This week is like the beginning of the World Cup or the Oscars for Petrolheads around the world because this week sees the beginning of the 2016 Formula One season in Melbourne Australia. There are many things to look forward to about this season and in this blog I will highlight the things I’m looking forward to seeing.

Can Ferrari challenge Mercedes: 

For the last two years Mercedes have dominated the sport winning the constructors title so early they did not have to win all the races remaining. At times the team Brackley have seemed unstoppable, a challenger seems to be emerging in the form of the greatest team that F1 has ever seen and that team is Ferrari.

The Marinello team last season where at times the only challenger to the Silver Arrow with the Prancing Horse claiming three wins last season the only times Mercedes didn’t win, this year there are a lot of positive noises coming out of Ferrari which make you think they will challenge the Silver Arrow more this season but you have to ask can they do it every qualifying session and race.

Ferrari have everything you want in a team that can challenge Mercedes and a good driver line up in Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen, if they can work together and put the interest of the team first we might be in for a battle between arguably the two greatest car manufacturers in the world that has been brewing for twelve months.

Can Lewis win again: 

Last season for defending champion Lewis Hamilton was all but perfect he dominated from the start and never looked like being caught, winning the championship had given Hamilton a new confidence and good feeling about him.

Winning a third world title put him in the hall of all the greats who’d won the title three times or more, that also put him up with his all time hero the iconic Brazilian champion Ayrton Senna who also won three times. This made Lewis speechless at times and wondering whether he could surpass his great hero.

This year he has a bigger challenge on him to defend his title in the form of teammate Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari, both these two are expected to fight Lewis this year for the title and having lost to Lewis twice already Nico will not want to go out and lose for a third time to his long time rivlal and former friend. With Vettel it’s a battle that fans and former champions and racers have wanted to see. Ever since the great Michael Schumacher retired Hamilton and Vettel have dominated the sport and won most tiles, these two have never fought each other for the drivers title but if it does happen this year I can picture it being an almighty battle one that we would tressure for ages like all the ones Petrolheads talk about to this day.

For Hamilton it is once again the case of asking himself those questions when he gets in his car and heads out on track whether he has the hunger for another Championship and whether he can defeat his two main rivals once again and become the greatest driver to come from Britain with a record for World titles it is one we should be excited about.

New Qualifying format: 

One big change that I’m intrigued to see is the new Qualifying format which some say will add new spice to the show before the race.

This year sees a new system introduced to Qualifying that might shake things up especially in the last minute and a half plus 60 seconds. These new rules will mean that drivers will have to be out on track to ensure that they up their times to get through every session, the first one will be 16 minutes, second will be 15 minutes and the third will be 14 minutes.

Seven drivers will be knocked out in the first two sessions leaving eight to battle it for the final positions on the grid. At first I was opposed to this as I had been a fan of the old rules but after reading about them and analysing them I’ve realised that this makes the weekend more exciting because it means drivers can’t just stay in the pits and expect to get through, they will now have to be out on track in the final minutes of every session to make sure they are through to the next stage.

It might be complicated at first but once we get used to them I’m confident we’ll all like it.

What I’m intrigued and looking forward to seeing this season

The progress of Max Verstappen

This time last year we witnessed the debut of a 17 year old that everyone including me was surprised to even be on the grid at his age.

Max Verstappen debuted with the Toro Rosso team last season at 17 years old the first time a teenager had ever stepped into an F1 racing car as part of a two man team, many wondered whether he was ready for the fitness and endurance required to race in the sport. But after the first two races just about everyone was blown away by his speed his awareness and eye for making moves that have us on edge.

The young Dutchman racked up loads of points including a 4th place finish in Hungary. Watching him in his first season reminded me of Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna combined in regards to his care free attitude and inner steel to do things most drivers rarely do.

This young man definitely has a bright future ahead of him if he continues doing what he’s doing. The only thing I’m looking forward to seeing more with Verstappen is how he will cope now that a lot of eyes will be on him with every move he makes big team bosses from Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull, McLaren and Williams will all be watching with keen interest which will be interesting to see and watch.

I believe he will get better this year and be even more daring but we’ve got loads of years with this guy and it will be nice to watch his continued progression this season and who knows it could land him something big especially with with his dad ex driver Jos involved.

The Return of Renault 

This season sees the return of an iconic name to the sport  a name that is up there with the likes of Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren.

After years as a engine supplier Renault make their return to F1 after buying the Lotus team from Geni Capital the group they originally sold the team to. A lot of redevelopments where made to the car when the deal was being discussed which most likely will mean that the Enstone based team won’t perhaps be fighting for a win this year but I’d imagine they will be around the top eight if they get things right and with Renault’s experience you’d imagine they will get it right.

One thing especially for Brits to look forward to is the debut of Joleyn Palmer son of former commentator Jonathan, he becomes the third British driver on the grid and after winning at the lower level seems finally ready to step up. He is joined by ex McLaren driver Kevin Magnussen who returns to the sport after his debut season two years ago, after being hung out to dry by McLaren and Ron Dennis then dropped and then released by email on his birthday has most people believing that K-Mag has got an almighty point to prove.

One thing is for sure it’s great to have this legendary name back as a constructor and a team.

Can Valtteri Bottas win a race 

For Valtteri Bottas this season he has to start winning races or at least coming close to,doing it and showing signs he will do it.

This guy is one who I believe will be a World Champion one day he reminds me of Mikka Hakkinen and has cold veins and steel determination when he is in his vehicle. Bottas has been with the Williams team for around three years and delivered them countless podium finshes alongside teammate Felipe Massa and restore Grove based team back amongst the big boys.

The only thing that the Finn has missed out on is a race victory and having had two golden opportunities to take them the first win Austria two years ago and the second at Britian last year. Patience can only run for so long and with Mercedes and Ferrari expected to dominate the field you’d nearly rule out a Williams win, but crazy things happen in this sport and if he is in that position Bottas has got to try and take that opportunity to win a race and put himself out there because if he doesn’t win this season he might start to doubt his team to get him a winning car and with potential vacancies at Mercedes and Ferrari this year the Willams hierarchy might get a bit worried.

I’d love to see him win a race at last because he deserves one.

The New Haas Team 

This year has some spice in the form of a new team Haas F1 and the extra spice that they are from America.

Haas were founded by Gene Haas the man who owns the Haas/Stewart team In NASCAR which has been very successful recently, Gene Haas is talked about as a man who doesn’t do anything to be 2nd and always has a long term plan on how to be number 1.

Team Principal Günther Steiner has a vast amount of experience in the sport so when Haas needs some advice on F1 politicking and Steiner will perhaps be his guy.  The team will have two bases one in Kanapolis, North Carolina in the United States and the other in Bandbury in the UK.

Their first driver line up will consist of Romain Grosjean and Esteban Gutierrez, for Grosjean who joins from the former Lotus team, this to him will be a fresh start and a chance to be a team figurehead and with his podium and racing experience this will be key for the new team to have.

With a new team your most likely to get a fresh feel but what will matter is results and for the sports marketing people they will want a successful American team to get the sport growing over there.

It’s nice to have a new faces on the grid but let’s judge them on decision and results.

Can McLaren rediscover their Mojo 

One thing that is going be on a lot of fans mind this season is can the great McLaren team rediscover their fabulous mojo that has made them one of the greatest teams to ever grace the sport.

Last season was the worst for McLaren that fans and myself had ever seen, for the Woking based team that had reunited with Honda as their works engine after which brought back great memories for fans of the dominant late 80s and early 90s dominance that blazed the sport and left us in awe.

It was that bad for McLaren that you just didn’t even expect them to be near the podium places which at times was depressing to watch such a fantastic team in such disarray, at times the team would have the occasional top 10 finish which gave you glimmers of hope but then came crashing down.

The worst thing to see last season was seeing two magnificent drivers in Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button at times near the back of grid, these two for years and most of my time as an F1 fan have been winning races and championships and giving us sensational moments on the track which is why it was hard to watch last season to see two legends that far back and not near the front where they should be.

With this season it is an absolute must that McLaren improve, recently they have been very positive about this years car and engine which hopefully takes this team somewhere near progression, nobody really expects McLaren to suddenly go near the front but most people just want signs that this team is on the way back up.

As for Alonso and Button this is also an important season because Alonso will not want to be near the back anytime longer and has patience that can only run for a certain period, with Button arguably the most popular driver in the paddock and amongst the fans he is just in need of a good season having struggled with McLaren for the last three years and perhaps deserves one, if McLaren don’t show signs of progression then you’d expect either Alosno to be tempted to leave or Jenson to consider retirement.

This is a massive season for the Woking team and Honda if they can show signs of competing in the future then we can hopefully get excited once more for this team.

 

There are many things that can make this season great lets just hope we get them whether that be a title fight or driver or teammate rivalry this sport is fascinating and always will be and all I can say is gentleman start your engines and Go Go Go.

 

 

This Saturday at Twickenham, in front of 82’000 fans, England will face Wales in a match that means so much to either set of fans. But to Rugby neutrals it’s a match that you cannot miss. It will be the first time the sides have met since the Red Dragons broke the hearts of England in the World Cup group stage which led to the Red Rose’s eventual early exit from the tournament. This match is also being looked at as the one that will decide the destination of the championship and I have pin pointed the key factors that will decide this game on Saturday.

Eddie Jones vs Warren Gatland: Battle of the coaches

To start this off you have to look at the two men picking the teams. This will be an intriguing battle between two coaches who are very blunt with their words and aren’t afraid to say what they think. Since he took over the from Stuart Lancaster in November, Australian Jones has transformed England from the team who crashed out of the World Cup to having them on the verge of a Grand Slam.

Jones is known to be harsh but fair with his players which is what England needed after the disaster of going out at the group stages in the World Cup. One of the first decisions that Jones made was to name Dylan Hartleymas his captain. This raised a few eyebrows, as Hartley had previous disciplinary issues. However, one the best things about Jones was that he didn’t care what the media thought which is what fans have wanted to see for a while.

This will by far be his biggest test as England boss since stepping into the job but with the choices and decisions he has made Jones will be going into this one with confidence, having won all his games.

For Wales coach Gatland, who hails from New Zealand, this will be the eigth time he has taken on England since he took over a depleted Wales team in 2008. Since then he has delivered three titles, two of them being grand slams, and along with defence coach Shaun Edwards has turned Wales into one of most solid teams in all World Rugby.

Gatland to likes to ruffle feathers with his words. He doesn’t care what the press thinks, having also led the British and Irish Lions to a tour victory for the first time in sixteen years in Australia.

It wil be interesting to see how both coaches handle the huge pressure of this big game which will most likely decide the fate of the Championship, however this turns out, all Rugby fans will be looking forward to this coaching battle.

Number 8s battle: Billy Vunipola vs Taulupe (Toby) Faletau

In terms of player battles, this is the one that most people will be watching. Vunipola has emerged as a different player under Jones then he was under Lancaster. He is known to be quiet and a bit shy, but in recent games he has looked like an absolute beast once he has the ball and gets going.

This year has seen Vunipola use his power and strength to drive through defences and creat opportunities for England. Having twice been the MOTM (man of the match) this year, it will take a lot for Wales to try and stop this big and powerful man from driving through but don’t underestimate Shaun Edwards.

On the Welsh side you’ve got Taulupe Faletau who is renewed as one of the best in his position right now. Faletau is strategic about when to use his strengths and when he does people take notice. He is one of the main men of this Welsh team and one that can defend as well as when he is on the attack which makes him so dangerous.  Jones and new defence coach Paul Gustard will need a big plan to subdue Faletau.

One fact that you’ll find interesting is that Vunipola could have played for Wales because he and his brother Mako lived and played for boys clubs in Wales when their dad played professionally in Wales for two years. But, as most people have said, Wales’ loss was England’s gain. This is a battle I’m really looking forward to seeing because if Vunipola dominates England win if Faletau dominates Wales win.

Centres Battle:

Apart from the number 8 battle this one will be key as it could decide how many tries are scored. For Wales it is the usual centres; Jamie Roberts and Jonathan Davies. They both bring a lot of brute force and power and defend really well when under pressure.

Roberts is arguably one of the most underrated players in Rugby at the minute, he always puts in a good shift but doesn’t really get the plaudits like Sonny Bill Williams or Will Greenwood.

Davies is another solid player who can be very reliable when called upon. He and Roberts have been a solid partnership for Wales over the years, which can help a winning team as England haven’t had a solid partnership for a while.

In terms of England’s centres Jonathan Joseph and Owen Farrell will be in the centre of the field for England on Saturday. Joseph is fast becoming a powerful, quick and strong centre who earned a lot of plaudits last year in what was his breakout year.

For Farrell, who usually plays a fly half, his switch to centre has potential. But he is expected to keep the place warm for the returning Manu Tuilagi who hasn’t played in an England shirt for nearly two years and was out injured for a nearly a year. Tuilagi if fully fit could be the difference maker if he comes on in the last 35 or 30 mins. Wit’s his power and strength, he can be a back version of Billy Vunipola and just run through tacklers. He can also mark Jamie Roberts or Jonathan Davies along with Joseph.

Another one to look out for on the England bench would Elliot Daly who has had a fantastic seasons for Wasps and made his debut in the victory over Ireland. If England needed another burst of quickness, Daly can provide it. Whoever can control this battle can help their side win this vital match.

Wings Battle: Anthony Watson vs George North

With this one you’ve got two of the quickest players in world Rugby at the minute. So you’d expect one of these two to score tries at Twickenham.

On Wales side you have George North who is one of the most famous players in the game. He burst onto the scene in the Lions Tour with a fabulous try in the first test against Australia. North is known to pick his moments, when to make his runs and burst through defences and when he does you tend to notice it. If North is on fire it will be hard for England to contain. It require a mega strategy from Jones and Gustard to stop him, so expect at least two players to be deployed on him whenever he gets the ball.

For England it’s Anthony Watson who’ll be on the wing. He is another one who has come on the scene recently, playing for Bath. Ex-players have put on similarities between Watson and England legend Jason Robinson. Which is perhaps right in terms of blistering pace and ability to change a game just by having the ball in his hands. So expect England to try and create space for Watson to do his damage which can lead to tries and win this match. Whoever out of these two performes the better is going to have a huge deciding factor in who comes out on top in this match which is something to look forward to.

The Captain’s battle: Sam Warburton vs Dylan Hartley

This will perhaps be the biggest battle of them all. In any match the captains battle is the one that mainly decides the game.

In the Welsh corner you have Sam Warburton who is the classic example of what a captain is: a leader, a decision maker and in your face. Warburton will do his usual and lead his team onto the pitch and keep his squad calm during moments of intense pressure. He will be determined to protect his line and keep the Welsh defence as organised as possible which is what you’d expect from the captain. If Warburton can do his usual and upset the England side you wouldn’t be surprised if Wales edge a win.

With England you have Dylan Hartley, who is new to the role of captain but has been a mainstay in the England squad for a long time. He has lots of experience with being in the team and keeping the players going.

This appointment of Captain raised a few eyebrows, as Hartley had reputation of ill discipline such as punching and swearing at the ref, but being captain seems to have moulded Harley and made him a better leader. On the pitch he seems to command the squad and not react in panicked way which some people accused his predecessor Chris Robshaw of.

He comes across as an in your face player, which, after the shambolicWorld Cup, England needed. Expect him to be in Sam Warburton’s face if he tries to control the ref. You will expect these two to lead their teams by example and lead by the sword whichever you see it this one be one captains battle that will be worth watching.

I’m expecting this game to be a very intense affair. With so much on the line, it will be worth watching and has the skill and ability to be a great game. I imagine Twickenham will be loud and both sets of fans will do there upmost to road their sides to victory and I hope we get a classic.

Prediction: England Victory.

 

This Saturday at The Manchester Arena two Briitish Champion in the Super-Bantamweight Champions will collide in one of the biggest all British fights ever made. This weekend Carl Frampton and Scott Quigg will put their IBF and WBA Super-Bantamweight titles on the line in a fight that has been talked about for four years back when Quigg was British Champion, since those times fans have endlessly demanded the fight be made but with a clash between Eddie Hearn and Barry Mcguigan the promoters of the two fighters it seemed that we might never get this fight. But promoters finally came to an agreement and we have a huge mega fight on our hands and both camps including trainers don’t like each other, tickets for this fight sold out within five minutes which shows how big this fight has become to sell out a great in Manchester that Ricky Hatton, (Prince) Naseem Hamed, Joe Calzaghe, Mike Tyson, Amir Khan and David Haye have all headlined. With this fight we are getting a genuine proper 50-50 fight that so many people including me are finding it hard to break down. With Frampton you’d expect around thousand of Nothern Irish/Irish fans to invade Manchester this week all to support the man from Tigers Bay in Belfast who has been mentored by legendary fighter Barry Mcguigan who also hails from Nothern Irleand and his trained by Barry’s son Shane who has become one of the most recognised trainers in the country who now trains David Haye and George Groves. Scott Quigg is one of the most dedicated people in the world to his profession on a level I can only say Cristiano Ronaldo is on, Quigg also did something that would surprise most people at the age of 15 he had his parents write to his school headteacher asking for him to be excluded from school to completely focus on Boxing which is something you wouldn’t see from most parents, Quigg is trained by Joe Gallagher who is arguably the best trainer in the country boasting three world champions and British Champions under Gallagher Quigg has kept hold of his title and looked well in all his defences. When I see this I know it won’t disappoint because of all the buildup over the years it’s only going to explode when the first bell goes. It is very rare in British Boxing that we get a unification clash but on Saturday we will have one and all I can really say is enjoy it because this fight of the magnitude that it is will not come around again for a while and with both vowing to KO the other don’t expect it to last the distance.

Fight Prediction: Frampton victory by KO in mid rounds.

 

 

Since 2008 we have been blessed to see the domination of the Ballon D’or by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi who at times have taken our breath away and had us on the edge of our seat. These two will go down as two of the greatest of all time, but with both getting older there is new talent emerging and I’m predicting the top 5 players that I think will win the Ballon D’or after Ronaldo and Messi. Trust me this list wasn’t easy but here it is.

5. Anthony Martial

Twelve months ago if someone mentioned this guy’s name you wouldn’t have known who he was. But ever since his £36m move from Monaco to Manchester United making him the world’s most expensive teenager Martial has taken the Premier League by storm with finishing and brilliant pace which has had people comparing him to Arsenal legend Thierry Henry. With him only being 19 it is amazing to think what more we can get from this young man and with Wayne Rooney’s time as the main man at United not far off the end you can see Martial leading the United attack for years to come, with this I am convinced that this young player will win a Ballon D’or one day maybe more than one. The amazing thing mainly about him is how he has coped so well with the big price tag that he was bought for with people doubting hi before he had kicked a ball, all I can say is enjoy watchingg this man and enjoy what you see.

4. Paulo Dybala

Here is another young players who had a lot of pressure on him after a big move and boy has he not disappointed. The young Argentine moved from Palermo to Italian giants Juventus for £32m (€40m) last summer and was seen as the replacement for Carlos Tevez who went back to Arentina. With Juve rocky start to the season it took time for Dybala to settle into the team but now he is scoring goals for fun and developing good partnerships with Mario Manzukic and Álvaro Morata, his impact his led to him being nicknamed (Indredibala) by the Italian media which is a nice touch I would say. It’s not just his scoring that carches the eye his dribbling and pace has gotten the attention of Messi who has recently said that Dybala is the future and with him saying you’d think that would be a huge confidence boast. Again all I can say is enjoy watching this talent grow and develop you might see him in England one day who knows?

3. Gareth Bale

This one might surprise some but for me Gareth Bale has to win this award one day just for his sheer brilliance in skill goalscroring and pace. For the young man from Cardiff who became the world’s most expensive players when joined Real Madrid from Tottenham it would be surprising if he doesn’t ever win this. Bale hasn’t had it easy at Madrid despite the amazing first season winning nearly everything things didn’t go quite well second season when every time Madrid slipped up he became the target man for the media andante fans. But he has battled through that and had a better season this year, under new boss Zinedine Zidane Bale has been flying and scoring loads of goals and with Ronaldo’s potent departure this summer that could clear the way for Bale to become the main man and big name at Madrid but time will tell. One thing that could help him in this case could be the Euros this year with Wales in their first tournament since 1958 if the Welsh get far and Bale has a good tournament then he would have to be a candidate for this year. We can only wait and see if he does this but if he did it would prove a lot of doubters and critics wrong.

2. Paul Pogba

This is the one that people wonder why Sir Alex Ferguson let him go. Paul Pogba is one who IMO will definetly win a Ballon D’or one day, Pogba birst onto the scene with Juventus three years ago with his brilliant passing, shooting and eye for goal. His skill has led him to being compared to another Arsenal and France Legend Patrick Viera who was the puller of the strings for the Gunners, at the age of just 22 Pogba has also started scoring a lot more for Juve which helps if you ever want big moves in the summer. With Mino Raiola as his agent a guys who’s clients include Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Mario Balotelli and Romelu Lukaku, Raiola is known for moving his clients around a lot expect Pogba to be linked to big moves to Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, PSG (Paris Saint Germain), Manchester City and old club Mancheter United. With youth on his side this guy can go from strength to strength for club and country and it will be an interesting journey to see.

1. Neymar

Without a doubt this man will win this award one day, in the space of three years over time Neymar has just blown us away with his finishing and power for Brazil and Barcelona. For Neyamr who is just 23 he has stepped another gear this season and scored goals for abasloute fun whilst Messi was out injured, in terms of Brazil this will be their main man for a very long time and it’s only going to be good for them. This will most likely be the man to break the Ronaldo-Messi domination and I couldn’t think of anyone better. Even if you don’t like Barcelona you can only enjoy watching this young man as he gets better, whether his future will be at Barca in long term will wait and see but all I can is enjoy watching this guy.

It was definelty not easy thinking of this list but this list is one I believe of players that I believe that will win the Ballon D’or in the future there are other players I also think  will win this award as well but I believe these are the  players that will certainly win it.

As we enter the New Year I’ve recently thought of what will be the big stories and events that we will talk about for weeks on end. I’m going to predict what I think are the five events and stories we will be discussing a lot here is my top list.

Cristiano Ronaldo to leave Real Madrid:

With this one I am hugely confident this will happen because Ronaldo is 31 and Madrid don’t tend to keep a lot of players beyond 31. Two reasons I believe this will happen is because of the opinions of two well respected journalists who you see regularly talking about La Liga on Sky. The first one is Guillem Balague who is well known for breaking big stories regarding big name signings, he recently said that amongst the Madrid hierarchy there is a plan to let Ronaldo leave soon and I would trust a lot of what he says. The other Journalist Graham Hunter who is a Scottish journo based in Spain he, said on a 5 Live European Football Special that all directions are heading towards Ronaldo leaving the Bernabeu. In terms of where he would go there are three possibilities, his old club Manchester United, PSG (Paris Saint Germain) or a move to the MLS. I would perhaps rule out the MLS because he would perhaps consider that at 35 not 31. Man Utd would perhaps be the first you would think of as he is still loved by the Old Trafford faithful seven years after he left for Madrid and for Chief Executive Ed Woodward it would get him the big name he craves. Since taking over from David Gill in 2013 Woodward has needed a huge powerhouse name to make his mark as a good negotiator, if Ronaldo chooses to go back to Old Trafford he will be welcomed back like a conqueroring hero but we’ll see. In regards to PSG it’s also another one that could happen, the French giants funded by an Arab billionaire would love to get Ronaldo with biggest star Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s contract up after this season. Getting Ronaldo to Paris would be a huge coup for PSG and put them as one of Europe’s greats it would also put them on the map worldwide with Ronaldo’s brand. The one stumbling block to this could be whether Ronaldo would look at this as being a step down in his career because nobody really watches Ligue 1, but he might end up there if a big pile of money is offered his way. Wherever he does end up one thing I’m sure of is that Cristiano a Ronaldo is leaving Real Madrid and I’m looking forward to see where he ends up.

(1/10) 10

Amir Khan vs Kell Brook:

As a boxing fan this is a fight I’ve wanted for three years because it’s a rivalry that goes back to their amateur days. For Khan his story of one who was the 17 year old from a Pakistani Muslim family who went to the Olympics in Athens and won the silver medal in the lightweight division. Khan has since then won a world title at 22 and cracked America with wins against Paulie Malinaggi, Marcos Madaina and Zab Judah. For Brook it has been a tougher journey for the guy trained in the famous Ingle Gym in Sheffield which produced Prince Naseem Hamed. Since signing with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing, Brook has become a name and won the IBF Welterweight title. The reasons this fight hasn’t happend could be because Khan told Brook to win a world title otherwise it wasn’t worth it then Khan told him to fight a big name then he’d fight him. Khan though recently has failed to secure fights with Floyd Mayweather & Manny Pacquaio which in terms of huge big fights leaves only Brook, unless he goes for a rematch with Danny Garcia or fights Keith Thurman but those fights would only be big in America. If Khan were to fight Brook and beat him that would arguably make him king of the division or put him amongst the big boys. For Brook a victory would be bigger it would propell him into massive fights against Thurman, Timothy Bradley or Adrien Broner. If this fight happens then it will headline Wembley Stadium and it will perhaps be a full capacity of 90.000 which would be remarkable for boxing. I for one hope this fight does happen and am confident of it happening otherwise if it doesn’t this year then it perhaps never will happen.

(1/10) 8

Bayern Munich to win Champions League:

This one I’m pretty confident of because Bayen Munich have just become better this season and look totally dominant. This has been helped by ace signings which include Douglas Costa & Kingsay Conman who have added strength down the wide areas. Plus the brilliant signing of Arturo Vidal from Juventus for £40m was a perfect replacement for Bastian Scweinstiger who left for Manchester United. Another reason I believe Bayern will win is that with the recent news of Pep Guardiola leaving and Carlo Ancelotti joining in the summer Pep will want to leave Munich with the Champions League a title he won twice at Barcelona. Another reason to believe this is that Bayern striker Robert Lewandoski is in the best form of his career and is scoring for fun & with Thomas Muller recently signing a new deal it could be huge to the team from Southern Bavaria. Another plus for this is that Bayern also have Xavi Alonso, Arjen Robben and Manuel Nuer which is good backup. Many are tipping Barca for the title but I believe Germany’s finest will triumph in Milan because all round they are nearly unstoppable.

(1/10) 8

Lewis Hamilton 4 time champion:

I am intrigued to see how this one pans out one because if Lewis does win a 4th title he will be Britian’s greatest ever racing driver. For Lewis Hamilton winning a 4th title will evaluate his status even more, but this year is expected to be harder for him with Sebastian Vettel at Ferrari expected to get better and Nico Rosberg also expected to give him a hard time it won’t be easy for Hamilton to bag the title this year. For the last two years Lewis has been utterly dominant with Mercedes sweeping all before them, this year will be Mercedes and Hamilton’s toughest challenge with Schuderia Maranello looking to fight them at every corner and Vettel coming off the back of a great first year with Ferrari. But the bigger challenge IMO will come from Lewis teammate and arch nemesis Nico Rosberg who pushed to Hamilton to the wire in 2014 but failed to even mount a proper challenge in 2015, fresh off the back of four wins towards the end of the season Rosberg will hope to mount the fiercest challenge he’s ever given and if that happens a three way battle between Hamilton, Rosbeg and Vettel could be the greatest thing to happen to the sport of F1 with all the rows and political arguing the sport could need this battle.

(1/10) 9

Germany will win Euro 2016:

In my final prediction for this year I went for who I thought would win this years European Championship’s and I came to only one conclusion and that was Germany. Germany to me are a country that love to be dominant especially if you look through sporting history, Germany’s football team had been building for this since 2002 with countless efforts in developing their youth system and eventually bringing up great players the likes of Thomas Muller, Manuel Nuer, Marco Rues, Mesut Ozil and Matt Hummels. No other European team seems to have a team that’s taking people by storm I expect Spain and France to mount a good challenge even Portugal to get to the semi’s but nothing tells me that Germany won’t be lifting the trophy in Paris next July. Under manager Joacham Loew Germany isn’t a team that hugely excites you but always manages to get the job done which in a tournament like this is exactly what’s required. I personally expect this to be a long period of German domination of international football which we should all be worried about because when Germany is top dog at something whether it be car manufacturing, Economics or motor racing they don’t like to let go easily.

(1/10) 10

I have enjoyed doing these predictions for this year and look forward to seeing if they come true hope you enjoy your sporting year and a Happy New Year to all.

 

When I originally had the idea for this I wanted to do just do an obituary to Jimmy Hill but after a few talks with people I decided to make it more about why we love the people who where presenters and commentators from this period in history. What I mean about this period are mainly why when we talk about special moments in sporting history we remember the people who commentated on those moments. In terms of great people from this period you tend to think great voices like John Motson, Barry Davies, Murray Walker, Bill Mclaren, Alan Johnson, Ritchie Beanu and Harry Carpenter. For people who grew up during the time Jimmy Hill presented Match of the Day he was Mr Match of the Day because of his opinions and flair during which he presented the programme for fifteen years from 1973 to 1988. When I listen to conversations about these broadcasters and why they where better then now the one thing that always gets mentioned is the they where radio commentators to which helped them communicate with the audience that listened. When I talk to people now about today’s commentators who you don’t hear a lot of people saying they are good one of the problems could be that they have worked mosly in TV and don’t have to explain things in detail compared to radio. In the point of this I’m not trying to say that today’s broadcasters are bad but people don’t seem to warm to them as much as the old ones. When thinking about this maybe the reason we loved Some of the people I mentioned including Jimmy Hill was because they where the only people who talked about the sport they covered so that could be a reason they where loved so much, now you can go through TV, Radio, Twiiter and Facebook for analysis of any sporting event in the world so you pretty much don’t have one voice to listen to. Another thing perhaps why these people are loved was because they would get more close to the stars for instance we all remember Frank Bruno and Harry Carpenter and how close they where it even coined one of the most famous phrases in sport (You know what I mean Harry) you basically can’t think of them two without thinking that. We all know how close Murray Walker could get all of the drivers in the F1 paddock including Nigel Mansell and Damon Hill even Michael Schumacher had loads of praise for him. When you think of modern presenters and broadcasters they have to go through representives to get interviews with stars, which doesn’t make an interview look real the other thing people complain about is that the Stars lack personality in interviews which at times makes them look robotic and sound less interesting. It is perhaps more to do with how modern sports are but we will perhaps never really know. Whatever you think of modern day broadcasters and presenters they still do a good job in a very controlled world, we don’t know what commentary will be like in twenty years or broadcasting but what we can’t do is say that everything was better back in the old days but what we can do is look back on on the good memories guys like Jimmy Hill, John Motson, Murray Walker, and Alan Johnson have all given us and for that we are forever grateful.

Saturday 28th November 2015 was a night that nobody expected a night that shocked not just the boxing world but sporting world it was a night that a complete underdog Tyson Fury from Britian beat Wladimir Klitschko for the IBF, WBA & WBO Heavyweight titles of the world. When Fury entered the ring against Wladimir (Doctor Steelhammer) about 10% including me belived he would do it, everyone including Johnny Nelson, Carl Froch, David Haye and Lennox Lewis believed Klitschko would be to strong for him and would win. This win not only shocked me but the whole sporting world because it opens up the heavyweight division which people say has been stagnated by Wladmir and his brother Vitali now retired, this division for years was the prime division in boxing and sport in the time of the Klitschko brothers it has seen attention move away to guys like Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto & and Saul (Canelo) Alvarez. This victory was like something out of a rocky movie because it is a victory for anyone who has been told by people you can’t do it or you can’t beat the great champion, it is another underdog story that I hope we remember in twenty years with fondness and greatness. I saw Fury fight three years ago against Kevin (Kingpin) Johnson at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast in December 2012 with my dad because I’d heard a lot about him and seen him on YouTube, so I decided to go and see him partly because I couldn’t get tickets for Ricky Hattons comeback which looking back on I’m glad I didn’t go to. When seeing this fight I saw a guy who was 6 ft 9 and liked to entertain he didn’t knock out his opponent but I saw the talent right there he had a long reach and could jab well and stuck to his boxing which I enjoyed watching. Afterwards when he won I said to my dad that he would World Champion and that he would be the one to dethrone Klitschko if given the opportunity, I repeated those words to a lot of people and they thought I was in looney toons land to think that but I always said it would happen, so when he won on that night the first thought I was thinking was (what are all those people that I told this to are thinking now). In terms of how big this is it will be written as one greatest upsets in history of not just sport but everything, it is up there with Labour winning the 1945 election, Wimbedon beating Liverpool in the 88 FA Cup Final and Muhammed Ali (then Cassius Clay) beating Sonny Liston in 64 for the title. When people ask what is next for Fury it is most likely a rematch with Klitschko because he has a clause in the contract for one which he has decide recently to enforce, if Fury gets thought that a whole host of names are up there including Deontay Wilder who holds the WBC title, Anthony Josua for an all domestic dust up that could do Wembley or finally settle the score with long time rival David Haye who is scheduled to return next year in January all of those options would be huge publicity and big money fights but we will have to see if he gets past Wlad again. As a fight fan I was thrilled for Tyson as I’ve wanted to see Klitschko dethroned for seven years since I started watching boxing properly, he has been a great champion for the sport and a ambassador off it, but I want to see the new kids shine and the division to prosper again but I will always respect Klitschko. I hope that Fury holds the titles for a while so that we can see him validate himself as a real champion, if he uses his reach and size well he could reign for a while but on the flip side he does like a fight so who knows. Credit must also go to to both Peter Fury his uncle and trainer and Mick Hennessy his promoter of seven years, for Peter Fury this will put him up with great trainers like Angelo Dundee, Cus Dmato, Emmanuel Steward, Ronnie Davis, Jimmy Tibbs and Freddic Roach, this will also end up with loads of fighters from around the Norht west area wanting to link up with him. From Mick Hennessy side this like Jerry Maguire when you think about but a boxing version a small promoter always losing stars to the big fish and having to beg boracasters to put him on their stations and not having as much influence as other colllegues do. Having the Heavyweight Champion of the world in your stable could mean to a better tv deal for him or could lead to more fighters signing with him, with ITV back in boxing and BT Sport dying to get into it imagine having the Heavyweight champion to offer as part of the deal not bad I would say or he could do a deal with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom to have him on they’re shows on Sky to get him the best exposure possible all in all I hope Mick drinks some nice wine thinking about this. I will end this on just saying that this was an upset most of us didn’t expect but now Britian has a Heavyweight Champion of the World and love him or hate Tyson Fury is here to stay and we better get used to it.

When you sit and talk Boxing the first thing you tend to talk about is a Heavyweight fight or the Heavyweight division. Since the 1908 when Jack Johnson won the title people have always talked and debated Heavyweight boxing it’s an enigma in sport for certain reasons. The 1930s and 40s where dominated by Joe (Brown Bomber Louis who knocked out people for fun, his fight with the German fighter Max Scmeling was the centre piece of a political stand of between Nazi Germany and the West. After Louis came Rocky Marciano who went undefeated for 50 fights and remains highly thought of in the boxing world, most people looked to him as the fighter who ruled the 50s. After Rocky a few people held the title but know one captured the world’s attention until the early 60s when a young brash American called Cassius Clay came on the scene after winning gold at the Rome Olympics, four years after he achieved this feat he defeated the feared champion Sonny Liston to rule two decades of the sport and have great fights with Joe Frazier, George Foreman and Ken Norten. Just when nobody thought a single fighter could capture the division again along came a young fighter from Brownsville New York by the name of Mike Tyson who’s power was scary and ferocious he became champion at only the age of 20 a feat that no other fighter has achieved since then. Tyson’s draw was fascinating because he normally knocked people out within the first round and looked like he enjoyed it, the 90s was a very good decade for the division with Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis also ruling the division to with great fights as well. Since then this great division has been ruled by the Klitschko brothers from Ukraine Wladimir and Vitali people for years have sneered at them for not being exciting to watch or boring you could easily argue that the quality of opposition hasn’t been great for them. Today Wladimir fights Tyson Fury a young fighter from Manchester in what many people are calling the fight to reignite interest in the great Heavyweight division, why many people are hyped for this is because of Fury’s antics like turning to a press conference dressed as Batman and getting up in Wladimir face and saying he is going to knock him out. Wladimir stands at 6 ft 7 which is huge for a boxer and has a long reach which stops fighters from getting close to his chin. Fury stands at 6 ft 9 and also has a long reach  which sometimes he doesn’t use but is still undefeated. With fighters like Anthony Joshua and Deonty Wilder on the rise and with David Haye’s comeback the heavyweight division is in a great state, this fight will be hugely talked until that first bell at 10pm UK time some are hoping for a slugfest but some predict Klitschko to try and control it with the jab fom Tyson’s side he will try to get close to Klitschko and land a punch to wobble him and could go to southpaw and orthodox when he wants to. If the unthinkable happens and Fury wins and becomes champion the whole division will be opened up and we could have many different champions in the next few years, if Wladimir wins then we might have to literally wait till he retires for the division to fully flourish unless unless another young contender beats him. There will be so many things that this fight could mean depending on the result which is why it’s such an intriguing battle. If you ask a lot of contenders about this fight most would prefer Fury to win because of the opening up of the division but most except Wladimir to win but are still tipping Fury to make it a tough fight. Whoever the winner is tonight the real for any Boxing fan will be that this fight can go some way to regaining the glory the Heavyweight division once had.

In boxing we always get a certain fights that we want to see happen fights that get people talking & keep us talking after they happen. This fight is one of those fights that i feel & British feel could be one of those fights. Carl Frampton VS Scott Quigg is a fight British boxing fans have wanted to see for the last two years since they where prospects in the Super Bantemweight division, Frampton who hails from Belfast is managed & promoted by Barry Mcguigan the legendary Nothern Ireland fighter who made the sport huge in his homeland and for his time was his country’s George Best. Frampton has risen through the ranks from small hall shows to headlining fights at the Odyssey arena  since 2012, under Barry & his son Shane Carl has become one of the most talked about names not just in NI but in the whole of Britain, he has a style that never disappoints the causal or hardcore fan with Golfer Rory Mcilroy even being a fan. Scott Quigg is another line of great fighters to come from the Manchester area in the Norht West, under the training of well known trainer Joe Gallagher Quigg has also become well known In sport his fights are also good ones & has always admitted he would be knowhere without Boxing. Both fighter hold two titles Frampton holds the IBF Super Bantemweight title while Quigg holds the WBA version, many have asked the question why this fight hasn’t already happened this can be explained in only one way. When Carl burst on the scene he was only managed by Mcguigan but promoted Eddie Hearn and Matchroom which lasted up until his fight for the European title against Kiko Martinez which Carl won via TKO in the ninth round, after that things changed & Frampton along with Mcguigan decided to leave Matchroom & Hearn to start there own venture under a deal with Frank Warren & his Boxnation channel. A few weeks later Scott Quigg left Hatton promotions run by another legendary fighter to sign with Matchroom & Eddie Hearn, since then it has been a case of Hearn & Mcguigan not even coming close to an agreement. Both have traded the verbals on who is stopping this great fight from happening but all this most people would say is denying the fans a great fight that money wise would be good for everyone’s bank balance. Recently both sides have started talking again and Hearn said that the fight is closer than ever which has once again ignited interest in the fight but most people are keeping there toes on the ground because they have been there before. In terms of what both sides want it seems Frampton would pocket more or a 50-50 split venue wise Frampton wants has requested a neutral Venus which is most likely to be the O2 arena in London. Television wise nobody knows what it would be it most likely would be Sky Sports Box Office because the bulk of the revenue would come from that, Frampton has recently fought on ITV but nobody in boxing is expecting them to outbid Sky but who knows. If this fight gets made then everyone who is involved British Boxing will perhaps rejoice at the fight being made but if it does fall through again then chances are this fight might never ever happen which all I can say would be a disaster for the whole sport of boxing but all we can to Eddie Hearn & Barry Mcguigan is make the best fight in the division make the biggest pot of money that both you two & Quigg & Frampton can both make.

 

This Saturday saw one of the greatest matches of rugby I’ve ever seen, both England & Wales went for it, in this match you saw two teams determined for victory & a desire not to lose. Unfortunately for England they where the losers . Since Saturday fans, players & pundits have had their thoughts on how it was won & lost I have drawn my conclusion to this & here it is.

How did Wales win?

If I’m being completely honest I did not expect Wales to win with Leigh Halfpenny being injured i thought the spine of this great team was broken because he normally kicks about fifteen points every time he plays. IMO Wales won this match through sheer heart desire & the will to win. Every time England started to get away Wales brought it back to seven points & always kept themselves in the match, I’ve always belived that to beat Wales you have to kill the game because they are like Rocky Balboa you knock them down only for them to get back up & take more. Wales have one of the best team spirits ever, even when four players went off injured they still wouldn’t quit. Sam Warburton proved how great a captain he is & led by example in the way he tackled & refused to quit, even when he was down Warburton got back up & that you you can only admire. I can point out many other players but one that also stood out was Dan Beggar the man who kicked in the place of injured Halfpenny, every time he kicked he looked ice cold & knew what he was doing & kicked the ball with confidence, his performance was a great one & Leigh Halfpenny might have some competition when he comes back. Final bit of praise has to go to Warren Gatland who proved once his doubters wrong, again his team’s might not play exciting rugby at times but as a Wasps fan I can say I always knew he was good & any team will want him In the future.

How England lost it?

When I look back at how England lost on Saturday there isn’t a lot of bad things I can really say, the feeling i had was that they played well controlled the first half & early second half. The only reason I can perhaps come up with as to why England lost was that they didn’t continue their domination after about the 60th minute after that. You sensed Wales where coming back into the game but England weren’t keeping them back. In terms of the selection you couldn’t have a go at Stuart Lancaster who didn’t have the option of Jonathan Joseph through injury & wanted to play with strength players in Sam Burgess & Owen Farrell who played well together in the pre game matches. As for Farrell’s kicking he got points for all of them so I wouldn’t have a go at him, when you look at it some people have tried to criticise Captain Chris Robshaw for deciding to go for the line out to get a try rather than decide to have George Ford to kick for a penalty & bring the team’s level. For that i would say that anyone who wants to win would have done the exact same thing. With the game against Australia coming up England & Stuart Lancaster need to come up with a strategy & game plan that will stop the Aussies from storming through the forwards line, the hope would be that Chris Robshaw does not let the critics get to him & prove how good of a captain he is or could become. For Stuart Lancaster he has to look at what he has got & make a firm decision on who he believes are the best players to go out there in Twickenham on Saturday night & come away with victory over the Aussies otherwise it will be game over for England & the hopes once again of a nation will die. Whatever happens from now till the end of this tournament it’s definitely shaping up to be a great one.