The time for talking is over . . . .

The time for talking is over as Wladimir Klitschko and David Haye faced off for the final time before their meeting in Hamburg’s Imtech Arena tomorrow night.

At the weigh-in the WBO, IBF, IBO and Ring magazine champion Klitscko tip the scales at 17 stone 5 pounds the Ukranian and was greeted by a raucous British contingent. It is estimated that between 500 and one thousand Haye fans crammed themselves inside the sport store that hosted the fight formalities.

The 6 foot 7 inch giant was greeted with chants of “who are ya’” and “you’re supposed to be at home” from the large group of fans who have made the trip to Germany early, with many fans arriving as early as Wednesday in order to witness the open workouts of both fighters.

The hostility that met Klitschko today will be alien to a boxer who has fought so much of his career in front of tame German crowds and the British presence is set to be multiplied 20 times over with over 20,000 Brits expected to be in attendance on Saturday evening.

Haye, who is considered as the challenger in this fight despite holding the WBA title – winning that too in Germany, cut a muscularly defined physique as he took to the scales. The Londoners weight of 15 stone 3 pounds is his second lightest at heavy weight in what is only his sixth fight in the division. The former cruiserweight champion comes into the bout two and a half pounds heavier than his last defence against Audley Harrison, with speed clearly in mind once again.

“There was never a plan to come at any particular weight,” claimed Haye post weigh-in.
“I just made sure I trained hard and I was healthy. I’ve eaten well, I haven’t had any junk food, I haven’t cut any corners, so this my ideal fighting weight.”

The Hayemaker took this last opportunity to give a few choice words to Klitschko, who to his credit has reacted well to the verbal jibes aimed at him from the Bermondsey fighter throughout the long build up to this heavyweight showdown billed as ‘The War’.

“I don’t think I can say what I was saying to him up there,” said Haye. This was clear in the fact that Sky Sports’ Craig Slater having to apologise on the behalf of Haye in the aftermath of the live televised event.

“It wasn’t nice, I wasn’t telling him I love him, put it that way.”

Following the weigh-in the Hayemaker camp revealed that Haye stopped sparring three weeks ago, a week earlier than normal, as their charge looks took peak on fight night.
“Adam booth said ‘what’s the point in doing the same thing over and over again, you’ve got it, let’s work on some other stuff – conditioning and timing and speed – I feel great.”

As has been the case throughout the build up Klitschko’s older brother Vitali took the opportunity to take a swipe at Haye, something that Wladimir has failed to do at times claiming that his brother would be superior in every department.

“Look at my brother, he is confident, he trusts himself and has a lot of experience.”

By midnight tomorrow we will have found out whether Wladimir was in fact too good for the Hayemaker or it may be the case that Vitali is out for post fight revenge. One thing is for sure the talk surrounding this contest has reignited a fading heavyweight division and it is one not to be missed.

Floyd Mayweather's comeback - double standards?

Last week it was announced that Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather will make his ring return this September against Victor Ortiz at a venue that is yet to be confirmed. For Mayweather 2011 is a much anticipated year for both himself and the fans with not only a ring return scheduled but also two court dates.

Mayweather is awaiting a hearing on domestic violence charges, for which he could be jailed for 34 years if found guilty, the date for which was postponed for a third time in April. With a hearing due on July 29 the verdict could throw a monumental spanner in the works of his proposed come back fight for Ortiz’s WBC welterweight strap.

Alongside felony charges following a domestic argument with his ex-girlfriend and two of their children Mayweather also faces misdemeanour harassment charges following accusations of the previous pound for pound king threatening two homeowner associations’ security guards outside his Las Vegas home.

Not only does the month of September have this welterweight collision but also a second court date for ‘Pretty Boy’. Mayweather will go up in front of the courts on misdemeanour battery charges stemming from allegations he poked a 21-year-old guard in the face during an argument over parking tickets in November.

Meanwhile, last month it was announced by the California State Athletic Commission that former Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight challenger Chael Sonnen would be banned from competition in the state of California indefinitely. After a verdict of guilty was presented to Sonnen on money laundering charges in which he was forced to pay a $10,000 fine and his Real Estate trader’s licence removed for two years the CSAC initially revoked the Oregonian’s fighting license for six months.

With the six month ban served the CSAC then decided to look back at the ban following the emergence of knew evidence going on to rule the now indefinite ban that looks likely to end the mixed martial arts career of the exciting Sonnen.

Granted Sonnen has been found guilty of the crimes he committed and Mayweather is yet to be proven guilty but given his numerous impending court dates should he be granted a license to compete? The fact that I use the decision by the Californian State Athletic Commission is not to say that should the Mayweather fight be held in Las Vegas, Nevada he will not get a license but it has been the trend for Nevada to follow the advice and decision-making of the CSAC.

Before people cry “MMA is different to boxing” in terms of the way the licensing works, unfortunately it isn’t so that argument is redundant. The CSAC regulates professional boxing (for Mayweather), professional and amateur kickboxing and professional mixed martial arts (for Sonnen) therefore one would hope for consistency in their verdicts.

When the question of whether, should Mayweather get a license, it would be double standards on the part of the CSAC given there verdict on Sonnen was put to UFC supremo Dana White his response was emphatic.

“There’s a million percent a double standard being shown there, I’m not watching it closely, I know exactly what’s going to happen with these regulators who claim to be fair. Floyd Mayweather’s being going around sucker-punching everybody in the face, the threat to his wife and his kids. Watch what’s going to happen, how fast these regulators, I don’t care if its in Nevada, California or wherever it is, watch how fast they give Floyd Mayweather a license.”

Granted this whole scenario is pie in the sky and hypothetical, however should we not wait for the verdict of Mayweather’s various court dates to be presented before the ‘King of Pay-Per-View’ even contemplates a return to the ring?

Now there is no doubt in my mind that trial before September or no trail before September, verdict or no verdict Mayweather will be given a license by any athletic commission who is lucky enough to hold the fight, whether it be Dallas, Nevada or California and this screams of desperation on the part of boxing.

Boxing needs Floyd Mayweather, especially American boxing, fortunately fighters like Chael Sonnen will come and go and mixed martial arts and the UFC will continue its exponential growth but global interest in boxing from the casual outsider without Mayweather will wane. As a result Golden Boy and whoever is making this meeting with Victor Ortiz in September will do their damnedest to make it happen, double standards on the part of the now unemployed Chael Sonnen or not and it just isn’t fair.

Dana White - A message to the cry babies

In the wake of another successful Ultimate Fighting Championship pay-per-view President Dana White had some choice words for those who have openly criticised his organisation in recent months.

UFC 131 saw Junior Dos Santos take on Shane Carwin for the right to face heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez. A thoroughly dominant performance from the Brazilian Dos Santos left Carwin, a replacement for the ill stricken Brock Lesnar, blooded and battered. With a suspected broken nose following a barrage of punches in round one Carwin battled through the full three rounds but had no riposte for the superior stand-up of Dos Santos. With two judges scoring the fight 30-27, the other 30-26 Dos Santos extends his unbeaten record in the UFC to seven and his overall record to 13 and one.

With the heavyweight contest pencilled in for UFC 136 in Houston, Texas, Velasquez’s recovering from a shoulder injury permitting, Dana White moved quickly post-event to answer his and Zuffa’s critics.

With the issue of pay-per-view dominating in Britain following Amir Khan’s move to Television Company Primetime prompted by Sky’s plans to move his WBA light-welterweight title fight in April to Sky Sports 1 White hit out at his own critics. American boxing promoter Gary Shaw makes no secret of his dislike of the UFC’s pay-per-view policy, calling for the promotion company to give away more free fights. White in response to these criticisms answered via MMAfighting.com’s Ariel Helwani claiming that:

“Gary Shaw is a moron. This guy is going out and copying everything I say. He’s like ‘they put on too many pay-per-views and they don’t give away enough free fights’. What the hell are you talking about you moron? First of all, Gary Shaw, he’s done three fights this year and when I say that I mean three actual fights, fights he promoted himself and all three of them were on Showtime. Showtime is not free, we’ve done 11 fights this year and four of them were free on free television, actual free television, free cable, okay Gary you idiot. You’re so dumb I can’t even believe I’m answering your questions or rebutting what you said.”

Pretty scathing remarks from the UFC President and love him or hate him Dana White always shoots from the hip, often landing himself in trouble, but there is no doubting that he is a very clever business man. In March it was announced that Zuffa, the owners of the UFC, had successfully acquired rival mixed martial arts promotion Strikeforce. For those unfamiliar to mixed martial arts one must not confuse the sport of mixed martial arts with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Unfortunately for mixed martial arts unlike boxing there is no global governing body and therefore no world titles. The UFC and Strikeforce act as promotion companies in the same way that Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy and Bob Arum’s Top Rank do in boxing. The only difference is that the promoters in mixed martial arts have their own titles.

With Zuffa’s acquisition of Strikeforce those in the mixed martial arts world and boxing, namely Bob Arum have claimed a breaking of anti-trust laws due to the monopoly of mixed martial arts that it seems Zuffa are achieving. As expected White refutes claims but also had a few choice words for those na-sayers, especially Top Rank CEO Bob Arum.

“The other one, Bob Arum let me telling you something about Bob. First of all Bob Arum is copying, if you go to a Top Rank fight now they’re copying everything we do. Now Bob Arum is also the guy who’s out their crying ‘anti-trust, anti-trust’. Bob Arum, go back and look through the record books, in an interview he did he was laughing at the Fertitta’s for investing in this company, he was laughing at them basically saying ‘they’re idiots, they’re losing oodles and oodles of money’, now you’re crying anti-trust Bob? Bob, you weren’t smart enough to do this, you weren’t smart enough to do what we did to buy a company like this and basically change the fight industry forever and now you’re crying anti-trust, you guys sound like a bunch of cry babies.

“It’s not just boxing people, there are a lot of people poking around, a lot of people because this thing has been so successful. There are a lot of people who come after us and are taking shots at us and the reality is we took something that was absolutely dead and turned it around and turned it into this. It was done by investing a lot of money and Fertitta’s having the balls to stay behind this thing when it didn’t look like it was going to turn around and all these people now who talking shots at us and coming after us and doing what they are doing are the people who were laughing at us nine, ten years ago. We are the best at what we do, we’ve changed the fight business forever, we’re revolutionised it and all these other guys who weren’t smart enough to do it and didn’t see it want to cry about it now.”

After reading White’s remarks you can’t help but agree with some, if not all of what he is saying. It is very rich of Arum to be crying anti-trust at a company that he believed would fail upon its acquisition by Zuffa for $2 million in 2001. Five years later the UFC broke the pay-per-view industry’s all-time record for a single year of business, generating over $222,766,000 in revenue in 2006, surpassing both World Wrestling Entertainment and boxing. Now with the merger of World Extreme Cagefighting, Zuffa’s sister promotion, along with the purchase of Strikeforce the UFC is in a strong position to push on once more with PPV numbers set to increase further.

As a huge mixed martial arts fan and a person who is falling out of love with boxing as a result of its constant politics and mis-matching of opponents it is very easy for me to say this but sounds like sour grapes from Bob Arum. As I criticise Arum, praise must be heaped upon the Fertitta brothers, who between them own 81% of Zuffa, for sticking with a company that at the time of purchase had possibly the worst reputation in all of sport, if it could be called a sport back then. Now with the leadership of Dana White, a 9% shareholder, and the recruitment of the best talent in the world along with programming that reaches 130 countries world wide the UFC is now at the top of combat sport, although those in boxing hate to admit it. At the moment with the industry of mixed martial arts constantly evolving along with territories still yet of be entered perhaps Bob Arum, although he would never admit it, should have done what the Ferritas have done and risked losing ‘oodles and oodles of money’.

Love him or hate him Dana White has achieved expansion of a sport that hasn’t been seen in any other. Without the forward thinking of those at Zuffa the expansion we have seen in the past decade would have taken decades but thanks the progressive forward thinking of White MMA via UFC is a combat sport fans favourite for one main reason; the fans get what they want. Boxing take note, you have a lot to learn do a way with the politics or risk losing out forever.

Common sense must prevail, a rarity for Formula One

It has been announced by Motorsport’s world governing body, the FIA, that the Bahrain Grand Prix will return to the 2011 Formula One race calendar.

The announcement comes after its postponement in February as a result of fears of safety following pro-democracy protests in which more that 20 people died.

The race will now take place on 30 October – pushing the Indian Grand Prix back to December.

BBC F1 Commentator stated via twitter that it is a mistake to reinstate the Grand Prix.

“GP date changes are bad especially for fans planning to attend the India Grand Prix, costs and time off work. Racing until Christmas, develop and test new car, 21 races in 2012. Too much.”

Zayed Rashid Al Zayani, the Bahrain International Circuit Chair hailed it as an event capable of unifying the nation once more.

“As a country we have faced a difficult time but stability has returned, with businesses operating close to normal and countries removing travel restrictions.”

Former Formula 1 World Champion Jackie Stewart admitted his pleasure at the news.

“I’m pleased. Sport is a very good equaliser in the case of unrest because sport somehow unifies people. An F1 race going there might help to do that.”

Former FIA president Max Mosley on the other hand is of the belief that there is no chance the rearranged Bahrain Grand Prix will go ahead.

Speaking on Radio 4’s Today programme, Mosley said “I don’t think there’s the slightest chance the grand prix will actually happen.

“Apart from anything you cannot change the calendar, in the way it has been proposed, without the unanimous agreement of the teams.”

Bahrain Human Rights President Nabeel Rajab admitted his sadness at the decision.

“It’s a very sad moment. It seems that their benefit and their interest has more importance than the human rights of people in this part of the region.

Already they have called the day of that racing ‘a day of rage’, where they’re going to come out everywhere, in every city of Bahrain, to show anger to what the Bahrain government, the Bahrain regime, is doing towards their own people.”

As a result of the furore caused by the re-jigging of this years race calendar Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone has conceded that he does not know what will happen.

“The way things are at the moment, we have no idea what is going to happen.

“Better we move Bahrain to the end of the season and, if things are safe and well, then that is fine, we can go. If they are not, then we don’t go and there are no problems.”

With Formula One teams urging the FIA to abandon plans to reschedule the Grand Prix this year Ecclestone finds him self stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Does he take the race to Bahrian, risking civil uprising for the public there along with unrest from a number of teams already looking to form a competition away from Ecclestone’s jurisdiction. Or does he chase the Arabian dollar, a very lucrative part of the world for Formula One with Abu Dhabi one of the stand-out races in the Grand Prix calendar.

One hopes common sense will prevail and the safety of not only the Bahrain people but that of the teams themselves will be taken into account when a decision is made.

Will succuss breed success for England's Under-21s?

Following a dismal outing by the senior side on Saturday, a 2-2 draw with Switzerland said to be as a result of tiredness, many commentators are calling for a change of the guard in the current England side.

With the European Under-21 Championships set to get underway on Saturday this is the perfect opportunity for those in the squad to put their hands up for selection to replace those ‘tired’ legs that took the field at Wembley on Saturday.

Whether they are tired or just simply aging is another question. With the back bone of the side made up of John Terry, Rio Ferdinand and Frank Lampard, all influential for club they do appear to go missing for country more often that not.

Terry, Ferdinand and Lampard all find themselves the wrong side of 30 and following such a poor World Cup campaign in South Africa last year the question has to be asked, what are they still doing there?

Now, I may be accused of making scapegoats of three of my least favourite players here but the same can be said for Steven Gerrard, who missed the Swiss clash through injury, and Ashley Cole. Are they still fit for purpose looking ahead to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil?

As the so called ‘Golden Age’ of England, who have achieved very little at international level, moves on into retirement and the world of football punditry that will follow now is the perfect opportunity for those competing in Denmark this month to put their hands up for selection.

With the view for many that the future lies in Stuart Pearce’s under-21 squad are we following the lead of the European super powers that have triumphed in the continental competition and at the World Cup recently?

The simple answer is not particularly. Take Spain for example, between the years 2000 & ’09 they did not compete in a single European under-21s competition due to lack of qualification. The reason why? The majority of their players eligible for selection to the under-21s side were already representing the senior side.

Of the 2010 World Cup winning squad only three members had come from the party that travelled to the European under-21 competition in 2000, Xavi, Joan Capdevila and Carles Puyol. To add to this only one Spaniard who represented the under-21s outfit at the 2009 competition was included in the 2010 party, Javi Martinez.

Five members of Italy’s 2006 World Cup winning squad represented the under-21s who were triumphant in ’04. Alberto Gilardinio, Cristian Zaccardo, Marco Amelia and Andre Barzagli all travelled as part of their 23-man squad to Germany.

Not only were the Italians triumphant in 2004 but also 2000, from this squad two members picked up winners medals in 2006, Andrea Pirlo and Gennaro Guttusso.

So I say to those pinning all your hopes on Psycho’s boys, who open their campaign against Spain on Sunday, let’s not get our hopes up too much so we can write their future’s off like those in the press seem to enjoy doing so much.

Should they be triumphant and go one step further than two years previous, where the Germans were our downfall again, it will not necessarily mean immediate success for the senior side as many seem to expect.

Perhaps we should follow the lead of the Spanish and blood our youngsters that little bit earlier in the way we have done with the extraordinary talent of Jack Wilshire and Andy Carroll. This would happen however at the expense of the under-21s side.

Why have those playing under-21s football when they are clearly good enough and adding value to the senior side? It’s a dilemma.

It is up to those at the FA to decide do we follow the lead of the Spanish or do we try and achieve what the Italians have, progressing those under-21 winners into the senior side and onto to World Cup success in the not too distant future. . . .

As for the dead wood that was on show on Saturday at the home of football, it needs shifting. Quickly.

Lashings make it six on the bounce but the day is Davidson's

Lashings World XI made their sixth visit to Eversley Cricket Club on Friday, the outcome of this visit the same as the previous five – a win, on this occasion by 106 runs.

Like India’s Wasim Jaffer last year it was Eversley’s Alex Davidson who stole the show, top scoring with 72 not out in a defiant chase of a mammoth total.

Requiring a run rate in excess of eight runs an over the Eversley batsmen gave a good account of themselves but struggled in their efforts to amass the required target.

The Lashings opening pair of New Zealander James Marshall and Jaffer raced out of the blocks scoring at a rate of nearly ten an over finding themselves 94 for no wicket after 10 overs.

Although it would appear explosive this opening was in fact littered with shots of class and timing. This highlighted in the cover driving of Jaffer as he stroked opening bowler Jack Sever for three consecutive boundaries.
The scoring rate was slowed via the deceptively quick bowling of Gareth Cummings. Cummings while not only economical did for James Marshall on 61, the quick glove work of Ben Saville finding the Kiwi out of his ground, as he finished with figures of one for 25.

Wasim Jaffer was finally dismissed with the score at 164 hauling out to the long-on boundary off spinner Chris Last, Captain Shane Green pouching the steepling catch.

The catching of Green also saw the back of current New Zealand international Ian Butler for 44 off the bowling of Australian overseas Blair Lindsay and former-England batsman Graeme Hick 30, setting the example after two earlier dropped catches from his teammates.

It was the dismissal of Hick off the bowling of Bucknall that prevented the visitors from passing 300, a big psychological edge for Eversley going into their chase.

Amidst the wickets and the stroke play of Jaffer ex-West Indies captain Jimmy Adams scored 66 off 58 balls in an innings obdurate in nature.

In their chase Eversley lost opener Phil Wise early for 4, a Yorker from Devon Malcolm cleaning him up. In light of this Captain Green and Lindsay showed valiant resistance both playing shots in a partnership of 41.

This pairing came to an unlucky end as Lindsay chipped his attempted cover drive to Pakistani Mohammed Akram off the bowling of Mark Ealham for 15. The same could be said for Ben Saville ran out for 18, Phil DeFreitas rolling back the years hitting the single stump he had to aim at. Another wicket soon fell, Cummings first ball for the second year running.

As wickets fell Davidson was not deterred, playing his shots to take his remarkable average against the Lashings World XI beyond one hundred.

A solid innings from Chris Last saw him score 20 before being bowled by Phil DeFreitas, Nigel Cresswell adding a late cameo of 11 as the Eversley innings finished 190 for 6.

The unbeaten innings of 72 from Davidson which included seven fours and three sixes saw him pick up the man of the match award in his sides losing effort.

Green said of Davidson’s innings: “It was the highlight of the innings; he hit some lusty blows as well as knocking the singles around showing a maturing aspect that is coming in to his batting”.

“It is an honour for me to captain such a talented Eversley team and once again despite chasing leather for 35 overs we acquitted ourselves well in the field. The batting gave us an opportunity to show our ability and we all worked exceptionally hard in the face of some very high quality bowling”.

Green later went on to thank those who have worked tirelessly in the organisation of the Lashings fixture, an integral event in the clubs calendar.

England XV v Barbarians