A male American boxing champion will seldom put his belt on the line in his opponent’s backyard - Floyd Mayweather Jr, the world’s highest paid athlete, has not fought a single professional bout abroad.
But women’s boxing in the US is a different story. It tells a tale of female pugilists often looking outside their home base for better opportunities.
New York resident Alicia “Slick” Ashley lost her WBC Super Bantamweight belt in a very close match in Mexico City last September. Her challenger, Tijuana native Jackie “Aztec Princess” Nava, was Mexico’s best.
Ashley, 47, is one of several female boxing champions taking their chances south of the border, a telling indication that Mexico is embracing the sport in a way that its northern neighbour hasn’t in years. Experts go as far as wondering whether US women’s boxing will see better days or die a slow death.

Zuma says he had no knowledge of the work on his house that has swimming pool, private clinic and amphitheatre [AP]

South African police have launched an investigation into corruption allegations linked to President Jacob Zuma's $24m state-funded upgrade of his house, according to parliamentary papers. In a written police response to lawmakers published on Monday, police confirmed that a probe into accusations that the leader misused public funds to refurbish his house in the rural village of Nkandla "has been initiated". Zuma, who was re-elected in May, has insisted that he had no knowledge of the work on his home, including the construction of a swimming pool, private clinic and amphitheatre. His government has insisted all the refurbishments were security related. The issue has become a lightning rod for criticism of Zuma's administration, which is seen by many South Africans as tolerant of corruption and incompetence.

Dozens killed in Nigeria school explosion At least 48 people, mostly students, killed after blast rips through school during morning assembly in Yobe state.

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