Donald McRae

United Kingdom

Author of 14 books about fighters, surgeons, trial lawyers, South Africa & real life. Interviewer The Guardian https://t.co/3NXuM5Fznd…

Articles

Northampton’s Fin Smith: ‘We love being written off. We’d back ourselves against anybody’

2 weeks ago | theguardian.com | Donald McRae

“I was always angry,” Fin Smith remembers as he explains his transition from a volatile young tennis player into the decisively calm fly-half for Northampton, England and the Lions who is as serene as he is interesting. Smith has had a remarkable year so far but there is an understated lightness about him as he recalls playing in tennis tournaments alongside Jack Draper, the current world No 5.
Jamie Smith: ‘To win an away Ashes would be every England cricketer’s dream’

3 weeks ago | theguardian.com | Donald McRae

“When the pressure’s on,” Jamie Smith says intently on an otherwise languid morning at the Oval, “it definitely gives you more of a focus. You can’t get away from the fact that, when the game is on the line, you want to be the one that takes it on and wins it. Look at some of the best players that have played the game – and the impact they’ve had in situations where they’ve been needed the most.
Daniel Dubois dismisses Oleksandr Usyk’s ‘mind games’ before showdown

1 month ago | theguardian.com | Donald McRae

Daniel Dubois warned Oleksandr Usyk that none of the mind games will matter when they step into the ring for their heavyweight title unification contest and suggested the Ukrainian would simply not be able to “handle the pain” when they meet at Wembley Stadium on 19 July.
Eubank Jr and Benn face inevitable rematch but Hearn urges caution

1 month ago | theguardian.com | Donald McRae

“I want my revenge, man,” Conor Benn said quietly in the early hours of Sunday morning as his bruised face reflected his emotional pain after he lost against Chris Eubank Jr in a wild brawl at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Chris Eubank Jr beats Conor Benn on unanimous points decision

1 month ago | theguardian.com | Donald McRae

Chris Eubank Jr dealt fellow Briton Conor Benn a first career defeat after going the distance to win their middleweight grudge match on a unanimous points decision on Saturday. All three judges scored the fight 116-112 after a pulsating 12-round slugfest, both fighters coming out hard from the start and going toe-to-toe in front of 65,000 spectators at London’s Tottenham Hotspur stadium.
Hard sell of Eubank Jr v Benn fails to disguise ugly fight loaded with danger and spite

1 month ago | theguardian.com | Donald McRae

Ben Shalom and Eddie Hearn usually do not like each other but on Thursday evening, at the final press conference for the troubling bout between Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn, the promoters were almost breathless in their audacity and unity as they hailed a gift from the boxing heavens.
Chris Eubank Jr misses weight by less than an ounce and faces £375,000 fine

1 month ago | theguardian.com | Donald McRae

British boxer Chris Eubank Jr will be fined £375,500 after missing the weight by just 0.05lb (0.8 ounces) for Saturday’s fight with Conor Benn. The fight, scheduled to take place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, is still set to take place, despite the news at Friday’s official weigh-in. Both fighters agreed a rehydration clause and can add no more than 10lb before a weight check-in on Saturday morning. Quick GuideHow do I sign up for sport breaking news alerts?
Chris Eubank Jr silences Eddie Hearn and pledges to ‘take out’ Conor Benn

1 month ago | theguardian.com | Donald McRae

The latest saga in the endless hyping of a bout that should not be happening unfolded in a pantomime atmosphere at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Thursday evening when Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn held their final press conference. Eubank Jr would not allow Eddie Hearn, Benn’s promoter, to talk as he constantly interrupted him and pointed out that people wanted to hear from the fighters rather than their salesmen.
Chris Eubank Jr: ‘I shouldn’t be doing this. But we are the daredevils of sport’

1 month ago | theguardian.com | Donald McRae

Chris Eubank Jr sits in his hotel room, locked in the extremes of a savage weight cut. Boiling down in weight gets even harder at the age of 35 but the words still flow freely. Eubank Jr can produce intelligent insights as easily as he churns out typical bombast and so he has no difficulty in explaining why his fight on Saturday night with Conor Benn will darken the British sporting landscape this week.
Alex Yee prepares for London Marathon debut

1 month ago | msn.com | Donald McRae

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