Briefly: HBO to exit the boxing business

HBO is getting out of the live boxing business after more than 1,000 fights over four decades of telecasts.

The network will televise the Oct. 27 middleweight title fight between Danny Jacobs and Sergiy Derevyanchenko, then bow out from a sport of which it has long been a leading proponent.

Showtime, HBO's main competitor for cable boxing telecasts, plans to enhance its schedule for 2019.

Since its first fight on Jan. 22, 1973 — a huge one in which George Foreman knocked out Joe Frazier for the heavyweight crown in Jamaica — HBO televised a symmetrical number of 1,111 bouts, some pay-per-view, the rest on the cable channel. That includes a high of 32 appearances by Oscar de la Hoya and Roy Jones Jr.

Other champions with regular appearances on the network have been Floyd Mayweather (27), Manny Pacquiao (24), Bernard Hopkins (23) and Mike Tyson (17).

The decision to leave boxing comes at a time it is thriving on other platforms. Fox Sports recently signed a deal to televise fights, while ESPN is broadcasting prime-time fights on its network and showcasing fights on its streaming app.

The streaming app DAZN broadcast last week's Anthony Joshua-Alex Povetkin heavyweight title fight from London and has ambitious plans for other fights.

Finnish news agency MTV reported Wednesday that Lehtera is connected with an investigation into a cocaine ring. Lehtera's lawyer, Ari Nieminen, said no charges have been filed against Lehtera. He said he was expecting a statement from police Friday.

"This is getting out of hand," Nieminen said. "They are going to clear some things up because there's some kind of misunderstanding about his case."

St. Louis defenseman Robert Bortuzzo was suspended for the final two preseason games and the regular-season opener for an elbow to the head of Washington defenseman Michal Kempny.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport said it has received a Russian appeal of its doping ban from track and field.

Russia's anti-doping program was recently reinstated, leading to the appeal.

Amateur golf: Shannon Johnson, a sales representative for Ping Golf from Norton, Mass., birdied the 18th hole to beat defending champion Kelsey Chugg 1 up in the U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur final at Norwood Hills Country Club in St. Louis. Chugg, from Salt Lake City, is membership director of the Utah Golf Association. … Kevin O'Connell, a golf equipment representative from Cary, N.C., won the men's U.S. Mid-Amateur, beating Brett Boner 4 and 3 at Charlotte (N.C.) Country Club. Boner is a financial adviser from Charlotte.

Pro golf: Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo was 11 over par through 27 holes in the first stage of the Web.com Tour's qualifying tournament in Garland, Texas. He stood 74th among 76 players and was 20 strokes behind leader Alvaro Ortiz.

Davis Cup tennis: Jim Courier is finished as captain of the U.S. Davis Cup team after eight years in the job. The U.S. Tennis Association announced that Courier is "stepping down" less than two weeks after the Americans lost to host Croatia 3-2 in the Davis Cup semifinals.

Men's tennis: Andy Murray advanced to the quarterfinals of the Shenzhen Open in China by beating top-seeded David Goffin 6-3, 6-4. No. 11 Goffin is the highest-ranked opponent Murray has faced since returning in June from hip surgery.