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Michael

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Everything posted by Michael

  1. Michael

    Boxing

    Yeah, I agree, they will likely go where they can make the most money and that's not Ukraine. Although if it were to be held in Ukraine, the venue would be sold out as it was for this fight in Tottenham.
  2. Michael

    Boxing

    Usyk apparently wants the rematch to be in Ukraine, most likely Kyiv. That should be interesting.
  3. Michael

    Boxing

    Usyk was too quick for Joshua to land any huge swinging punches, but Joshua did catch Usyk a couple of times with some powerful hits. Every time Joshua swung with an attempted big punch, he missed and Usyk countered. However, as I said, Joshua did catch Usyk with some strong punches(not saying they were his most powerful punches) and Usyk took the hits well. You ask about Joshua not using his big right hand punches enough in the early rounds of the fight. The thing is it was too much of a risk for him to swing often with a huge right hand punch, because Usyk dodged these attempts as we saw in the latter rounds of the fight. Not only did he dodge them, but he countered superbly. This is one of the reasons why I think that Usyk will beat Joshua 9 times out of 10. Some people have said that Joshua should have essentially brawled more in his fight against Usyk, instead of boxing. But if he swung more often than he did, he would have also exposed himself more often and would in theory get counter punched more often. Because we saw how quick Usyk is and how excellent he is at avoiding big punches. Sure, in a brawl style boxing match, there is the odd chance that Joshua would catch Usyk flush with a huge swinging punch, which would likely do serious damage, but I just think that Usyk is just too quick for those types of shots to land often. So if Joshua mainly approaches Usyk with a boxing mindset and approach, he gets outclassed by Usyk as we witnessed. If he decides to go for a brawl against Usyk, he will more than likely get hit more often by Usyk's counters. So either way, I think Usyk wins more often than not. I think that Joshua's first fight against Ruiz was very strange. Joshua had his guard down on several occasions and he seemed to tire towards the end as well. The second fight against Ruiz saw Joshua outclass him by boxing intelligently and utilising his jab. It could be that the loss to Ruiz has made him more cautious, but as I mentioned previously, I just think that Joshua's approach to the fight is thought out before the fight. If Ruiz is able to counter successfully against Joshua's big swinging shots, then the more quick and speedy Usyk would likely find even more success against AJ.
  4. Michael

    Boxing

    On the domestic front, we are blessed to have world class boxers such as Fury and Joshua, who give us great boxing displays. Even the likes of Whyte and Chisora bring quality to the table. All 4 are a million times better than the the crap we had to watch and endure about 15 years ago, when the likes of Fraudley Harrison and Sprott were fighting each other. That was the best that the UK heavyweight division had to offer back then.
  5. Michael

    Boxing

    I specifically said the last 40 years and I did say with the exception of a peak Mike Tyson in the last 40 years. Ali and Frazier in the 60's and 70's were clearly elite boxers and the best of the best. Even though they fought way before my time, I can appreciate the quality they had from viewing their fights online. As for Tyson, he was something else in the 80's and 90's. So I don't think we do disagree that much. But the current elite boxers are no worse than the likes of Lennox Lewis and although I agree that a peak Iron Mike was something else, I don't think he'd find fights against the current top 4 heavyweights a walk in the park. Tyson Fury and Usyk in particular could have posed him a few headaches with their quick movement and technical skills. Fury's size plus skill and Usyk's speed would have posed Iron Mike a few dilemma's. Although I do agree that if he managed to corner either of them, it would probably be goodnight to them. But the truth is that we will obviously never know the outcomes of such matchups as Iron Mike was of a different generation. However, the point is that the current elite boxers are superb in their own right. Did Iron Mike for example have the punching power that Wilder has? Did he have the size/reach advantage of Fury or even Fury's great footwork? Did he have Usyk's speed and technical skills? So although I'd agree that peak Iron Mike would have been the favourite if he ever hypothetically came up against the current crop of top boxers, I don't think the outcome of the fights would have been as simple as you suggest.
  6. Michael

    Boxing

    I think you should be giving Alexander Usyk real credit for his masterclass performance, rather than detracting from Joshua, who has proven what a top boxer he is. But he had no answers for the technically world class Usyk, who was aggressive from the off. Surely Usyk has shut any doubters up after that world class performance. He was simply too quick and too technically superior to Joshua. As for Lennox Lewis, wasn't it the same Lennox Lewis who lost to the likes of a guy called Hasim Rahman as well as Oliver McCall. Lewis was losing by most accounts to Vitali Klitschko as well, even the judges had Klitschko leading 58-56 before the fight was prematurely stopped because of a severe cut above Klitschko's eye, which resulted in Lewis being awarded the win via a TKO. Furthermore, his win over Mike Tyson was at a time when Tyson was past his best in my view. Not that long after Tyson's loss to Lewis, Tyson also lost to the likes of Danny Williams, which says a lot to me in terms of him being a shadow of his former self at that stage. Sure Lewis was a superb boxer, but if he came up against the likes of Joshua, it would be a 50/50 fight. Joshua has done demolition jobs on the likes of top boxers such as Dillian Whyte, Kevin Johnson, Wladimir Klitschko, Takam, Povetkin and Kubrat Pulev. While he outclassed Joseph Parker and Andy Ruiz on points to seal impressive wins against them. Joshua was coming off two very impressive wins against Andy Ruiz and Kubrat Pulev before the Usyk fight. The fact that Joshua couldn't do much against the superior Ukrainian, says more about Usyk's class, rather than Joshua not having the ability to fight at an elite standard in my opinion. I think the current heavyweight division is doing great. Fury, Joshua, Wilder and now Usyk, would probably all defeat any of the heavyweights of the last 40 years(with the exception of Mike Tyson perhaps).
  7. Michael

    Boxing

    I went to watch this fight in Tottenham and what a fight it was. Usyk outclassed Joshua for most of the match. They said AJ was too big for him before the fight, but Usyk taught Joshua a boxing lesson or two as he displayed his technical class. Joshua had the weight advantage, the reach advantage and he also had more than 60,000 fans cheering him on in the stadium, but Usyk just seemed to dominate him from the start. Contrary to what many pundits predicted would happen, Usyk was the aggressor. He was pushing Joshua on the back foot for prolonged periods of the fight. Usyk won the first few rounds by most accounts as he showed off his speed and punching accuracy. Joshua had his best spell during the middle rounds of the fight, specifically rounds 5 and 6, where he caught Usyk with some powerful punches. But for me it highlighted how Usyk could take Joshua's powerful hits and not go down or be affected by them in any serious way. So not only is Usyk a technically superb boxer, he has in my opinion also shown that he can take hits from the best heavyweights in the business and not go down. From round 7 onwards, Usyk just showed his dominance, where he rocked Joshua on several occasions with some great shots. In the final round he also had a flurry of great hits and a grandstand finish to confirm his dominance in the fight. What an achievement it is for Usyk. He cleaned up the Cruiserweight division by winning all the major belts in that division. Now in only his 3rd Heavyweight fight, he has won 4 heavyweight title belts. I don't think that there was much that Joshua could do differently. Usyk was simply too quick for him and technically superior. If there is a rematch, which is more than likely to happen, my money is on Usyk. Unless Joshua gets a lucky punch, I see Usyk beating him all the way once again. Usyk would beat Wilder as well in my opinion, unless as with Joshua, Wilder connects accurately with one of his extremely powerful punches. But for all intents and purposes, Usyk would outclass Wilder as well given a potential matchup between the pair. The only heavyweight boxer who I see Usyk having some trouble with is Tyson Fury. Fury can box at a high level as well, perhaps not on the level of Usyk, but he is a much bigger man. Fury would try and take full advantage of his reach advantage. Moreover, as he is an excellent boxer, he could very likely find success by boxing intelligently and utilising that reach advantage. Still Usyk has shown how quick he is and his own technical prowess could potentially outdo Fury, but it would be an intriguing fight as both boxers are of an elite standard. But real credit should go to Usyk, who came to Joshua's own backyard and quite frankly schooled him in the art of boxing. I paid a relatively significant amount of money to watch the fight yesterday, but I can confidently say that it was worth every pound spent. Usyk gave a beautiful performance and his technical skills are a joy to watch. It's also interesting to note that most boxers were writing Usyk off before the fight, claiming AJ's size and power would finish the job against Usyk. But a couple of boxers who actually have been in the ring with Usyk, were giving a very different story. Both Tony Bellew and Dave Allen were unequivocal in how highly they rated the world class Usyk. Indeed Usyk proved them right with his masterclass performance against Joshua last night. Usyk is now undefeated in 19 professional fights, which is an incredible feat to achieve within the heavyweight and cruiserweight divisions and it is even more impressive given some of the great fighters he has defeated.
  8. Michael

    Cricket

    Yeah, I looked at the Radio Times and it said the highlights were from 7 to 8 in the evening on BBC 2, but I was trying to find out if they showed the cricket live on another channel other than Sky Sports. Obviously then, Sky must have the rights to the cricket. She used to listen to the cricket on the radio at times, but she's very hard of hearing these days and prefers watching the cricket. Anyway, thanks for the confirmation mate.
  9. Michael

    Cricket

    I just have a question about the England v India cricket match, is it only being shown on Sky Sports? Are there any other channels in the UK that show it? I don't really follow the sport, but my grandmother is a die hard cricket fan, so I am asking for her sake.
  10. I think that Weiser is a very good signing by Werder, he should do well for them in the 2. Bundesliga. Having sold so many of their better players, I feel sorry for Werder, but I hope they manage to have a decent season at the very least. As for Kostic, I don't know how the Frankfurt players will respond to his recent behaviour. Also I am not sure how he will react or what his attitude will be like after his transfer was essentially blocked. These are not the ideal times for Kostic or Frankfurt.
  11. Michael

    Boxing

    I am contemplating going to the Joshua v Usyk fight on the 25th of September at Tottenham, it should be a very intriguing and entertaining fight in my opinion. Callum Smith is also fighting on the undercard and he should destroy Lenin Castillo really. Tickets for the fight event sold out 24 hours after they were put up for sale to the general public on the 3rd of August. Now many of those buyers are selling those same tickets online for double the price they bought them for. Anyhow, I just wanted to ask, do you need to get vaccinated to go and watch a boxing event like the Joshua v Usyk fight? I have read that the idea of vaccine passports has been ditched for this particular fight, but from my understanding, a vaccine passport would prove that a person has taken the vaccine twice. But what if a person is unvaccinated and hasn't even taken one vaccine jab, would they be allowed to attend the Joshua v Usyk fight? My second question is what are your opinions on the fight between Joshua and Usyk? Many are predicting that Joshua's size and power will overwhelm the smaller boxer Usyk. However, Usyk is an extremely skilled boxer if ever there was one. His footwork, movement and punching accuracy is second to none in my view. He out-skilled the heavier Chisora in his last fight from what I saw. But of course Joshua is a different proposition. He holds all the major belts and is the heavyweight champion of the world for good reason. I think the smaller details could play a major role in this fight and I believe that Joshua's height is a significant advantage. He will try and keep Usyk at arms length. Usyk will probably find it harder to hit Joshua for this reason, unlike the success he found against the shorter Chisora. Either way, I anticipate a very enjoyable heavyweight contest.
  12. Just an update and thanks for all the well wishes. I did a lateral flow test when I started not to feel too good over a week ago. When the results turned out to be positive I was told to take a PCR test by the NHS to confirm that I was positive. Indeed after I took the PCR test, I tested positive. I had real difficulty breathing when I moved about too much and I also had a cough. I was told to self-isolate until the 5th of August by the NHS. Luckily I am feeling much better now. I am not getting out of breath anymore when I move about and I am hardly coughing. I guess my immune system has really battled hard over the past week to get me better. It was the unknown that was the most worrying part initially. As I was just told to self isolate, without any other advice as to what I could expect. I'll be getting the vaccine on the 6th of August, as I don't want a recurrence of this. I have to say that I am relieved that I am feeling much better now.
  13. I am not sure how worried I should be. It seems like I can only take short breaths.
  14. I am afraid I have tested positive for COVID-19 on the rapid flow test. The NHS are now going to send me a PCR test in the next 2 days.
  15. Yeah, your fourth point could very well be true. I have been out in the sun for quite a prolonged period of time in the last 3 to 4 days, as I have had a lot of important things to do. I have been drinking a lot, but I perhaps didn't drink enough yesterday. I had a serious headache a couple of days ago(which has gone now really) and with my little coughs today, that's what is leading me to think that I may have Covid. But I probably don't. My sense of taste and smell are fine, even though I don't feel too hungry at all. Yeah, I think I should take the test tomorrow and if I test negative, then I think I will also take the vaccine tomorrow.
  16. Hi guys, I think I might have Covid. It's been a very busy past couple of months for me, I am in the process of moving and applying for a new job. I have perhaps a little foolishly delayed getting the vaccine. I actually intended to get the vaccine 4 days ago, at a walk in vaccine centre quite near to me, but as my luck would have it, they stopped giving vaccines at this centre the day I decided to go there. A couple of days ago I came home very hot, as those living in England will know that we are currently going through a heatwave. Anyway, my body was very hot all over, but I put that down to having been out in the sun and the fact that my bedroom gets very hot as well. There was this little kid who sneezed in my direction when I was out two days ago, the fact that I may have Covid did cross my mind. But today is the first day where I have a had a cough. I cough little coughs here and there. I still have my sense of taste. My appetite has really decreased, but again, I am putting a lot of that down to the heat. Right now, I am not feeling terrible, but there is a little ache in my throat and I have these little coughs here and there. I don't have that much of a headache anymore, unlike when I had a headache two days ago. So I am not sure what to do. I want to get the vaccine tomorrow, but if I am Covid positive, will they even give me the vaccine? It would be cool if some of you guys could put your 2 pence in and share what vaccine you took and what was your experience? I know that deaths from taking some of the vaccines are very rare, but it is still a little bit of a frightening thought.
  17. Michael

    Tennis

    I am watching the Zverev v Fritz match at Wimbledon. They've played great tennis so far, where Fritz won the 1st set on a tie break, but Zverev has just broken Fritz to take the 2nd set 6-4. I am hoping that Zverev goes far at Wimbledon, he's such an exciting player to watch.
  18. I thought you were Iranian and not Scottish. But honestly, you might have a long wait. God knows when they will stop making the tests mandatory. Even if the US becomes a Green list country, you will still be required to take COVID-19 tests from my understanding. So I don't think there's any chance of avoiding paying for the tests any time soon. However, the prices for the tests have significantly decreased, so you won't have to shell out a silly amount of money like I had to.
  19. I didn't realise you were in the States. Yes, the US is still an Amber list country, so if you return soon, then you will have to quarantine for 10 days and take two COVID-19 tests. The first test should be taken on day 2 and the second one on day 8 of your quarantine. I had to go through all this in May, when I returned to the UK from Ukraine. The tests don't come cheap either.
  20. Covid: Europe risks new wave, WHO warns - BBC News There's been an increase in infections in Europe. I am not being funny, but when I was getting on the coach in Glasgow, the coach driver took my temperature and he said that my temperature was higher than usual, but still acceptable enough to be allowed on the coach. I am not sure if I caught anything up at Hampden Park, but I do have a minor headache and my left arm has a slight ache. I've been putting it off, but maybe it's time for me to get the vaccine.
  21. I've only just seen this, this is hilarious. He just makes sh** up as he goes along. I feel sorry for the Queen who was dragged to Cornwall to greet the G7 leaders. She's 95 years of age and she's only recently lost her husband, who she'd been with for over 70 years. She should be in one of her palaces being looked after, not being forced to meet buffoons such as BoJo and Co.
  22. Klub Verboten tweeted at the time: 'The Arts Council England just sent us into subspace by recognising Verboten's cultural significance by approving our Culture Recovery Fund application. What exactly is Klub Verboten's cultural significance?
  23. So are the Persian parts in the north, the Tajik parts? How on earth can they have this racist attitude when their country is a multi-ethnic society? The government and army should be embracing all ethnicities, not causing division and spreading hate.
  24. It must be quite a shock to Werder fans that the club plummeted down the table in the manner that they did right at the end of the season. Werder definitely had a squad that talent wise were Bundesliga material, but it looked like they didn't have the fight that other sides such as Mainz or Koln had. It will be a real shame if they are unable to keep most of their key players for the Bundesliga promotion push next season. But I have to admit that it does look likely that most of their notable players will leave. My commiserations to all the Werder fans, this is a very disappointing period in Werder Bremen's history.
  25. Michael

    Off Topic

    R.I.P. Claude Callegari It's a very sad state of affairs and there really needs to be more done about internet bullying.
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