The wind-stricken stage was a torrid and fast affair marred by se

Former two-division world titleholder Juan Manuel Lopez and Albert Rivera, trainer for Wilfredo Vazquez Jr., have both been fined and still face possible suspensions by the Puerto Rican Boxing Commission for their post-fight, in-ring brawl last month.Lopez, who is a former titleholder at junior featherweight and featherweight, and countryman Vazquez, a former junior featherweight titlist, squared off in a hotly contested grudge match at junior lightweight on Oct. 29 at Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico.Lopez knocked Vazquez out in the 11th round and immediately after the fight was waved off, began to celebrate before storming toward Vazquezs corner, where he was met by Rivera. A fist-fight ensued as they exchanged multiple punches - Lopez with his boxing gloves still on and Rivera bare-fisted -- and created a near-riot in the ring and at ringside as fans began throwing things into the ring as they fought.Order was eventually restored and Lopez (35-5, 32 KOs), who had come out of a 25-month retirement for the fight, and Vazquez (24-7-1, 19 KOs), who announced his retirement following the fight, put their long-simmering differences aside as they hugged in the ring and showed respect to each other in the post-fight interview.But the commission, which went to the television production truck immediately after the fight to secure a video of the incident, was not about to overlook the ugly post-fight fight. They were given nominal fines -- $1,000 for Lopez and $500 for Rivera -- but they face suspensions at a later date following a commission hearing.Rivera has yet to talk publicly about the incident but Lopez offered his apologies.The commission knows me very well, Lopez said in a statement given to ESPN. I have made mistakes in the past but I would not characterize me as a person of unsportsmanlike conduct. On the contrary, I have always defended the values that boxing represents, and I am very active in the community teaching and motivating children with those same principles. Having said that, I sincerely apologize to the commission, to Vazquezs trainer and to all the fans for my conduct.According to a Lopez representative, Lopez also sent the commission and Rivera a letter of apology.Lopez has been in trouble with the Puerto Rican commission before. After he lost his featherweight world title by upset eighth-round knockout to Orlando Salido in April 2011, they met in a rematch in March 2012. Once again, Lopez got knocked out, this time in the 10th round. During his post-fight interview on Showtime, Lopez claimed that referee Roberto Ramirez Sr., a very experienced championship official, had a gambling problem, clearly suggesting that the reason Ramirez stopped the fight was because he had action on the bout, which Ramirez vehemently denied.Lopez later apologized for his comments, but the Puerto Rican commission meted out a harsh one-year suspension, fined him $10,000 and ordered him to perform 100 hours of community service. Shoes Canada From China . 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. Shoes Canada Cheap . The Vancouver coach and an announced sellout crowd of 18,910 watched in dismay as the Canucks lost 7-4 to the New York Islanders on Monday night by squandering a 3-0 lead in the third period. https://www.shoescanadaonline.com/ .com) - The Montreal Canadiens embark on their first road trip of the season as they head out west to battle the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night. Wholesale Shoes Canada . -- Vincent Lecavalier got everything but the desired result in his return to Tampa Bay. Fake Shoes Canada 2020 . -- Jimmy Walkers first PGA Tour trophy came with a special gift tucked inside. For American Tour de France teammates Tejay van Garderen and Brent Bookwalter, there is no event bigger in their professional careers than the Tour de France that began on Saturday.But as they rode around the once war-stricken region of Normandy that hosted the Tours start in the days preceding Stage 1, they were reminded of where the race really stands for relevance in the big picture of the world that they - and all of us - live in today.The 27-year-old van Garderen has not downplayed his ambition: to one day win the Tour, if not this year, after two fifth-place finishes. Meanwhile, for Bookwalter, 32, his goal is to help his fellow American win the Tour, if not for their BMC teams Australian co-leader with van Garderen, Richie Porte.But this week, they were struck by the meaning behind the 188-kilometre opening stage finishing at Utah Beach -- one of the key landing sites for the D-Day invasion of June 6, 1944 in World War II that led to the liberation of north-western Europe from German occupation and finally victory in the war.We got a glimpse of it [on Thursday] and it was a really powerful sight, van Garderen said of Utah Beach on Friday. It really puts it into perspective, what we are doing here. We always say that we are soldiers going to war and then you see the real soldiers and we are, OK, maybe this is just bike racing. So you know, we will just try to have a little bit of fun; but I think its a beautiful place to start with the historical significance of this area.Bookwalter, who is riding in his fourth Tour, said he was taken back by the emotion.There is a lot of emotion and feeling. To be honest, I probably under-anticipated it a little bit coming here, Bookwalter told ESPN. I had never been to this little corner of the world, to these beaches. I am familiar with the history, but hadnt really seen it and soaked in the atmosphere.The past couple of days after being here -- seeing the atmosphere, seeing the topography - even seeing the grey kind of bleak weather that we are dealing with right now, he added. For us, it is hard to put into words. It is definitely a powerful place and a powerful memory. Its nice to be here so many years down the road, showcasing the Tour, which is freedom.dddddddddddd It is sport and it is opportunity and all those things that were worth fighting for then.For most of Saturday, van Garderen and Bookwalter had to put their emotions in check during the Tours opening stage that was won in a bunch sprint by Great Britains Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data). Cavendish beat German Marcel Kittel (Etixx-QuickStep) and Slovakian world champion Peter Sagan (Tinkoff), and also claimed the yellow jersey as race leader.The wind-stricken stage was a torrid and fast affair marred by several crashes. One crash with 78km to go included Bookwalter, who finished the stage with cycling kit torn, and one of the Tour contenders, two-time winner Alberto Contador (Tinkoff) of Spain. Contador was also able to finish, while in pain without broken bones.But no sooner had the stage finished, the minds of van Garderen and Bookwalter were refocused on the suffering of World War II and the landing at Utah Beach.They were invited with Cavendish, Briton Stephen Cummings (Dimension Data), Canadian Antoine Duchesne (Direct Energie), Frenchmen Arthur Vichot (FDJ) and Thomas Voeckler (Direct Energie), and Germans Andre Greipel (Lotto-Soudal) and John Degenkolb (Giant-Alpecin) to a commemorative D-Day ceremony after the days podium ceremony.The Tour resumes Sunday for Stage 2 - 183 kilometres from Saint Lo to Cherbourg.Whatever happens from here, the Tour will have shown once more that it is an event that will never forget its history, and recognise those who sacrificed so much in France and those who helped liberate the country. Rest assured that respect is reciprocal.As Jim Ochowicz, an American and president of the BMC team, said: Our fathers generation were the men and women who fought those battles, and gave their lives for our country. We have been in these [war] sites [during the Tour] throughout the years - Omaha Beach, Utah Beach. We are very proud of what they did and certainly are here with that in mind. ' ' '