2014 Here we come

Whether we like it or not, 2014 is here and upon us and this is the year of the new big things to come in the boxing industry, professional and amateur.  

As per usual I will be keeping it real and yes, you guessed it right, telling you as it is.

Everybody knows who the good and the great fighters are.
But wouldn’t you like to get to know the next generation of up and coming fighters.
Well in the up and coming weeks Manner’s corner will be doing just that.

Introducing you to the various young and talented stars of the future.  These will not only be Asian fighters, professional and amateur, which there are plenty of, but an array of local, national and international, these are all powerful and skilled boxers/fighters who are just on, or just on the verge of, making/breaking into the big time.

The ones you should be looking out for, or should I say worth buying a ticket or subscription to see live.  It will also give you an insight and allow you to interact with these special fighters via Twitter, Facebook and other social media outlets.

So you can follow these fighters from the beginning and all the way to the big time meaning you too can become a true fight fan.

GIVE THE FANS WHAT THEY WANT THE FIGHTS THE BRITISH PUBLIC WANT TO SEE IN 2014

Here is my list of fights the British public want to see.
With so many boxing world titles and organisations, squabbling managers and promoters, the fights I am suggesting could happen, but I doubt they will this year.
We will be lucky if some of the listed come off yet I remain quietly optimistic.

NATIONALLY
Carl Froch (Nottingham) v George Groves 2 (Hammersmith)
Scott Quigg (Bury) v Carl Frampton (Belfast)
Amir Khan (Bolton) v Kell Brook (Sheffield)
Tyson Fury (Wilmslow) v Derek Chisora (Finchley)
Martin Murray (St Helens) v Andy Lee (Limerick)
Chris Eubank Jnr (Brighton) v Billy Joe Saunders (Hatfield)
Nathan Cleverly (Cefn Fforest) v Tony Bellew 2 (Liverpool)

INTERNATIONALLY
Floyd Mayweather (USA) v Manny Pacquiao (Philippines)
Andre Ward (USA) v Gennady Golovkin (Kazakhstan)
Floyd Mayweather (USA) v Timothy Bradley (USA)
Wladimir Klitschko (Ukraine) v Anybody (in the heavy weight division who can fight back)
Adonis Stevenson (Canada) v Sergey ‘KO’ King Kovalev (Russia)
Guillermo Rigondeaux (Cuba) v Anybody (who is good enough in the superbantam weight division)
Saul Alvarez (Mexico) v Miguel Cott (Puerto Rico)

Six months and counting

Sunday 5th January marked six months to go until the Grand Depart finally arrives on the Headrow in Leeds yet before the race, the annual presentation of the competitors must be done.

With the 2014 race already breaking new ground, the biggest-ever Tour de France Team Presentation is set to take centre stage at the new First Direct Arena in Leeds.

Following the success of hosting the recent BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards, the arena will play host to the event on Thursday 3rd July 2014, just two days before the Grand Départ takes place in Leeds city centre heralding the start of two Tour stages across Yorkshire and a third in the south.

COUNTDOWN: The Tour de France will arrive in Yorkshire in less than six months for what will be an historic occasion

The event will be overseen by Martin Green, the Head of Ceremonies for the London 2012 Olympics, where he led the team who delivered the opening and closing ceremonies.

The Tour de France team presentation will see him return to the city where he studied for his master’s degree in theatre studies at Leeds University.

The Team Presentation will showcase each team to mark the official arrival of the Tour de France – the world’s largest annual sporting event – of Yorkshire’s Grand Depart where two stages will take place on the 5th and 6th July next year, with a third from Cambridge to London on 7th July.

People are now being encouraged to register their interest in buying tickets at www.letouryorkshire.com/teampresentation
before they go on sale later this year.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

The world welcomed 2014 in style last week, with excessive celebrations found across the globe as we all said ‘goodbye’ to 2013.

It was the year of the Royal Baby, the death and remembrance of Nelson Mandela, and the infamous Lee Rigby murder which has caused shockwaves throughout the country.

LONDON: Fireworks light up the sky above the Millennium Eye

In sport, the infamous Oscar Pistorius case was propelled onto television screens around the world, whilst the UK celebrated the first British champion at Wimbledon for more than 80 years, as Andy Murray revitalized the country’s passion for tennis.

In all, 2013 was of course as hectic as ever and will no doubt have had personal highs and lows for people worldwide yet no matter the circumstances, it didn’t stop the majority welcoming in 2014.

The UK held its annual firework display in London, eclipsing previous years with amazing displays.

DUBAI: Always having to be the biggest, the world’s largest firework display was found across the Palm Jumeirah

More than 400,000 fireworks were set off in just six minutes in Dubai as the country smashed the world record for the largest fire work display in history – more than five times as many as the previous record.

SYDNEY: Australia were one of the first countries to celebrate the clock hitting midnight, 11 hours ahead of the UK

The man-made Palm Jumeirah played host to an amazing synchronized display whilst the iconic Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest tower, was lit up.

NEW YORK: Confetti rained from the sky as the US brought in the New Year

Elsewhere, New York’s classic glass ball countdown dropped to zero, with fireworks and confetti accompanying a live performance from 2013’s most controversial figure, Miley Cyrus, in Times Square.

CHINA: The great wall of China lit up with an array of laser displays

However you spent your New Year, everybody at the Asian Express wishes you the best for the next 12 months and hopes 2014 will provide everything you hope for.