Mayweather-Pacquiao: Was it worth the wait?

DO NOT READ ON IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO KNOW THE FIGHT’S RESULT

The Mayweather-Pacquiao fight took five years to be finalised. It had all the hype, all the commercials, all the intrigues that got serious and casual boxing fans salivating for the prospect of watching the ‘fight of the century’. Bets were made and tickets were bought. But was it worth it?

No one was knocked out. Manny was aggressive but Floyd dodged his punches. Manny knew that the only way he could beat Floyd was to attack with all guns blazing, while Floyd knew that he needed to be on the defensive althoughout.

It was a great match from a tactical perspective. But I felt like it did not live up to the hype. I felt that fans, who paid as much as £250,000 to see it live, were expecting to see a one-sided match in favour of the fighter they were supporting. Instead, they watched a match where not a lot of punches landed and what’s worse was the fact that it ended with neither boxer being knocked out.

Did the best fighter win? Yes, if you believe the stats:

But not if you’re Manny Pacquiao or his legion of fans:

In the end, there’s only one winner:

Until the re-match, right? Both fighters, their promoters, TV channels and their sponsors have made a fortune from this fight alone so why not get them to fight again?

But I still feel that the real losers today were the fans who paid so much money to watch this match. I wonder if they’d make the same decision on the next fight.

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Hammertime: Lewis Hamilton is the 2014 Formula 1 Champion

Double-World Champion, Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton has become the 2014 Formula One champion after winning in Abu Dhabi today. He becomes the fourth British F1 driver to win more than one Championship after Graham Hill, Jim Clark and Jackie Stewart.

Lewis started today’s title-decider race brillianly, jumping in front of title rival and team mate Nico Rosberg ahead of the first corner. Nico later had technical issues which made him drop further down the grid, and thus failing to fight for the championship.

Mental Growth

Five months ago after the Canadian Grand Prix, I wrote that Lewis’ mind needs to be stronger than ever if he wanted to win this year’s title. From then on, he won 7 out of 12 races, including 5 straight ones. He overcames adversities and challenges – as evidenced by his performance after the incident at Spa, Belgium.

He has shown tremendous maturity throughout the year which, in my opinion, has been instrumental in his success. Despite being as emotional as he has always been, he has shown that he was able to use negative experiences to fuel his performance in the right way. Although he has taken risks this season, they have been more measured and more under control than what we have seen in the past.

Young Lewis and Young Nico

His relationship with his team mate, Nico Rosberg – much scrutinized by the media – has deteriorated throughout the season, but Lewis was able to keep his mind focused.

Support Network

Undoubtedly, his family, girlfriend, team and friends have helped him keep his focus throughout the year. His close relationship with his dad – which seemed to have been lost over the recent years – has returned. Anthony Hamilton has been a regular sight in Lewis’ garage throughout the year. I am certain that his presence – let alone his advice- has helped.

Let’s not forget THE CAR

The Mighty Silver Arrow

Mercedes Benz has dominated this F1 season, winning a record-breaking 16 grand prix this season, which made Lewis’ job a little easier. This year’s 11-race wins has been the best year of Lewis’ F1 career.

What’s next?

Even though the rest of the teams in the F1 paddock would have plenty of time to improve their cars before next season, I am convinced that Mercedes will still have an edge. It may take at least two years before the rest of the field can catch up on them.

The future looks bright for Lewis. I predict at least two more titles!

Rita Pierson: Every kid needs a champion

You know, kids don’t learn from people they don’t like! – Rita Pierson

NBA All Star 2011 Dunk Contest

This year’s dunk contest brought back the flair that was missing over the past couple of years. Blake Griffin, Demar DeRozan, JaVale McGee and Serge Ibaka all brought the house down last night with tantalizing creativity and uniqueness. Nobody held back and chilled. They all brought their A game with them.

Here’s the first round:

Ibaka’s free-throw line dunk should have been given a 50!

The second round:

And, the finals between Blake and JaVale:

 

Well deserved win for Blake, but JaVale’s two-hoop dunk and his three-balls dunks are my favourites!