In the wake of Haye's defeat, there has been some concern over the future of British boxing. To those casting the damning prognosis, my response is simply this: just you wait for July 23rd. Amir Khan (and his newly reinforced chin) will be kicking off Vegas style against Zab Judah; plus the heavyweight fight of the year (yes, I actually mean that) will be taking place at Wembley between Dereck Chisora and Tyson Fury (his name is Fury!).
It would appear therefore, that the Haye / Klitschko 'panto' was merely a prologue for the main acts of the boxing summer. So, let's have a look at what we can expect from these two epic battles...
Khan't wait to see what happens...
Amir Khan, evidently hungry for world domination, believes he could face Mayweather in the summer of 2012 if he succeeds in this fight. Within the next year he has Erik Morales and Kell Brook in his sights as well. If he manages to pull all this off, he'll be the biggest name in world boxing, no doubt. David who?
Khan's discipline and his recent rise in form all point towards him finishing the job that his Mancunican predecessor failed to do. Why do I think he can succeed where Hatton fell down? Simple. Hatton's dalliances with pies, booze and drugs obviously affected him both physically and mentally. Khan doesn't have these demons; in fact, his discipline is second to none.
If you combine his natural speed with a regimen focused on strength, then he really does have it all. Plus he's training at the Wild Card under Roach, which means that Pacquiao's approach will be filtering in big time. If ever I've heard of a winning formula, this is it.
Heavyweight hopefuls...
Chisora is absolutely champing at the bit to get a shot at a Klitschko, and if he tackles Tyson, then he just might get his wish. The main problem for him however, is that his opponent is hard, scarily hard. Of course anyone can be a fighter, but it takes something else to be a boxer - Tyson Fury is both. Plus, and I don't know if I've mentioned this, his name is Fury. Obviously an advantage (I jest).
The pair haven't worn t-shirts depicting each other's severed heads or anything, but they're certainly not scrimping on the trash talk. They want to destroy each other. Their near identical fight records point towards a very exciting fight. I for one, eagerly await the result. (His name is Fury!)
Chisora will have worked his nuts off, since he wants to face Klitschko. It's going to be really close but if Fury is fat not fit, then he has no hope. That's what it hinges on, Fury's fitness. I think that Chisora is the safer bet.
Doing it for the girls...
This weekend I had the privilege of meeting Jane Couch MBE and what an experience it was! Aside from being a tad scared (she looks like she could kick nine shades of crap out of pretty much anyone), I was reminded that we are about to enter a significant era in boxing. 2012 is due to be the first Olympics in which women are allowed to compete. Needless to say, Jane's role in this decision was substantial, so I hope to interview her soon to hear her thoughts on what the future holds...
In other news...
There's a lot of hoo-ha up north at the moment regarding the potential move of Liverpool to Stanley Park. The majority of fans seem appalled by the suggestion that our club should make any progress or adapt to meet the needs of the modern game.
Now, please understand that obviously I love Anfield. I love the walk from the car park off Utting Avenue where we park (thanks google maps), praying all the while that the car's there when we get back. I love crossing onto Anfield road and hearing the noise of the crowds gathering. Granted, I'm not going to be moving there in a hurry, but what I mean is that I have memories too. I love the history. I love the ground. I love it all. However, EVEN taking all this into account, I'm not against the move.
From what I can gather, people don't want us to leave since so many iconic moments took place at Anfield. As a fan, I'm hugely proud of our past, but I sure as shit am not going to cling to it at the expense of our future. We need to increase revenue from tickets sales to make the club a financially stable business and we need to do it in a cost effective way - one that doesn't involve expanding into nearby streets etc.
In any case, I'm pretty sure that the pitch is protected, given that lots of people have had their ashes scattered there; not to mention the fact that Bill Shankly must keep his eye on it now and again! The pitch itself won’t be touched and that history will remain.
I think (and it hurts me to admit this) it's about time we stopped harping on about our past and focused on looking forward.
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