The Original Game » ctoria Reserves Ryan Hamilton, Capilano RFC, Vancou

Clad in just his skivvies, Vijender Singh stepped carefully up onto the weighing machine. http://www.bengalsrookiestore.com/Bengal...Burfict-Jersey/ . Unlike Francis Cheka, his opponent who will bid to depose him on Saturday evening of the WBO Asia Pacific super middleweight title, Vijender didnt take time to showboat. He would stand on the metal plate for just enough time to give a quick flex of his biceps for the photographers before stepping off.Cheka who until that point was good naturedly jiving to the Singh is King ditty that is sort of Vijenders anthem, wasnt too impressed. He gesticulated frantically at his manager and pointed at the machine. Vijender, Cheka apparently felt, was over the super middleweight limit of 76kg. Chekas manager now wanted Vijender to get on the scales again. Now pro boxing thrives on drama and Chekas protest promised to provide some. Unfortunately though, there would be none. The WBO medical supervisor gave the all clear. Vijender was seventy-six even.Cheka meanwhile had weighed in at 74.7kg. This means when the action moves out of the press conference room at the Thyagaraj stadium and into the ring being set up two floors below, on Saturday evening, the Indian will have a distinct benefit in muscle and bone in addition to the two inches in reach. The odds arent in favour of the 34-year-old Tanzanian veteran. Hes won just three of his last six fights (a quick sampling of betting sites would give you, at worst, a ten-fold return on investment in the unlikely scenario of a Cheka win). Vijender, 30, will most likely improve on his 7-0 (6 K.O) record. He should in all probability retain the belt he won by outpointing Australian veteran Kerry Hope over 10 rounds in August.Yet Cheka isnt a pushover. While he might be considered another rung in Vijenders climb up the professional ladder, its also true Cheka is a big step up, just as Hope was five months back. At the top of the professional pyramid are the champions. Obviously Vijender isnt one even though he holds a fringe regional belt. He isnt even a challenger. Yet after starting out facing absolute beginners and then jobbers, Vijender, in Hope and now Cheka is fighting boxers who once were challengers to challengers, or even champions themselves. Its clear, that as he starts facing the gatekeepers of the super middleweight division, Vijender is progressing.Battle hardenedWith a record of 32-9-2, the African is the most experienced fighter Vijender has faced so far. He has held belts from some of the minor sanctioning bodies but there are some high quality opponents in that resume too. Cheka has shared the ring with the likes of Russias Fedor Chudinov, Germanys Robert Steiglitz and Matthew Macklin and Paul Smith of Britain. After beating Cheka, Chudinov would go on to become WBA super middleweight champion while Steiglitz has twice held the WBO super middleweight title. Macklin has challenged three times for world titles including once against Gennady Golovkin while Smith, a two time world title contender once fought Andre Ward.Now, Cheka lost all these fights - to Macklin and Smith on points and Steiglitz and Chudinov by stoppage. But there is a subtext to this story. Chudinovs bout with Cheka was the ninth in his professional career. Paul Smith faced him in his 22nd fight, Macklin in his 24th and Steiglitz in his 27th bout. Many of the Tanzanians fights he says, were also put together at short notice giving him little time to prepare. In one of the contests a crooked cornerman threw in the towel when he was winning. The contest against Vijender was a last-minute affair too (the originally picked fighter -Turkeys Onder Ozgul picked up a shoulder injury in training) but as Cheka was already preparing for a fight later this month, he signed on against the Indian.Cheka is a quality opponent and the fact is that Vijender is taking a tougher fight at an earlier stage in his career than any of the big names who have fought Cheka previously. This is partly to be expected owing to Vijenders late start in the professional ranks. But its also clear that promoters Queensberry are speeding his development along. According to his manager Francis Warren, Vijender will be steered towards fighting for bigger titles next year.Looking down the roadIn the horizon is a Commonwealth title fight against Australias Zac Dunn (23-0, 18 KOs), possibly in Australia. Other possible matchups include Rocky Fielding (22-1) and Luke Blackledge (22-3-2). With Vijenders age and amateur experience he doesnt need to be having too many fights for the kind of title hes fighting for on Saturday. Theres no point in Vijender fighting people who will only last a few rounds, Warren told ESPN. Warren isnt expecting the bout against Cheka to go very long and its not hard to see why. With nearly two decades of amateur pedigree behind him, Vijender is clearly the far better boxer.Chekas game in contrast has little tolerance for technical niceties. Im not looking to go ten rounds with Vijender. Im going to knock him out, Cheka says through an interpreter. Indeed Cheka will likely try to get Vijender to fight and negate the latters boxing superiority. Kerry Hope was marginally successful when he implemented the strategy during his unanimous decision loss at the same venue in July. But the bad tempered brawling style learned in hard scrabble Morogoro comes with its own limitations. Cheka has knocked out only 17 of his 42 opponents, which suggests he probably wont have the stopping power to trouble Vijender. But his high risk approach leaves him vulnerable as well.With his right arm hanging low to his side as he prepares to hook, Cheka will almost certainly be caught by Vijenders left. It will remain to be seen how well the African can take a punch. Vijender doesnt think he can. He doesnt have strong legs. Once I hit him the first time, he wont come forward, Vijender says. Indeed if all goes to plan on Saturday, Vijender will quickly control the distance between his opponent and make him pay when he lapses defensively. Despite a seemingly predictable result, the fight makes sense. Vijenders WBO rank - currently 11 - will rise, making it easier for him to set up fights with boxers in the top-10 and close in further on contender status. It makes good economic sense too. In India they want fights that sell a story. Cheka is a fight that wont set the boxing world alight, but it has captured the imagination in India, Warren tells ESPN.Pro boxing after all is about boxing but its also about business. Boxers need to be invested in and promoters and managers need a return in that investment through ticket and pay-per-view sales and TV rights. And in bouts like the one against Cheka, theres plenty of money to be made for Vijenders managers even if the demonetization linked economic slump has hit predictions of exactly how much that is. The bout will be a step up for them too.The last time Vijender fought in India, Neerav Tomar, the MD of IOS had predicted the fight would be the biggest sporting event of the month. We hardly did any promotion on the channel but we still got .35 TRP and 25 million viewers, says Tomar. But if July was a lean period sports wise, December is saturated. Yet Tomar isnt discouraged. We are looking to go even better, he says.Like Warren, Tomar too is looking for bigger ticket events. Wary of overexposure in the domestic market, he is looking overseas. Perhaps head back to the UK for a few bouts or even attempt to crack the middle east market with its significant Indian expatriate population.At some point next year Tomar hopes Vijender will be fighting the unbeaten Chinese Zulpikar Maimaitiali for the WBO Oriental belt. A title defence is compelling enough but there is not much you can do with an India -Tanzania contest. An India versus China matchup would be a marketers dream. Its left to Vijender to inject a dose of reality to proceedings.In a sport as unpredictable as boxing, a fight and by extension a career could end with a single lapse of concentration, a moment of misjudgement. Im not looking about a world bout or anything, he had said. Im taking it one bout at a time, one round at a time. Im going step by step. http://www.bengalsrookiestore.com/Bengal...Bullock-Jersey/ . The 29-year-old from Port Colborne, Ont., has nothing but good things to say about former U.S. marine Liz (Girlrilla) Carmouche ahead of their co-main event Wednesday on the UFCs "Fight for the Troops" televised card in Fort Campbell, Ky. http://www.bengalsrookiestore.com/Bengals-Cj-Uzomah-Jersey/ . Paul Pierce couldnt believe he missed at the end. Young scored a season-high 26 points to spark a huge effort from the leagues most productive bench, and Los Angeles beat the Brooklyn Nets 99-94 on Wednesday night after blowing a 27-point lead. http://www.bengalsrookiestore.com/Bengal...Esiason-Jersey/ . Booth picked up 65 caps after making her national team debut in 2002 at the age of 17. She most recently played for Sky Blue FC of the National Womens Soccer League. "It just felt like it was my time to move on," she said in a phone interview from her hometown of Burlington, Ont.Coach Kieran Crowley and the Canadian rugby team are about to embark on a key summer, one that will sorely test their resources and ultimately determine whether Canada returns to the Rugby World Cup. The former All Black has more than 40 players at his disposal, but some are injured or still playing for their club sides in Europe. Given the sports nature in Canada, others are juggling work commitments. Canada -- ranked 13th in the world -- faces seven test matches over the next 13 weeks, an itinerary that will take the team to Edmonton, Ottawa, Kingston and Toronto before jetting off to Nagoya, Japan, and then heading to Charleston, S.C., and finally Toronto again. There are three-day and four-day turnarounds, a brutal schedule for a punishing sport like rugby. The journey starts and ends with the U.S. Eagles, but in two different capacities. Saturdays game in Edmonton against the 17th-ranked Eagles marks the start of the newly expanded Pacific Nations Cup, part of the International Rugby Boards bid to boost competition for so-called Tier 2 nations. Canada continues play in the five-team tournament June 5 in Ottawa against No. 16 Fiji and June 8 in Kingston, Ont. against No. 9 Tonga. The competition wraps with a June 19 visit to No. 14 Japan. "Weve been fighting for these sorts of tournaments," said Crowley. "Anything we can get like this is great. Even if the schedules difficult, it allows us to develop depth. "Its not all about the results, these sort of tournaments. You obviously go out and you try there and win but with no professional competition in Canada we dont get the chance to expose our boys to this sort of level ... We want as much of this sort of rugby as we can get." The world rankings of the Pacific Island nations can be misleading, given they often play Tier 1 nations, says Crowley. "All their players play in the European (club) competitions," he noted. "So they all have a little bit more structure around their training regime and diet etc. Were improving, I think, but so is everyone else and theyre going to be a massive challenge for us." The game in Nagoya is sandwiched between a June 15 match in Toronto against No. 8 Ireland and an August home-and-away World Cup qualifying series with the U.S. The two-game total-points qualifier opens Aug. 17 in Charleston and concludes Aug. 24 at Torontos BMO Field. The visiting Irish side will be missing nine stars who will be touring Australia with the British and Irish Lions, as well as several injured players, but will still be a formidable opponent. The Canadian coach is having to manage his resources, with a few serious injuries cutting into his roster. Conor Trainor is recovering from a broken leg while star back DTH van der Merwe had an ankle operation and Jeff Hassler was hurt on the last stop of the world sevens circuit. The Canadian coach hopes to be reunited with London Irish forward Jebb Sinclair and Bedford Blues fullback James Pritchard for the game in Kingston. Lock forward Jamie Cudmore was expected to play Saturrday for Clermont-Auvergne in the Top 14 semifinals in France but has been ruled out with a hand fracture. http://www.bengalsrookiestore.com/Bengal...-Boling-Jersey/. London Welsh back Phil Mackenzie will miss the first few weeks of the summer action due to injury. Canadas impressive showing on the world sevens circuit is both a plus and a minus for Crowley, who has to manage the sevens players time after a long run in the increasingly physical series. Sevens players Sean Duke (recovering from injury) and Nathan Hirayama (work) will miss the Edmonton game. "Were being flexible with these guys," said Crowley. "They do have lives outside rugby." Complicating matters are the IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy, which runs May 28 to June 9 in Chile, and the Rugby World Cup Sevens, slated for June 28-30 in Moscow. Crowley will lose talent to both. Canada isnt the only Pacific Nations Cup team with some scheduling concerns. Fiji hosts Japan on June 1 and then must travel 14 time zones to face Canada on June 5 in Ottawa. After hosting Ireland at Torontos BMO Field on June 15, Canada travels 13 times zones to Nagoya for a June 19 date with Japan. "Its the same for everyone," said Crowley. "Most teams are having one turnaround like that, with a bit of travel involved. "It is what it is. You just have to manage it." Should Canada failed to beat the U.S. in the August World Cup qualifying series, it will have two more chances to move on, either in a playoff with a South American team or via a last-chance repechage. --- Canada lineup vs. U.S. (with club side and hometown) Hubert Buydens, Saskatoon Wild Oats; Ray Barkwill, Oakville Crusaders, Niagara Falls, Ont.; Jason Marshall, Atlantique Stade Rochelais (France), Vancouver; Brett Beukeboom, Plymouth Albion (England), Lindsay, Ont.; Tyler Hotson, London Scottish (England), Vancouver; Tyler Ardron, Brantford Harlequins, Lakefield, Ont,; John Moonlight, James Bay AA, Pickering, Ont.; Aaron Carpenter (capt.), Cornish Pirates (England), Brantford, Ont.; Sean White, James Bay AA, Victoria; Harry Jones, Capilano RFC, Vancouver; Taylor Paris, Glasgow Warriors (Scotland), Barrie, Ont.; Pat Parfrey, Swilers RFC, St. Johns, N.L.; Nick Blevins, Calgary Hornets, Calgary; Ciaran Hearn, Castaway Wanderers, Conception Bay, N.L.; Connor Braid, Doncaster Knights (England), Victoria Reserves Ryan Hamilton, Capilano RFC, Vancouver; Andrew Tiedemann, FC Auch Gers (France), St. Albert, Alta.; Doug Wooldridge, Lindsay RFC, Lindsay, Ont.; Jon Phelan, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Montreal; Cameron Pierce, Section Paloise (France), Coldstream, B.C.; Nanyak Dala, Castaway Wanderers, Saskatoon; Phil Mack, UVIC Vikes, Victoria; Liam Underwood, Queens University, Toronto. U.S. Eagles Tom Coolican, Todd Clever (capt.), Peter Dahl, Brian Doyle, Zach Fenoglio, Eric Fry, Troy Hall, Graham Harriman, Luke Hume, Seamus Kelly, Toby LEstrange, Mike MacDonald, Liam Murphy, James Paterson, Shawn Pittman, John Quill, Chris Saint, Blaine Scully, Robbie Shaw, Adam Siddall, Louis Stanfill, Andrew Suniula, Phil Thiel, Nick Wallace. Cheap Authentic Jerseys China NFL Hoodies Youth NFL Jerseys Cheap Wholesale NFL Hoodies Wholesale NFL T-shirts Cheap Jerseys 2020 Stitched Jerseys Stitched Jerseys China Jerseys Wholesale Youth NFL Jerseys Cheap Camo China NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Store Wholesale Authentic Jerseys Wholesale NFL Hoodies Nike NFL Jerseys China ' ' '