EVERY so often a sporting contest comes along that has all the ingredients of a classic, of one for the ages.
And that is definitely true of Saturday night’s heavyweight world title clash between Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley Stadium.
A 90,000 sell-out crowd, a young man making massive waves in the fight game, an old master holding back the sands of time. A brother-in-law willing not only to stump up the pay-per-view charges, but also to organise a game of poker for afterwards. What’s not to love?
This clash has caught the imagination of boxing fans and also the general public, many of whom will only tune in for an epic encounter.
And Saturday’s contest should be just that, with the fact there are so many unknowns only adding to the intrigue.
Can Klitschko really shrug aside 17 months of inactivity at the age of 41 and win back his seat at the top of the heavyweight table?
Is Joshua really as good as he looks on the back of 18 knockout wins? Can he handle the pressure in front of 90,000 adoring fans? Can he even take a punch?
All of those queries should be answered at Wembley, with the bookies making the young buck a strong favourite to continue on his merry dance through the division, at the same time sending Klitschko spinning towards retirement.
‘AJ’ is a 4/9 jolly with Paddy Power, while Wlad can be backed at 9/4 with Bet365, and with some observers really struggling to pick this one, the latter price would appear to be the value.
Yet Klitschko has to prove the demons inflicted by his defeat to Tyson Fury last time out aren’t lasting ones, and he needs to find the same levels of resilience he called on to reinvent himself after his previous loss, to Lamon Brewster way back in 2004.
The Ukrainian looked washed up then, yet found a will and a way to embark on an unbeaten run that lasted 11 years and 22 fights.
Most of his fights during that stretch were less than entertaining, risk-free and won at arm’s length.
But Fury got inside his head before their bout in November 2015, and then confused Klitschko inside the ring, his movement causing the champion all sorts of problems.
What shouldn’t be forgotten is that when you get past the circus surrounding Fury, he is a talented, unorthodox boxer whose style totally befuddled ‘Dr Steelhammer’.
Joshua has little of Fury’s movement, his head doesn’t move much and his footwork is still a work in progress, which has led some pundits to believe he has bitten off more than he can chew
Certainly, Klitschko is a huge leap up in class from anything the 2012 Olympic champion has faced, and he will have to find new levels to prevail.
He will be hit at some stage by the master tactician, who looks supremely fit and focused despite his advancing years.
In his 18 fights thus far, Joshua has only really been caught once, when the very decent Dillian Whyte staggered him.
The Londoner still won that one in the seventh, the furthest he has ever gone, and the Klitschko gameplan will surely be to be to keep him at distance early on, weather the Wembley storm and then ramp up the pressure.
I know plenty who think the best bet is the away man to win on points, which is a 7/1 chance with Sky Bet amongst others, although whether he would get the nod at the end of a close fight in front of a huge partisan crowd is open to debate.
Personally, I can’t see this one going all the way, and while Wladimir is a class above anything Joshua has come across thus far, the fact is he is 41 and in the last-chance saloon.
Everything Joshua has shown in his relatively short career to date suggests he is a little bit special, he has awesome power, and he has worked hard to iron out his flaws.
My opinion is that he will catch his man at some stage and if he does it will be lights out.
The 4/6 on offer generally about Joshua winning inside the distance is a reasonable price, but I’d suggest being a bit braver so back him at 9/4 to win in the first six rounds, or even at 4/1 to finish it in rounds four to six.
If it does go beyond halfway, Klitschko becomes more of a factor, but that won’t happen. I hope.
It should be cracker, especially if someone else is paying.
Selection
Anthony Joshua to beat Wladimir Klitschko in rounds 1-6, 9/4 (Paddy Power)
WHEN Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho rocked up in Manchester last summer, they held grander ambitions than scrapping for a place in the top four of the Premier League come the business end of the season.
But pole position in that race will be the prize for the victor of tomorrow’s derby clash at the Etihad Stadium.
Both City and United would have been expecting concerted title challenges and silverware this term, but City’s FA Cup exit at the hands of Arsenal on Sunday put paid to their last chance of glory.
United have pocketed the EFL Cup and are favourites for the Europa League, so the season could still end up as a qualified success, but they need to continue their pursuit of Champions League football through the league as anything can go wrong in a knockout competition at the end of a long campaign.
United are facing up to a packed few weeks, while City and Liverpool, the other big rivals for a top-four spot, will get plenty of rest.
United are the outsiders at 15/8 (Sky Bet) for a top-four finish, and after tomorrow night they also have to go to Arsenal and Spurs before things are done.
Mourinho (above) has made his team very hard to beat, but it is difficult to see them winning all of their games form here on in, as they may well need to do.
Guardiola has found English football far tougher than he expected, and he will find his recruitment drive in the summer a lot easier if he can offer Champions League football to prospective signings.
He won’t want to lose tonight and relinquish control of that destiny, so there is bound to be an element of caution.
City are 10/11 jollies, with United available at 16/5 (Sky Bet), and while it is tempting to believe Mourinho could mastermind another smash-and-grab against rivals who have struggled against the top teams, a draw is a more likely outcome.
United are beset with injuries and if Paul Pogba misses out creativity will be in short supply, while David Silva and Sergio Aguero are also doubtful for City.
Those potential absentees, coupled with tension and a desire not to lose would suggest the draw is a great bet at 14/5 (BoyleSports), while the 1-1 might also be worth a tickle at 13/2.
A share of the spoils would leave everyone still in the top-four shake-up and has to be backed.
Selection
Manchester City v Manchester United, draw, 14/5 (BoyleSports); to draw 1-1, 13/2 (Bet Victor)
THE PGA Tour stops in New Orleans this week for the Zurich Classic, but while the venue is familiar the format is certainly not.
For the last 12 years, TPC Louisiana has played host to a regulation 72-hole strokeplay event but this year’s renewal is a pairs competition, with the teams playing two rounds of foursomes and two rounds of better-ball.
It is a novel set-up and one which has attracted a number of intriguing teams.
Jason Day and Rickie Fowler join forces, with the Australian hoping to finally get over the line in New Orleans after a number of near misses, and they shouldn’t be far away as 6/1 jollies.
However, I’d rather side with a pairing who have proven pedigree together, so Justin Rose (above) and Henrik Stenson fit the bill.
The duo have won four of their six matches together in Ryder Cups and are very comfortable playing together.
Rose is also a former winner at TPC Louisiana and comes in on the back of his near miss in The Masters at Augusta.
Stenson hasn’t been in good form, however, which is a worry but this new format could see him get back to himself and the team should be backed at 7/1 (Bet365).
I want to pick JB Holmes and Bubba Watson because I like detective books, but my other two duos to side with are Daniel Berger and Thomas Pieters (14/1 generally), and the Korean pair of Byeong-Hun An and Seung-Yul Noh (55/1, Bet365).
Berger has a good New Orleans record and Pieters is in brilliant form, while the other pick relies on course pedigree.
Noh won the Zurich Classic in 2014 while An was second last term so they should go well on the track.
