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LIVERPOOL -- It was a fight with some ferocity, accusations with a bit of anger and claims with a lot of comedy in Liverpool on Saturday night when Tony Bellew retained his WBC cruiserweight title.The fight with BJ Flores was over before it had started in many ways and the American, who had struggled to make the weight, was a reluctant player in the latest Bellew drama. Flores was meant to be tough and had talked like a beast all week, but looked drained when he stepped on the scales the day before the first bell.Bellew disdainfully bished and bashed his way to a third round win, sending Flores down four times in total before the merciful end and that was when the circus started. Flores was hastily forgotten, which is convenient because his abject performance would have been censored by the British Boxing Board of Control in a different epoch.Flores is also a close personal friend of David Haye, the former world heavyweight champion and sworn enemy of Bellew, and long before the first bell promoter Eddie Hearn had tweeted that it would go off at ringside.Well, shock horror, it did.When it was officially over, Bellew tried to locate Haye at ringside. Hes behind you, he was told. Bellew quickly ducked through the ropes. The security was plentiful, the space for the off cleared and the pair started shouting and gesturing from behind the outstretched palms of the paid help. Bellew was persuaded to get back in the ring and then he was given a microphone, which was open to the crowd at the Echo Arena.If it had been serious and nasty the Board would have surely intervened at this point, but it was not, it was a terrific circus act.I just smashed your playmate, your nightclub buddy, Bellew hollered, leaving pauses for oohs and arghs. I will smash you the same way. You are getting smashed. The crowd booed and jeered and cheered.Haye remained mostly silent, a bemused look on his face, as Bellew launched the tirade, which was equal parts sales and comedy, but there was just enough spite to keep it plausible. An angry man, remember, would have sworn and not joked; the spat was beautifully stage-managed, with members of the Board and the broadcasters boxing team standing or sitting and grinning. It was all clean, good fun -- the modern boxing way.Hes the same dimensions as me, Bellew told his audience. Im a bit fatter and hes a bit better looking. Hes a cruiserweight, he went to heavyweight because he loves money. Im the biggest payday he can get right now. Haye continued smiling.The pantomime at the end helped disguise the dreadful performance by Flores, a fighter with a reputation for being hard. It looked like Flores was in search of a safe place to land from the first bell and that was a surprise. I thought he would survive the 12 rounds.Bellew had absolutely no respect for the American and that meant he was caught with silly punches as he connected with his own. In round two Flores toppled over three times, once as he was complaining, and in the third a left hook from Bellew, which everybody in Liverpool saw, dropped Flores. The fight was over, the show was about to start.Bellew is what Belllew is, said Haye. He can talk all he likes, but I would win easily. I could take him out with just one punch. It would be a knock out. I want him to just keep talking. Haye also pointed out that Bellews defence was non-existent against Flores.Haye was involved in a real post-fight scrap in Munich in 2012 when his banter with Dereck Chisora turned predictably violent. On that occasion one man ended up with a broken jaw, another had stitches in a head wound and people were fined and suspended by the Board.The sales pitch has started for a fight that would put a minimum of 40,000 bums on seats early next summer. However, Haye could also find himself in possession of a lucky ticket for the heavyweight championship lottery during the next few weeks and that might scupper a fight with Bellew. Andre Tippett Jersey . Despite the cost, effort and an improved steroid test, its possible that very few -- if any -- positives will be detected, Dr. Richard Budgett told The Associated Press in an interview. "We just dont know what the results from Torino will be," Budgett said. New England Patriots Jerseys . The team also announced Tuesday that the Braves will wear a commemorative patch on the right sleeve during the season. The patch, shaped like home plate, carries the number 715, Aarons autograph and a "40th Anniversary" banner. http://www.shoptheofficialpatriots.com/Elite-Drew-Bledsoe-Patriots-Jersey/ . The Cincinnati Reds remain perfect with their speedy rookie outfielder in the starting lineup. Stephon Gilmore Jersey . Catch all the action on TSN2 at 11pm et/8pm pt. The nine-time Big 12 champion Jayhawks are positioning themselves for another title, as they have run out to a flawless 6-0 mark in conference play thus far. Drew Bledsoe Womens Jersey . Bryant, who signed a five-year, $34 million contract as a free agent with Cleveland in March, reported symptoms on Monday morning, a team spokesman said. STOCKHOLM, Sweden -- Canada was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the IIHF World Championship for a fourth straight year with a 3-2 shootout loss to host Sweden on Thursday. Fredrik Pettersson scored the winner in the fourth round of the shootout as Sweden moved on to a semifinal meeting with archrival Finland. "Its the worst feeling obviously," said Canada goaltender Mike Smith. "Every time we put the Canada sweater on you are expected to win. This is tough to take." Trailing 1-0, Nicklas Danielsson scored a pair of power-play goals in the third period to give the hosts a 2-1 lead. Canadas Claude Giroux tied the game just over a minute after Danielssons second goal. Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning scored a second-period power-play goal. Smith of the Phoenix Coyotes stopped 30 shots in the loss, while Jhonas Enroth of the Buffalo Sabres made 39 saves for the win. "Third period, we werent on top of them as much as we could be," Canada coach Lindy Ruff said. "Their defending was a lot better. They made sure they had people back and didnt get caught through the neutral zone. "Both teams defended well through the neutral zone and it made it an offensive or defensive zone game. In the end it turned into a special teams game." Jacob Markstrom made a pair of saves in overtime while Enroth dealt with an equipment issue. Canada extended its run of quarter-final losses in this tournament to four straight years. Canada last advanced to the semifinals in 2009 en route to a silver medal with Ruff as coach. "It doesnt get any easier," said Canada forward Matt Duchene, who has been in the lineup for three of those losses. "Third time losing for me losing in this game and the fourth time for a couple of other guys. It hurts. "I cant believe we lost. I thought we had the team to do it this year. It just shows you one game, anyone can win. We dont like that penalty shot rule, thats for sure. It sucks we couldnt keep playing overtime." In other quarter-finals, Switzerland extended its unbeaten run in the tournament to eight wins with a 2-1 win over the Czech Republic. Theyll face the United States, an 8-3 winner in Helsinki over a Russian team that had Alex Ovechkin in the lineup, in Saturdays semifinal. Finland edged Slovakia 4-3 in Helsinkis other quarter-final. The semifinals and Sundays bronze- and gold-medal games are in Stockholm. Canada had beaten the host country 3-0 in the preliminary round, but that was before the arrival of Swedish forwards Henrik and Daniel Sedin and defenceman Alex Edler from the Vancouver Canucks. The Swedes had more swagger in their step with the additions, although theyd been heaping the pressure on Canada by calling them the favourite to win. Canada lost captain Eric Staal to a knee-on-knee collision with Edler in Swedens zone at 15:52 of the first period. The Carolina Hurricanes forward went down writhing in pain and clutching his right knee. He needed assistance off the ice and did not return. Edler was served a major and a game misconduct and threw his stick like a harpoon when he left the ice. Ruff said he didnt have an update on Staals status, but te captain walked to the team bus on crutches and with a brace on his knee. "It had some impact because there was a lot of shuffling going on, Ruff said.dddddddddddd "Still we had our opportunities. One of the turning points was we built a 1-0 lead and if Steve scores on the breakaway, it might have given us a little bit of cushion. We didnt. We let them hang around." Giroux atoned for his cross-checking penalty that allowed Danielsson to push Sweden up 2-1 at 9:35 of the third period by evening the game at 10:50. Andrew Ladds hard check along the boards knocked the puck loose towards the net. The Winnipeg Jets forward retrieved it and fed Giroux from behind the goal-line. Danielsson scored power-play goals on a pair of slapshots through traffic from just inside the blue-line in the third period. His second beat Smith between the pads and the other the eluded Canadians glove. Canadian defenceman Dan Hamhuis was serving a delay of game minor on Danielssons first goal of the period. Canada appeared to go up 2-0 at the end of the second period on a last-second shot from recent addition P.K. Subban, but referees determined via video review that time expired before the puck crossed the goal-line. "Thats why we have the instant replay. It wasnt a goal obviously I guess," Subban said. "I thought we did enough things to win this game today. I think what it comes down to is we had opportunities early in the game to put them away. We didnt capitalize." Canada scored first with power-play goal from Stamkos 45 seconds into the second period. Ladd teed up defenceman Stephane Robidas at the blue-line and Stamkos changed speed on the puck with a re-direct to slide it past Enroths pad. Smith and Enroth traded showy saves in the second period. Enroth stopped an all-alone Stamkos charging in off a stretch pass from Claude Giroux. Smith quickly covered the gap on a Johan Frannson from the faceoff circle. While Canada didnt score again in the second period, their puck management improved over the first period. They supported each other better in the defensive and neutral zones and outshot the host country 16-11 in that period. Smiths quick pad off an Oscar Lindberg re-direct early in the first period kept the Swedes off the scoreboard. Simon Hjalmarsson missed getting the puck to Gabriel Landeskog on an odd-man midway through the period. The man advantage during the Edler first-period major was negated when Andrew Ladd took a hooking major halfway through the five minutes. Canada got another 20 seconds out of that major to start the second period with an extra attacker and Stamkos made good on it. Subban, a defenceman with the Montreal Canadiens, played his first game of the tournament after his arrival Tuesday and was paired with Jay Harrison. Canada added two defenceman after the start of the tournament to bring its blue-line total to nine players. Hamhuis arrived Saturday with his Swedish Canuck teammates. Canada brought 12 forwards, so eight defencemen played Thursday. T.J. Brodie of the Calgary Flames was scratched. Notes: Switzerland, coached by Sean Simpson of Brampton, Ont., will play in the semifinal for the first time since 1998 . . . St. Louis Blues rookie forward Jaden Schwartz joined the Canadian team the previous day as insurance against injury up front. ' ' '