NEU » But were all good.British Cycling played down tal

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Olympic boxing is bloody again.Men are fighting without headgear for the first time in 36 years, making the sport debatably safer and undoubtedly more attractive to fans. But the most tangible consequence is gore: More than a dozen boxers at the Rio Games have already incurred significant facial cuts in the first six days of the tournament.Algerian middleweight Ilyas Abbadi was unsure how he got the 1 1/2-inch gash outside his left eye during his victory over Congos Mpi Ngamissengue on Tuesday, but blood trickled down his face during the bout. The cleaned-up wound still gaped to reveal bloody tissue afterward, and he could only hope his training staff could close it satisfactorily before his next fight Friday.Now I know the value of the headgear, Abbadi said through a translator. I think for the amateurs, that would be better. I would prefer to fight with headgear, but this is how it is.The Olympics are the amateur games biggest showcase by far, and the sport desperately hoped a major cut wont ruin a fighters hopes through medical disqualification. It happened for the first time Thursday, when a 2-inch cut near Armenian welterweight Vladimir Margaryans right eye forced the stoppage of his bout with Cuban gold medalist Roniel Iglesias after just 87 seconds.Margaryans coach, Karen Aghamalyan, said his fighter already had a cut from his first Olympic bout four days earlier. Ringside physicians couldnt close the gash when it re-opened in the first minute against Iglesias, who was a heavy favorite.In pro boxing, the sight of blood on a fighters face and chest is common -- and an undeniable part of the sports primal lure. But that visceral reminder of the sports inherent violence had been rare in the modern amateur game until the International Boxing Association (AIBA) removed headgear from its fighters in 2013, citing scientific studies claiming protective padding actually increases brain injury.Although AIBA has worked to improve its boxers fighting styles to minimize head clashes, cuts have become a steady occurrence at major tournaments ever since, often when two skulls collide in an up-close exchange of punches.The absence of headgear has led to several grisly, compelling scenes in preliminary bouts.Russias Adlan Abdurashidov and Algerias Reda Benbaziz both were cut Tuesday during their lightweight bout, which was stopped twice in the second round for Abdurashidov to receive medical attention. Blood dripped steadily from Benbazizs face in the third.The guy was using his head a lot, and he received a warning from the judge, Benbaziz said after winning the decision despite a 2-inch cut through his right eyebrow, which was already swelling moments after the bout. Yeah, it will affect my next fight, but we will have to fight with an injury. I wish I could be using the headguard.Abdurashidov could only grimace in frustration, blood caked to his upper chest above his tank top.The first minute after the cut, it was very uncomfortable for me, Abdurashidov said. I took some punches because of my eye. It was from a head-butt. Usually, its very good to fight without headgear, but today it was a minus. In general, its better for me without.Abdurashidov echoed the feelings of many fighters, who appear to be roughly split on the change. Despite the risk, many boxers prefer the increased peripheral vision and freedom of movement allowed by an uncovered head.I dont like getting cut, but I prefer to fight without headgear, said Irelands David Oliver Joyce, who was left bloodied by a clash of heads in his loss to Azerbaijans Albert Selimov. Im more of a pro-style boxer, and for the past couple of years, the amateur system suited me.Amateur boxers began wearing headgear between the 1980 Moscow Games and the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Organizers believed the cushions around the skull and cheeks would cut down on concussions and other serious head injuries, but they also protected fighters from bloody damage, allowing them to compete in a multi-fight tournament with almost no cuts.With fighters faces hidden behind bulky padding, the amateur sport gradually lost its long-held status as a must-see Olympic event. The headgear era roughly coincided with the move to a computer-based, punch-counting scoring system.Both factors contributed to Olympic boxings evolution into a sometimes plodding sport derided as fencing with gloves, with fighters rewarded for light punches and elusiveness over power, toughness and combinations.AIBA has returned to a pro-style scoring system since the London Games. The resulting sport is more attractive in almost every manner, and the bouts in Rio have generally been more compelling -- but the blood on the fighters faces portends a potential problem.Professional boxers get several months of recovery time between bouts. Olympic boxers must fight up to five times in a nine-day span, with no time for significant cuts to heal in any meaningful way.So fighters will punch and pray.Russian bantamweight Vladimir Nikitin bled all over himself while beating Vanuatus Boe Warawara on Wednesday. A deep cut in the scalp on the left side of Nikitins head sent blood pouring down his face and neck, but he smiled through the reddened mess when his hand was raised in victory.Nikitin believes hell have no problem fighting again Sunday. Philadelphia 76ers Shirts . -- Catcher Brett Hayes has agreed to a $630,000, one-year contract with the Kansas City Royals, avoiding salary arbitration. Philadelphia 76ers Store . -- Jaye Marie Green shot a 4-under 68 on Thursday to increase her lead to five strokes after the second round of the LPGA Tours qualifying tournament. https://www.cheap76ers.com/ . Louis Blues. Shane Hnidy joins Brian Munz for the broadcast on TSN 1290 Radio at 7pm ct. Philadelphia 76ers Pro Shop . By having more great seasons. Manning was the only unanimous choice for the 2013 Associated Press NFL All-Pro team Friday. Fake 76ers Jerseys . Ryan Garbutt had a goal and two assists as Dallas snapped a six-game losing streak with a 5-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night. Sir Bradley Wiggins insists he is unaware of any problem between himself and Mark Cavendish, but believes the Manxman has a chip on his shoulder because he does not get the same recognition as the five-time Olympic champion.There were rumours of a strained relationship between the pair during the Olympics, with Cavendish frustrated at being overlooked for the four-man team pursuit line-up after quitting the Tour de France early to prepare for Rio.He had been selected as fifth man but did not get a ride, and appeared to accuse hero Wiggins of freezing him out.Cavendish, who went on to claim his first Olympic medal with silver in the mens omnium, then had an apparent dig at Wiggins after being made to wait to give a post-race interview to the BBC, with microphones recording him mutter: Theyd be straight on for Brad, wouldnt they?Wiggins has not taken the comment to heart, saying in an interview with the Daily Telegraph: That wasnt necessarily a dig at me -- although people said it was.I think, rather, hes got a chip on his shoulder because he feels he doesnt get the same recognition [as me] for what hes achieved, which I completely understand.dddddddddddd But were all good.British Cycling played down talk of any rift during the Games, and Wiggins -- who went on to win team pursuit gold with Owain Doull, Ed Clancy and Steven Burke -- backs up that stance.Asked who he will ride alongside in his final outing at the Kuipke Velodrome in Ghent in November, Wiggins replied: Cav. Im not aware that theres a problem [between us].The 36-year-old said the decision on the final team pursuit quartet was nothing personal.Thats not me freezing him out or anything, he added. As much as Id love Mark in there with me, weve got to be brutally honest about this, its about winning gold.Weve worked our a---- off for this and what, were going to accommodate someone? And that wasnt just me, it was Ed Clancy too, whos a huge leader in that team, but of course it makes more of a story if its like Brad froze him out. ' ' '