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- Weekend sport preview
Weekend sport preview
🥊 Joshua vs Ngannou | Liverpool vs Man City | O'Malley vs Vera
GM sports fans. It’s Friday, Mar. 8. Don’t forget Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou is on tonight, the undercard starts at 4:00 pm GMT and the main event walk out is expected at 10:30 pm GMT. First time reading this? Sign up here.
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Weekend Must-Watch
FOOTBALL
Liverpool vs Manchester City - Saturday 15.45 GMT, Sky Sports
→ Dubbed the New Classico, this game might be the Premier League title decider.
→ The last time Liverpool beat Manchester City was October 2022 but Manchester City has only won twice at Anfield in Premier League history.
→ Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alisson, Diogo Jota, Curtis Jones and Thiago will all miss the game as they rehabilitate. Manchester City have a full squad except for Jack Grealish who will miss out with a groin injury.
→ Ahead of the fixture, Liverpool have held talks with former sporting director Michael Edwards over his return to the club as they plan for Jurgen Klopp’s departure at the end of the season (More on this story)
Aston Villa vs Spurs (Sunday 13.00 GMT, Sky Sports)
→ The odd kick-off time of 13:00 GMT is because Merseyside police have requested for the Liverpool vs Manchester City match to be moved forward to 15:45 GMT because of a series of incidents between the two sets of fans in previous encounters.
→ Since 2015, both teams have met 12 times in the Premier League with Spurs edging the head-to-head, winning seven and losing five. But Villa have enjoyed more recent success, winning the last three meetings.
→ Both teams are in similar form, having three wins from their last five matches. The bookmakers give Villa a 40% chance of winning and Spurs a 37% chance of winning.
The full list of Premier League fixtures can be found here.
BOXING
Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou - Tonight, DAZN, ring walk likely 10.30 pm GMT
→ Ngannou weighed in more than 20 lbs heavier than Joshua.
→ Several publications cited a Sports Business Journal article, which reported that AJ will make $50 million to Ngannou’s $20 million.
→ Tyson Fury says that he will “tie one hand behind his back and box [Ngannou’s] head off” if they have a rematch. (Watch)
The full list of the undercard can be found here.
UFC
Sean O’Malley (17 - 1 - 0) vs Marlon Vera (23 - 8 - 1) - Saturday, TNT Sports, 3.00 am GMT
→ Hosted at the Kaseya Centre in Miami, Sean O’Malley is defending his newly won bantamweight belt, a tough test against Marlon Vera.
→ In 2020, Marlon “Chito” handed O’Malley his lone career loss.
→ O’Malley has been salty about the result ever since and has sought to avenge his loss in the first title defence.
The full list of the previews can be found here.
Big Story
NHL
The case for and against fighting in the NHL
In case you didn’t know, fighting in ice hockey is an established tradition. There are literally positions that are dedicated to fighting. These guys play a more physical than finesse game. Fights may be fought by enforcers, or “goons” - players whose role is to fight and intimate - on a given team, and are governed by a system of unwritten rules that players, coaches, officials, and the media call “the code”.
While the enforcer position has been phased out slowly in the NHL, Matt Rempe - a 6ft 7in New York Rangers rookie - is doing a good job of bringing it back. Rempe has 37 penalty minutes and has spent more time fighting than playing hockey, getting into four fights in the eight games he’s played.
The old-school theory is that the enforcers make hockey safer. It’s argued that allowing a few ‘contained’ fights can release a valve that settles scores and eases tension between the teams. Fighting is also used as a way to shift momentum and boost morale if a team feels like they’re losing grip of a game. The players abide by a few rules - such as dropping their sticks and gloves to avoid excessive damage - and subscribe to govern themselves.
But, in recent years, there has been a new school of thought that views fighting as damaging both to health and the entertainment of the sport. There have been calls to end fighting as a spectacle since the off-ice deaths of enforcers Derek Boogaard, Wade Belak and Rick Rypein in 201. It has meant that fighting has dropped over the past decade from 645 fights in the 2010-11 season to a projected 282 this season.
Yet, Rempe’s bullish approach to fighting has reborn the debate between the old and new ways of thinking about hockey. Either way, it’s getting people talking. Some people love it, others despise that someone who isn’t “trusted with more than seven minutes of ice time” is bringing back an unwanted relic to the NHL.
Across The Field
MORE FOOTBALL NEWS: Leicester face a potential points dedication for alleged breach of Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (More) | BBC and TNT Sports are close to finalising a sublicensed FA Cup rights deals (More) | Two Brighton fans are in hospital in Rome after being stabbed on the eve of their team’s Europa League match against AS Roma (More)
ALSO IN THE NEWS: Red Bill suspends Christian Horner complainant after the investigation into Formula 1’s team principal (More) | Mike Tyson to fight Jake Paul in a live Netflix boxing event on July 20. (More) | Luke Littler loses in the semi-finals or the Premier League Darts | A major French union threatens strikes, including hospitals during the Paris Olympics (More) |
Extra Time
A reporter asks Jude Bellingham to come home with her.
Erling Haaland hits back at Trent Alexander-Arnold comments: “I don’t think he knows the feeling [of winning the treble]”
Kate Abdo’s introductions for Thierry, Carragher and Micah are getting better and better.
AI has predicted the optimal Fantasy Premier League Wildcard team for GW 28.
Politician Michael Gove failed to declare hospitality at three football matches.
13 minutes of NHL scraps.
Hansi Flick reacts to players being late to a team meeting.
On Today
BOXING AND COMBAT
Joshua v Ngannou Undercard (16:00 GMT, Sky Sports Action then pay-per-view from 18:00 GMT)
MMA: One Championship (01:00 GMT, Sky Sports Arena)
WWE: Smackdown (01:00 GMT, TNT Sports 1)
FOOTBALL
Sheffield Wednesday v Leeds United (20:00 GMT, Sky Sports Football)
Barcelona v Mallorca (20:00 GMT, LaLiga TV)
Nice v Montpellier (20:00 GMT, TNT Sports 3)
RACING
F1: Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Qualifying (17:00 GMT, Sky Sports F1)
BASKETBALL
NBA: Cleveland Cavaliers v Minnesota Timberwolves (00:30 GMT, TNT Sports 2)
GOLF
PGA Tour: Arnold Palmer Invitational (12:30 and 19:00 GMT, Sky Sports Golf)
TENNIS
ATP: Indian Wells (19:00 and 22:30 GMT, Sky Sports Tennis)
RUGBY LEAGUE
Super League: Multiple Matches (20:00 GMT, Sky Sports)
CRICKET
Test Series (22:00 GMT, TNT Sports 4)
NHL
NHL: Multiple Matches (02:00 GMT, Viaplay)
*EST -5. PST -8. CET +1. CST +8. JST +9.
“I’m 18 stone. I’m heavy. It’s hard work.”
-Anthony Joshua