The Boar Sport Weekend Preview: 28-29 November

Shingi Mararike

Boxing- IBF, WBA and WBO Heavyweight Championships: Wladmir Klitchsko vs Tyson Fury

Saturday, 7pm Sky Box Office (Ringwalks 9:55 pm)

As modern boxing struggles to stay relevant, these are becoming increasingly rare: A heavyweight championship fight with a truly heavyweight build up. Tomorrow evening in Dusseldorf, long-standing heavyweight champion Wladmir “Dr Steelhammer” Klitchsko will step into the ring with undefeated British heavyweight contender Tyson Fury. Titanic in every sense of the word, the fight sees the 6ft 7 inch Ukrainian take on a man even larger than himself, a rarity in his heavyweight title reign now approaching 10 years- Fury stands at an enormous 6ft 9 inches.

However, sheer size and bonecrushing knockout power are the only things the two fighters have in common. This is a classic clash of personalities; the stoic champion, poker faced and cerebral, up against boxing’s resident loose cannon. You only need to cast your mind as far back as the pre-fight build up to underline the contrast between the pair. Fury’s unabashed confidence culminated in a press conference stunt that will live on long in the memory- yes that Batman outfit. Klitchsko on the other hand is ice-cold. His mission? To not only beat Fury, but to give his opponent, who he deems mentally unstable among many other things “therapy.” The champion explained in this week’s presser: “He definitely has some screws loose in his mind. We need to tighten it up and fix it.”

Fury on the other hand sees himself as the saviour of a heavyweight division that has fallen victim to his opponent’s drab, yet incredibly efficient fighting style. In the wake of shock knockout defeats earlier on in his career; the 39-year-old resolved to  drastically change his approach, fighting in a manner that resembles the following template: he jabs twice, steps away from his opponent or holds, taking care to never engage directly in a brawl, before systematically breaking down his opponents with accurate right hands.

Whether he can suffocate Fury, a large and unpredictable slugger with an appetite for a brawl remains to be seen. At 39 years old he has not yet fallen victim to his age like many great champions do and more importantly he’s edging closer to heavyweight history. Beating Fury tomorrow would see him tie the legendary Joe Louis’ 26 title defences in a row.

The therapist against the madman, the instinctive brawler against the safety first tactician, with one of the most well known titles in sport on the line, this has the potential to be a duel for the ages.

Saturday’s fight promises to be a spectacular occasion

James Roberts

Premier League Football: Leicester City vs Manchester United

Saturday, 5:30 pm, Sky Sports 1 HD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9PaERIW_m0

This season’s Premier League table looks eerily like a Leicester City fan’s FIFA Career Mode. All the usual suspects are near the top: Arsenal sit in fourth, Manchester City are third, Manchester United occupy second place, but at the summit…Leicester?! A dream that Foxes fans have played out only on their games consoles has become reality – Leicester really are top of the league.

They have arguably been helped by a kind fixture list, but Claudio Ranieri’s side have been irresistible at times this season. From the first minute of their opening day 4-2 win over Sunderland, Leicester have shown they are full of confidence and afraid of nothing. Yet their lofty league position would not be possible without the incredible form of the man of the moment; Jamie Vardy. If the former non-league striker scores on Saturday he will break Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s record of scoring in ten consecutive Premier League games. The fact that this would be achieved against Van Nistelrooy’s old club would make it even sweeter. But this will not be easy. United boast the best defensive record in the league and have already shown they can grind out wins in the manner of their championship-winning predecessors. Despite persistent criticism from all quarters, the Reds are in the midst of one of the most open title races in years.

While United may not be as easy on the eye as Leicester’s all-out attack, such contrasting approaches ensure this will be a fascinating match. Can Louis Van Gaal’s army leapfrog their opponents? Or will Jamie Vardy be having a party come 7.30 on Saturday? You wouldn’t dare forecast the outcome of this unlikely top of the table clash.

Will Vardy’s sensational run continue against the best defence in the Premier League?