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Haye v Macca v sleep deprivation

Cruiser
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That rarest of sporting events is coming...

A genuine top-class domestic boxing match-up. A true Battle of Britain to rival or eclipse Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank's dust-ups of the early 1990s, fights that made them household names.

I can hardly wait for the David Haye v Enzo Maccarinelli slugfest and am looking forward to providing the live round-by-round (if there is more than one!) coverage on the BBC Sport website.

But there is something niggling at me and I don't think I'm alone. In fact, I know I'm not.

Haye himself has criticised the build-up schedule. He bailed out of Thursday's press conference because it was scheduled (at 1230) in such a way that it would break his sleep pattern ahead of a fight which is not set to start until at least 0200 GMT on Sunday morning and probably nearer 0300.

Fair play to him. If he and Maccarinelli are boxing at a ridiculous hour in the morning, he is entitled to keep ridiculous hours in the lead-up.

The niggling issue is that this is a British fight between an Englishman and a Welshman, fought on domestic soil (at London's O2) and it is taking place at an hour when most of the British public will be fast asleep.

I know the reasons - it has to be on late so that the big money market in the USA gets the chance to watch at a convenient hour. I know that thrusting these two champions of British boxing into US primetime, will probably lead to more exciting fight nights in the future. Fight nights that we can all enjoy, albeit at odd hours of the morning.

But it still doesn't sit quite right.

Midnight over here is 1900 in New York and 1600 in LA. Surely that's an acceptable (if not ideal) start time for American fans? Does it need to be two or three hours later than that?

I'm used to dragging myself out at silly o'clock to watch the Las Vegas blockbusters (many a tired night in Norwich's Canary Cue Club as a student with matchsticks in my eyes). But it feels wrong in this instance.

What do you guys and girls think? And will you be watching? And if you are, how will you stay awake for the Battle of Britain that most of Britain will miss?

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comment by Researcher 215754 (U215754)

posted Mar 7, 2008

madness - why can't Americans just set their videos? This is a domestic match up

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comment by Belmons (U10232559)

posted Mar 8, 2008

Don't blame the Americans. It's BRITISH people who are actually putting the fight on. After all, if we slavishly follow the USA politically, why is sport going to be different?

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comment by Maxari (U9991794)

posted Mar 8, 2008

I'm in two minds as to whether to watch the fight or not - partly because it means buying Setanta and they still haven't refunded previous charges made after I had cancelled their mostly-golf service.

Not so bothered about staying up but really the fight should air at a reasonable time.

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comment by Valliant_Effort (U10656006)

posted Mar 8, 2008

hearns_fan_86 - I'm with you on this one. If there wasn't a fight on i'd only be on the town getting cabbaged anyway, at least there is something to look forward to!!!

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comment by welshdragon87 (U10819495)

posted Mar 8, 2008

Until the sport gets more publicity over here, we're stuck with US controlled times for events. Calzaghe winning Sports Personality of the Year is a start but the British media needs to do its job to help the sport.

As for the comment above that Macca isn't in Hayes league... have you seen Macca fight? He could realistically lay Hayes out if he lands a punch.

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comment by U10727175

posted Mar 8, 2008

Alex Trickett, I agree that the hype is justified but that shows how boxing has changed. Neither David or Enzo are great fighters, they're good in their own ways but they don't compare to what we once had in Holyfield or Muhammad Qawi. I hope they box aswell as fight.

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comment by LondonLee_18 (U10368812)

posted Mar 8, 2008

What time it's scheduled is the LEAST of my problems. My main problem is with the great BBC and their lack of ownership on anything BRITISH. We can't even watch the fight live!

Absolutely pathetic!

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comment by taxi driver (U2787547)

posted Mar 8, 2008

Its DISGUSTING and TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE to schedule ANY sporting event at such a time that is inconvenient or unnatural for the host nation to see.

I am sick to death of TV audiences dictating when something happens - surely the time itself is more than a little inconvenient for the fighters themselves ?

Its the same with the death of 3 pm saturday kick-offs for the benefit of china and the rest of asia. Its DISGUSTING.

I would like TV to go away - sport is being ruthlessly mocked for the sole purpose of lining the pockets of the minority

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comment by whalleyrangeblue (U8617145)

posted Mar 8, 2008

free-premiership-football.com.try that.<wink>

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comment by chrisjpjones (U11214182)

posted Mar 8, 2008

If Setanta don't sort the satellite out then we will not be able to see it regardless of what time it is being shown!

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