Better Luck Next Time!

Thank god it’s over. This has been the least fruitful of all seasons for Arsenal since I started supporting the Gunners as an eight year old boy. I’m pretty lucky I chose Arsenal back then; it was either Arsenal or Tottenham. Or West Ham. I'm twenty now and I’ve been pretty lucky in terms of seeing my club actually win things rather than having to resort to getting excited about finishing the season in mid table mediocrity, or even worse like Hammers fans I’ve grown up with, having to watch my team stave or relegation, or even worse - get relegated.

But with success comes expectation and hope. I have seen Arsenal win trophies; I was at Highbury when Adams lifted the trophy in 1998 and 2002, and when Vieira lifted the Premiership trophy as captain of the ‘unbeatables’ in 2004. Its 2007 now, and I haven’t seen Arsenal win anything since (except the FA Cup in 2005 - which, incidentally we didn’t deserve!)

At least last season, despite an appalling season in which Tottenham would have pipped us to the fourth and final Champions league place had they not been infamously poisoned by some bad chefs, we reached the European cup final. This year us Arsenal fans have had practically nothing to shout about. In fact since March most Arsenal fans I know couldn’t have cared less about the Premiership, or the FA cup, or the European cup for that matter ‘cos we weren’t competing in any of them! After the defeat at the hands of Chelsea in Cardiff in the last Carling Cup Final top be played at the Millennium (before it returns to Wembley next year) there followed for the gunners a succession of defeats that saw them knocked out of every competition going!

Still, there is hope - our team is young. Very young. In fact the average age of the team I suspect is younger than me! But, there comes a time when you start to sound stupid when you’re repeatedly telling friends who support Liverpool, Chelsea or Man Utd that you’re better than them ‘cos you’re players are younger and destined for success in the future! Still tho, I’d rather pay money to watch Arsenal than Liverpool or Chelsea. Arsene Wenger’s philosophy of keeping the ball on the floor and playing ‘pretty’ football is nice on the eye, especially when compared to Liverpool and Chelsea tactics, which normally consist of ‘hoofing’ the ball up field to the muscular giants Drogba and Kuyt. This certainly holds no appeal for me nor I would hope any football fan!

Indeed, our strikers prefer it to be played to feet. But unfortunately neither Van Persie nor Henry managed to play much football this season. Since Christmas neither player managed to play more than a handful of games, and this is probably where our season began to fall apart. Add to their long term injuries that picked up by Gallas, yet to really get his Arsenal career under way, and it is clear where things started to go wrong.

But all clubs experience injuries (look at Newcastle!) and you cant make excuses. This is where you need a competent squad and I don’t feel Arsenal have one. As I’ve mentioned, the squad is young. Too young. Players like Denilson, Walcott and Diaby are good, but they don’t have the experience to step into a struggling team and make a difference. Instead Arsenal needed more experienced players to fill the voids left by the more experienced injured players.

And this is where the solution lies. In the summer, I hope Wenger makes at least three ‘big’ signings. Experienced players, who have proved they can perform on the big stage and withstand the physical battles they will experience at places like Man City, Fulham and West Ham (all places Arsenal lost this season).

Still Arsenal did finish top of the ‘big four’ league, and managed to defeat the Champions, Manchester United home and away. Let’s hope the Gunners finish top of the league proper next season. Fingers crossed!

Las Vegas Showdown

The Las Vegas strip was intriguingly quiet last night between the hours of 11 and 12. Many gamblers opted to pay vast sums of money to watch a boxing fight on large screens inside the many hotels and casinos that inhabit the isolated desert strip rather than invest their money in slot machines and roulette tables. One hotel was busier than most last night. The MGM grand, famous for its rich history in hosting a wealth of memorable boxing bouts, was the scene once more for an enthralling fight between two of the sport’s most famous and well known stars. In the richest fight in boxing history, expected to gross over £60 million, the ‘Golden Boy’ Oscar De La Hoya was defeated on a split decision by the judge’s scorecards by arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, ’Pretty Boy’ Floyd Mayweather.
De La Hoya, also a very successful promoter and co-owner of Golden Boy Productions, who hosted last night’s event, entered the ring almost a stone heavier than his opponent, who stepped up a weight division to contest De La Hoya’s Super Welterweight title. Significantly though, De La Hoya, at 34 years of age is four years older than the ‘Pretty Boy’, and many, including Mayweather, predicted that De La Hoya would tire in the latter rounds. The bookies agreed, and made Mayweather a clear odds on favourite.
Mayweather’s confidence before the fight has been obvious in his insulting rants and dismissal of De La Hoya‘s chances, and he made a typically confident entrance to the ring, dressed in Mexican colours (De La Hoya is of Mexican origin) and accompanied by rap star 50 Cent. But the stars at ringside, including Jack Nicholson, Leonardo Di Caprio and Jennifer Lopez were all supporting the popular De La Hoya, and the 16,5000 crowd rose to rapturous applaud as he made a more orthodox entrance to the ring. Indeed, if this fight was a popularity contest De La Hoya had a comfortable victory in the beckoning.
Unfortunately for the ‘Golden Boy’ boxing results are not measured in terms of popularity, and when proceedings got under way Mayweather looked the more comfortable fighter. In the first round he was able to duck and dive under De La Hoya’s stronger, but slower punches, whilst delivering accurate shots to the head and body of De La Hoya. However, the ‘Golden Boy’s’ determination to win this fight was obvious in the second round, which he clearly won. His expression was one of concentration, and he held the centre of the ring, delivering flurries of blows to Mayweather’s ripped torso. But De La Hoya’s greater age was telling, even in the first few rounds and he was unable to deliver punches in more than ten second bursts. Mayweather had warned De La Hoya before the fight ‘there ain’t no gas pumps in there’ and he was evidently saving his energy for the latter stages of the fight.
Nevertheless, De La Hoya was the one making the moves in the first few rounds, and although his punches weren’t hurting Mayweather, they were landing and he was winning the points. Mayweather’s corner reacted and harsh words at the end of the fourth inspired a rejuvenated Mayweather to win a decisive fifth round. The skill and pace of Mayweather were telling, and a sharp right hand knocked De La Hoya back at the bell.
In the sixth the ‘Golden Boy’ was able deliver a succession of blows upon his opponent, but Mayweather was winning the rounds with smart and precise shots. The next four rounds adopted a similar pattern and Mayweather’s boxing superiority was emphasised by cleaner, quicker rights and left hooks.
In the final round, both fighters delivered a superb show, and De La Hoya was the more aggressive after losing the two previous rounds. He gave everything he had left in the tank, and at the final bell both fighters were swinging wildly.
At the final bell, the crowd was chanting De La Hoya’s name, but nobody knew how the judges would score the fight. Mayweather had dominated in the final stages, but De La Hoya was certainly the more aggressive fighter in the early rounds, and his more aggressive tactics could have swayed the judges opinion. Both fighters were confident of victory. In the end, two judges scored the fight in favour of Mayweather, and he retained his unbeaten record of 38 victories. Clearly disappointed De La Hoya exclaimed afterwards ‘I was pressing and wanted to stop him. I was trying to close the show. I am the champion and you've got to do more than that to beat the champion’.
De La Hoya has a point. But on the night, swiftness, speed and rapidity defeated strength and power. Not everybody agreed with the decision, but everyone was in agreement that both men put on an exciting show. Boxing which has suffered falling viewing figures, needed a big fight. Screened in 176 countries this wasn’t a classic by any means, but it was exciting and riveting, and certainly put boxing back on the map.

Joseph Lappin
06/05/04

Boxing's Saviour?

Oscar De La Hoya’s eagerly anticipated showdown with Floyd Mayweather is being described as the saviour of Boxing, at a time when the sport is being criticised for too many ‘poor’ and boring displays, too many World title belts that mean there is no recognised champion in each weight division and a lack of colourful characters. And all this criticism when another sport, Ultimate Fighting, better known as UFC is threatening to lure away even the most avid and fanatic boxing fans.
On 5 May, two of the most recognised figures in the sport will step into a ring together in Las Vegas, at the MGM Grand, scene of some of the most enthralling boxing fights, hoping to deliver one of the most exciting bouts in boxing history. Without this kind of match up many in the boxing scene are worried about the sport's future.
Despite the pessimism surrounding the sport at the moment, even Mayweather arguing that 'boxing needs this fight', many in the boxing circuit insist the future of boxing is bright. Frank Maloney, one of the most successful promoters Britain has produced maintains that UFC is ‘just a fad’ and that with time any boxing fans that have switched their allegiance to the UFC scene will return.
And, in terms of numbers boxing has never been as big. More and more people are taking up boxing, either as a hobby, or as part of a desire to learn to fight. Four months ago I began boxing myself, and am now totally obsessed by the sport. Boxing teaches discipline, respect, and of course makes you very, very fit. I have played football for a number of teams over the years, but have never felt pain like that during a boxing session. Even Roy Keane, who had three amateur bouts a s a teenager admits ‘Boxing is sport in its truest form’. As a sporting entity, the Government has also seen the positive elements boxing instils in children, and has recently promoted a campaign in inner city London schools to encourage children to adopt the sport. The 'Boxing in Schools' programme has been extremely successful so far with numerous schools in the Capital endorsing the project, and it is hoped that over the next few years schools all over the country will embrace the project.
I’m not so sure Boxing really needs a saviour. There are still so many world class fighters out there providing entertainment to millions, with Britain’s Joe Calzaghe and Ricky Hatton providing just two such examples. One thing is for sure however, De La Hoya and Mayweather will put on an exhilarating show, and any non-boxing fans watching will surely be converted into boxing fanatics that night.