Ten things to know from last week: November 23-29, 2021: Lightweight upset, Dead heats, Big week in Japan.
  1. Lightweight upset! George Kambosos Jr (AUS/GRC) beat Teófimo López (HND/USA) to win the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and The Ring Lightweight World Titles in what was a big upset via Split Decision. He knocked López down in the first round and then was able to impose his rhythm. López thinks he won. Another man that thought he won was Brandon Figueroa (MEX/USA), who was defeated in a WBC and WBO Super Bantamweight Title unification bout, via Majority Decision. The fight was close.
  2. Friedrich keeps dominating. Picking from where he left off last season, Francesco Friedrich (DEU) has won the first two rounds in both the 2-Man and 4-Man competitions of the Bobsleigh World Cup, both held in Innsbruck (AUT). On the women’s side, Laura Nolte (DEU) also won both competitions, with different brakewoman. In Skeleton, the second round was also won by a German, Christopher Grotheer (DEU), who was incredibly joined in the gold in a dead heat with Geng Wenqiang (CHN) and Matt Weston (ENG, GBR).
  3. Another dead heat. Horse Racing also had a dead heat. Defending Champion Epatante (FRA) and Not So Sleepy (ENG) both won the Fighting Fifth Hurdle race, ridden by Aidan Coleman (IRL) and Jonathan Burke (ENG), respectively. In Fairyhouse, Ireland, Statuaire (FRA) pulled the upset in a very exciting Royal Bond Novice Hurdle, ridden by Danny Mullins (IRL). Meanwhile, Honeysuckle (ENG) remains unbeaten, as she won the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle for the third time in a row under Rachael Blackmore (IRL). In Japan, Contrail (JPN) put an end to his racing career by finally winning the Japan Cup, under Yuichi Fukunaga (JPN).
  4. Also in Japan. Terunofuji (MNG) completed his first 15-0 domination of a Grand Sumo Tournament. In Kobe, the Tokyo Yakult Swallows beat the Orix Buffaloes to take Baseball’s Nippon Series 4-2. In Fuji, Yuhi Sekiguchi and Sho Tsuboi (JPN) clinched the Super GT GT500 Championship for Toyota Gazoo Racing Team au TOM’S by winning the final race, while Takuto Iguchi and Hideki Yamauchi (JPN) won the GT300 Championship for the R&D Sport Subaru.
  5. No sweep. Sweden prevented the People’s Republic of China from taking a full sweep at the World Tennis Championship, as Mattias Falck and Kristian Karlsson (SWE) won the Men’s Doubles; beating the Chinese team in Semis. China took the rest of the gold medals, including the Women’s Singles and Doubles – Wang Manyu beat Sun Yingsha for gold in Singles after beating Olympic Champion Chen Meng (CHN) in the Semis. Wang and Sun won the Doubles together. Sun partnered Wang Chuqin to take the Mixed Doubles, and Fan Zhendong (CHN) beat Truls Möregårdh (SWE) to take the Men’s Singles. Three-time defending Champion Ma Long (CHN) did not compete.
  6. Repeat Champions. Johann Kristofferson (SWE) won his fourth FIA Rallycross World Championship -in five years-, increasing his record as the all-time best in the category. He won the first and finished third in the second o the two races at the Nürburgring (DEU), increasing his all-time records as the driver with the most wins (27) and podiums in the history of the series. The second race was won by Niclas Grönholm (FIN), who was followed by a Kevin Hansen (SWE) that held off the Kristofferson so his brother Timmy Hansen (SWE) could pass him. Timmy was unable and tied in points with  Kristofferson, losing out on win count-back (3 by 2). Another repeat Champion was Yann Ehrlacher (FRA), who won the World Touring Car Cup for second year in a row.
  7. Rematch two weeks later. Patrick Schnetzer and Stefan Feuerstein (AUT), representing RV Dornbirn 1886 (AUT), won the UCI Cycle-Ball World Cup Final in Großkoschen (DEU), which allowed Schnetzer to win the World Cup for a record seventh time, and fourth in a row, and is also the winningest World Cup tournament winner. They beat Gerhard and Bernd Mlady (DEU, RMC Stein), -who won the World Championship two weeks ago- with a 5-4 shootout after a 2-2 in regulation time. 
  8. Record routine. 15-year-old Kamila Valieva (RUS) broke her own World Records in the Short Program, Free Skate, and Combined Scores in Women’s Figure Skating, en route to winning the 2021 Rostelecom Cup -an ISU Grand Prix event-, her second win in the season after having won in Skate Canada.
  9. Natus Vincere. Esports team Na’Vi (UKR) enjoyed a very successful weekend, by winning the BLAST Premier Fall Final (for CS:GO) – they have been winning the most important tournaments of the year. Na’Vi -with a Russian lineup- however, lost the Brawl Stars World Final against Zeta Division (JPN). Another Russian, Dmitry “Happy” Kostin, won the Warcraft 3 DreamHack Championship. He is widely considered one of the best although he has taken breaks of years from the best tournaments, at times.
  10. Golf. Tiger Woods (USA) implied in an interview with Golf Digest that he will not be able to make a full comeback from his injuries and will compete in selected events in the future. In a positive note, Carlota Ciganda (ESP) won the Andalucia Costa Del Sol Open De España of the Ladies European Tour. The season Order of Merit winner was previously clinched by 18-year-old Atthaya Thitikul (THA).