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Commentator Frank Deford isn't crazy about the new boxing movie Southpaw. He says its shortcomings are typical of Hollywood's depiction of boxing.

As some boxing fans await a major welterweight matchup on Saturday, it's clear that the sport is struggling to keep the attention on the boxers' athleticism rather than their riches.

At 6 feet 11 and 285 pounds, Taishan Dong hopes to be the next big heavyweight fighter in a boxing class that's hurting for stars.

In professional sports, it's the players who get all the attention. But commentator Frank Deford says referees, who so often go unnoticed, bring their own style and artistry to their craft.

Mike Tyson tells the New York Daily °µºÚ±¬ÁÏ he would like to play Othello. Reviews of his acting have been mixed, but Tyson says he could do it, given time to prepare. "They say my skills are horrible," he says, "but I have the natural timing."

Democratic Senators Harry Reid and Mo Cowan have joined Republicans John McCain and Representative Peter King to call for the pardon of former heavyweight boxing champ Jack Johnson. He was the first black fighter to win that title, in 1908. Another win in 1910 sparked race riots nationwide, and his relationships with white women only added to the controversy. He was convicted of taking women across state lines for "immoral purpose." Audie Cornish has more.

The women's soccer team in Afghanistan isn't an international powerhouse. But their mere existence is a triumph and points to the growing number of Afghan women playing sports. And they're getting a little help from an American soccer star.

Talking about Jews in sports touches a "very central place in the Jewish psyche," says Franklin Foer. He and co-editor Marc Tracy have compiled an "unorthodox hall of fame" celebrating Jewish contributions to American athletics.

A top fighter in the '80s and '90s, Camacho has run into a series of problems in recent years — including a burglary arrest and conviction. He was shot Tuesday in Puerto Rico. A man with him was killed.

Afghanistan's own Hamid Rahimi takes a World Boxing crown in a rare bout held in Kabul.