for Spence, who was hospitalized in critical condition after an October 2019 crash in which his Ferrari flipped several times.
“I didn’t want a tuneup fight. I wanted somebody who would bring out the best in me. I knew Ugas would bring the best out of me,” Spence said.
Spence had defended his titles in December 2020, winning by unanimous decision over two-division champion Danny Garcia. Spence’s reign includes a one-knockdown, seventh-round stoppage of two-division champion Lamont Peterson (January 2018), a first-round, body-shot KO of previously unbeaten Carlos Ocampo (June 2018) and a shutout unanimous decision over previously unbeaten four-division titlist Mikey Garcia (March 2019).
Despite not fighting for so long, Spence said: “I didn’t have any doubts about myself at all. I believe in myself 100 percent. I train 100 percent. I knew I was going to come away with the victory.”
“I felt like my timing was a little off at first, but that was due to the long layoff,” Spence said of the Ugas fight. “But I was super excited to get back into the ring, and I knew I would catch on during the later rounds, so I kept working and punching,”
Spence led 88-82 on two of the judges’ scorecards and 88-83 on the other at the time of the stoppage.
“I’ve been in the gym, and I’ve been sparring, so I didn’t have any questions. Y’all had all of the questions and the doubts about whether I was the same fighter,” Spence told reporters. “As you saw, there was no tentativeness. I was fighting to get a knockout. … I felt good.”
Ugas had his best chance starting at the 1:57 mark of the sixth round, when his hard right uppercut dislodged Spence’s mouthpiece.
As Spence went looking for it, dropping his hands in the process, Ugas followed a blistering jab with a jarring right hand that sent “The Truth,” staggering against the ropes for what potentially could have been ruled a knockdown.
But Ugas failed to capitalize on a stunned Spence over the next 20 seconds as Cole stopped the clock at the 1:32 mark, allowing trainer Derrick James to replace the mouth guard.
“I thought the referee had said, ‘stop,’ so I stopped, and then Ugas hit me with three or four shots. That’s my fault. That was a rookie mistake on my part. You’re supposed to protect yourself at all times,” Spence said. “I didn’t do that. I wasn’t out on my feet. I had turned to look for my mouthpiece. He hit me, and I was like, ‘aw, s**t.’ I tried to put my hands up and the referee jumped in.”
Ugas lamented the sixth round.
“I definitely felt that I had an opportunity to win the fight there, but he recuperated well,” said Ugas.
Ugas slipped to 12-2 (5 KOs) at 147 pounds since 2016 under trainer Ismael Salas, his lone previous setback being a disputed split decision to then-WBC champion Porter in March 2019.
“I couldn’t see from the eye, but I wanted to keep going until the end. I feel sad because I trained really hard for this fight, but all of my respect to Errol Spence. He’s a great champion.”
Spence’s focus now is firmly on Crawford, a former holder of all four major belts at 140 pounds. Crawford is among six fighters to reach the undisputed plateau along with junior welterweight Josh Taylor, super middleweight Canelo Alvarez, cruiserweight Oleksandr Usyk and middleweights Bernard Hopkins and Jermain Taylor.
Porter was knocked out for the first time in his career by Crawford and announced his retirement after their fight.
“[Crawford] is the best out of everybody I’ve been in the ring with. There’s no doubt I think that man hit me more than anybody I’ve been in the ring with,” said Porter.
“He was on point, A-through-Z. The competitor in me won’t stop looking at him and wanting to fight him again. He’s got it. I’ve said that multiple times in interviews. In and out of the ring, he has it.”
Spence plans to prove Porter wrong about who is the better fighter between Crawford and him.
“Y’all already know what time it is,” Spence said. “I said all week that after I get through with Ugas, I’m coming after Terence Crawford.”
Edited by Matthew B. Hall and Richard Pretorius
Recommended from our partners
The post Errol Spence Overcomes Perilous Sixth Round To Stop Yordenis Ugas appeared first on Zenger News.
