Schumi is back!

Yes, 7-time world champion Michael Schumacher is back in Formula One. He will be driving the other Ferrari up until Felipe Massa is fit again to drive for the Italian carmaker.

This is good news to Ferrari and F1 fans alike. And I am equally delighted for I have not followed F1 as much as I did ever since his retirement in 2006.

This is another challenge for him and knowing how competitive he is, people will naturally expect him to win some races. But whatever the outcome, it will not diminish the fact that he is one of the best, if not the best driver in Formula One history.

Now, it’s time to take those vintage red Deutsche Vermogensberatung caps out as the prancing horse will definitely be flying again.





UPDATE:

"I really tried everything to make that temporary comeback possible, however much to my regret it didn't work out"

--Michael Schumacher on his failed bid because of the neck injury that he suffered in a motorcycle accident earlier in the year that prevented him from returning to F1.

Yes, He KHAN!

Amir Khan’s convincing win over WBA light- welterweight crown-holder Andreas Kotelnik at the MEN Arena in Manchester Saturday night to become one of the youngest world champions in British boxing history proved once again that there is life after a devastating knockout loss with the right formula.

And the right stuff that help Amir Khan’s remarkable comeback to the top (after being knocked out cold by Breides Prescott in less than a minute in the first round 10 months ago) was Freddie Roach.

They wrote him off after that bitter loss as nothing but a pretender with a glass chin; a product of British media hype long hungry for another boxing hero. But he did the right decision when he left England to hook up and train with the venerable trainer in his Wild Card Gym in Hollywood right after his loss to Prescott.

And he showed improvement in his arsenal since then. Still, his win on a technicality over Marco Antonio Barrera was branded a fluke because of the Mexican Hall of Famer’s cuts and many thought that he, fighting for the title just 10 months and three fights off his knockout loss was premature.

But Roach said that his ward will be ready and will win the title come fight night. And Khan did not disappoint and proved the skeptics wrong when he fought a calculated, slick and effective fight on the way to victory against Kotelnik, a fellow Olympic silver medalist from Ukraine.

Obviously he gained a lot of confidence by holding his own with Roach's prized fighter P4P- King Manny Pacquiao in their sparring sessions at the Wild Card Gym. And with that kind of exposure, any boxer worth his salt will come out a lot better fighter than expected.

He showed his improvements in various departments: his footwork was great; his lateral movements were a sight to behold; his defense improved; his hand speed was fast and his jabs were effective. But Khan certainly needs to pack more power in his fists if he wants to be considered an elite fighter and be in the hunt for bigger prize money in the future.

Amir Khan’s chin will always be suspect until he face and overcome a heavy-handed hitter like his fellow Brit Ricky Hatton. But for now, he showed that he was able to handle a big fight and overcome the pressure of being in the ring with a veteran like Kotelnik. Surely, he is not yet in the Pacman’s class at this stage of his career but he is surely taking some small baby steps in the right direction.

After all, he is only 22 and still has a lot to learn to improve his game. And with Freddie Roach beside him, we can only see a bright future in the ring for this young lad from Bolton.

Daytona Fireworks

The 4th of July NASCAR Coke Zero 400 race at Daytona lived up to expectations as drivers engaged each other in an exciting wire-to-wire finish that ended up with Tony Stewart winning the coveted race in smoking fashion.

En route to his second win as an owner, Smoke unintentionally (?) whacked Kyle Busch into the wall when the Wild Thing tried to block him for the second time just meters away from the checkered flag.

The result was the usual and expected Big One in Daytona or in any other NASCAR restrictor- plate racing ground like Talladega.

Incidents like these would have been fatal to drivers in the past but because of NASCAR's prime focus and concern on safety including the development of the Car of Today (CoT), drivers can now race hard and focus on their strategies without reservations knowing that they are in good hands err cars.

Although many racing aficionados outside the United States (who are more exposed to the sleek and high-tech open wheel race cars in Formula One) think that NASCAR is boring, but if this kind of hardnosed, fast and furious racing continue, NASCAR will eventually earn their respect, gain more fans and attract more sponsors in the near future.

Keep the rubbers burnin' people!

Byváy Andrei ?

Andrei Arlovski, the Belorussian former UFC Heavyweight champion suffered a humiliating loss in the first round to unheralded Brett Rogers in a Strikeforce card at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri last night.

Arlovski, whom celebrated boxing trainer Freddie Roach once proclaimed as the best boxer in the MMA and has hopes of invading the ranks of professional boxing was exposed by Rogers and was never in the match as he took a left-right-left combination to the head and dropped on all fours to the mat that forced referee Big John McCarthy to call for an early stoppage.

Truly, after his brutal knockout loss to Fedor Emelianenko, Arlovski is a different fighter now. And with his glass chin, he should reconsider his ambition of boxing full time with or without Freddie Roach in his corner.

So, is it Byváy (goodbye) Andrei?

Lights Out

Saturday Night. Two fights. Same results.




Lyoto Machida's dismantling of the previously undefeated Rashad Evans at UFC 98 was an eye- opener. He will reign as the Light Heavyweight champion a bit longer than his predecessors not only because of his talent but his awkward style that baffles his opponents no end. But make no mistake about it, this Brazilian got game.



On the other hand, Toshiaki Nishioka of Japan recovered from an early knockdown in the first round to hand Johnny Gonzales another stoppage in the third round to retain his WBC Super Bantamweight crown. I am not impressed with Nishioka as fighter but on this particular occasion he rose to the challenge and poleaxed the once promising Mexican right in his own backyard to silence the rowdy crowd.


The two fights were really good but not spectacular in my book. There were flashes of brilliance but there were moments of indecisiveness. Still the winners deserved the wins.

Watch the fights here--

Rashad Evans vs. Lyoto Machida


Toshiaki Nishioka versus Johnny Gonzales

Gone in 24 Seconds

Former Pro wrestler Bobby Lashley clobbered Mike Cook in just 24 seconds during the Maximum Fighting Championship 21 at the River Cree Resort and Casino in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.



Lashley was upset with Cook earlier because Cook came in sporting a Lucha Libre mask as he taunted him and his WWE background and he made him pay for that.

Cook was cooked the moment Lashley got hold of his neck, flattened him out and choked him to submission. Referee John McCarthy stopped the fight when saw Cook's feet quivering from Lashley's stranglehold.

"I’m here for business," said Lashley (3-0). "I’m here and everyone wants to and tries to make fun of the wrestling thing. I’m real. If they want to play around, I’ll knock them out or choke them out. And that’s what I did. I choked him out and made him pay. Now he can go put the mask back on and have fun with himself."

Bobby Lashley with his size and speed has the potential to be a legitimate fighter in the MMA. But for now he is better off fighting the likes of Bob Sapp to gain the much needed experience to figure in a fight with the elite fighters like Fedor and Mirko Cro Cop in the future.

Sir Charles on the Pacquiao- Hatton Fight