Mikkel Kessler v Carl Froch. Who has the edge?

The time has come for the Froch versus Kessler super-middleweight rematch. Kessler was given the victory the last time these 2 warriors stepped in the ring but who ill have the edge this time?I personally thought that the last fight was very close to call and there was very little between the 2 fighters.On this occasion Froch is the bookies' favourite having recently dispatched Lucien Bute and Yusuf Mack. Both fighters have an aggressive style and both will come to fight,Kessler recently took a discreet swipe at Andre Ward by suggesting his style is less than forthcoming,he will find no such problem with Froch who is not afraid to take a shot and is not one to shy away from a toe to toe scrap. I am going to go against the bookies and go for Kessler in this one,both fighters have a great work rate and have solid chins so it could well be a classic. Froch has home advantage and has reason to be the aggressor seeing as he is trying to avenge a defeat.Both fighters want another shot at Andre ward,the likelihood is only the winner of Saturday's contest will be considered as a future opponent of the 2004 Olympic gold medallist so a lot is at stake. I don't think it will be a short fight,a decision on points looks likely or at the very least a late stoppage as there is nothing to choose between these 2 and neither is likely to give up without a fight.

Is Tiger Woods Finally Back to his Best?

After Tiger woods' impressive win at Jack Nicklaus' Memorial tournament last week many people are wondering if the Tiger is back to his best. Well the obvious answer is that he still has a long way to go to prove he is the unstoppable force he once was but he has certainly proved that there is life in the 'old' dog yet! The victory meant that the 36 year-old has now matched Nicklaus' record of 73 PGA titles,a good ten years earlier than Jack achieved the feat.

I would say that Tiger has proved that he may well have put his personal problems behind him and now has returned to a mindset where he can focus solely on golf and winning tournaments.I have said before that people who have written Woods off are misguided and I stand by the claim that when in good shape mentally,he is arguably the most driven,ruthless and clinical sportsmen of all time.How can you write of a man 4 years shy of 40 who has racked up Major titles at will over the last 15 or so years?

It is good to see Tiger back to something like his best and it will be interesting how he performs in the next few majors,if he finds the groove I dare anyone to count him out.

Vitali Klitschko vs Adamek-Fight Analysis

Vitali won this fight by dictating the fight with his jab,end of story.Adamek fought bravely but was simply too small to pose any serious threat to the 40 year old legend, who is looking unbeatable at this stage of his career.Adamek showed encouraging signs in the fifth round but Vitali was able to weather this brief storm and come back with some telling jabs which left Adamek with nowhere to run.Unlike David Haye vs Wladimir Klitschko,this was a proper fight.Both fighters brought their best punches to the table and eventually the tall ukranian came out on top in the tenth round.

By the end of the fight,Adamek was a bloody mess after three resounding shpts hit home leaving the challenger dazed,bewildered and ultimately besaten.A good fight,very entertaining,now we look forward to Ortiz vs Mayweather on the 17th!

BOXING Tyson Fury vs Dereck Chisora : Channel 5 Does the Business

Yesterday the British public were treated to a boxing highlight, when the eagerly anticipated Fury vs Chisora fight was aired on channel 5 and I am happy to say it did not disappoint. Both fighters showed great spirit and contributed to a spectacular night at Wembley Arena. Eventually the reach advantage and superior stamina of Fury proved too much for Chisora who fought his corner but failed to offer enough punches to justify a win on points.

On several occasions Chisora landed telling left hands and few will forget his spirited barrage of blows in the tenth round, where he 'went for broke' and looked to land a killer knock-out blow with a barbaric flurry of hooks and overhand punches. Tyson Fury fought a good, if not technically sound fight,using the jab effectively and switching to southpaw stance where necessary to unsettle his shorter opponent. The reach advantage of 8 inches enjoyed by Fury allowed him to pick his shots and wait for his foe to try and attack him from inside. Fury is now talking about the Klitschko brothers but I think he has to have a few more high profile fights before facing the kings of this division, Chisora is far from finished and has much to offer still,he may look to come into his next fight in better condition than he did last night. We will see more of the new British Champion, he has  a positive outlook,an ideal  stature for a heavyweight and a charm which will keep fans interested if not in awe of his anecdotes and self promotion. I hate to admit it but I am a Fury fan after the events of last night and I hope people in the UK will get behind him. With a few more fights,more work in the gym and some good advice from experienced trainers and management Fury could do very well to say the least,he was the raw ingredients required to go far in a relatively weak division. The 'showboating' and posturing will have to stop but the solid chin he showed ought to stand up against a host of the leading lights at this weight class. I have to also mention the robust chin of Chisora who took some lusty blows but never really looked like hitting the canvas.

The Channel 5 coverage was 'amateurish' to say the least,the build up was lame and spent more time selling the Khan v Judah fight on pay per view than giving viewers a background to the featured fight but overall how could I complain? British boxing back on the box and a great night of entertainment for any sporting fan.Well done Tyson,well done channel 5.

Brett Favre Quote

'Just, you never know what the next day is going to bring. That goes for football,that goes for off the field and I gave up a long time ago trying to predict the future and trying to deal with things I couldn't deal with.'







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Should Football Teams Hang on to 'Wantaway' Players

A number of Premiership Clubs have had to deal with 'wantaway' stars over the years. Recently we have heard stories about Tevez, Modric,Nasri and Fabregas apparently wishing to leave their respective clubs. Clubs have to consider three things when deciding whether they should let a player go:

1) How long does the player have to run on their contract?
2) Is the player pivotal to future success?
3) Can the player be replaced for a reasonable price?

The first question is relevant as it could affect the financial situation at the club. If a player has less than a year to run on their contract, a Chairman would be stupid not to accept a good offer for the player. Waiting twelve months would allow the player to leave for free on the Bosman ruling,an event that would leave the club with no funds for a player they could have offloaded for a handsome fee twelve months earlier. The second question is clearly valid and the third question is probably the most important factor.

In the case of Samir Nasri Arsenal would be mad not to sell. £25million has been touted as an achievable price, a huge fee for a player who can be replaced and only has 12months to run on his contract. The Carlos Tevez saga is obvious too. Manchester City should offload him for offers over or equal to £35million. The reasoning is clear, Tevez is a great player but they have infinite funds to replace him. Why keep such a troublesome player, he is hugely talented and was their best player last season, but break the bank to buy Kaka, Sneijder or even Benzema and he would barely be missed. Tevez has moaned about Manchester weather, the food, everything, he is hardly likely to give his all to the Manchester City cause with this attitude.

Luka Modric must be made to stay at White Hart Lane. Modric was Tottenham's best player last year, Sir Alex Ferguson said he was possibly the best player in the League last year. The Croatian would be near impossible to replace with the budget at Harry Redknapp's disposal. Levy is justified in saying he would allow Modric to,'rot in the stands' if he chooses not to give his best for Spurs in light of his desire to move.

Cesc Fabregas must be sold. It is not good to have a player as club captain who has voiced his desire to leave for over a year! Barcelona are offering top dollar and with Real Madrid showing interest,Arsenal should realise upwards of £35million for the talented Spaniard.

Overall Football teams should realise that they are in control when a player is under contract to them. No player is bigger than any club to quote a cliché, a cliché that should ring loud around Stadiums across England and the world.

Floyd Mayweather Quote

'To be honest with you, I normally beat guys with my C game and I don't normally have to bring my A or B game out.'