Month: October 2018

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The Greatest Men Tennis Players of All Time

Tennis was an amazing sport during the 1970’s. It was then when it became a mainstream sport as opposed to a sport for the privileged, especially in the United States. With players like Chris Evert, John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg, Jimmy Connors, and others, there were certainly loads of personalities that fuelled rivalries taking place off and on the court.

Since then, plenty of sensational players have come and gone, making it difficult to compare players from various eras as the fitness standards were different and the technology involved in tennis continues to get more advanced. Despite these challenges, we decided to compile a list of the greatest male tennis players in the history of the sport.

1. Roger Federer

It’s difficult not the choose Roger Federer as the greatest tennis player of all time. He has a total of 20 Grand Slam titles, and at the age of 37, he continues to win at the highest level. He spends 310 weeks as the number 1 player in the world which included 273 successive weeks between 2004 and 2008. He managed to win the Australian Open in 2018 and, in 2017, he won the Australian Open as well along with Wimbledon, making him the greatest of all time without a doubt.

2. Rafael Nadal

If it was not for wrist injuries and recurring problems with his knees, Rafael Nadal might have more Grand Slam titles to his name. At the age of 32, Nadal has a total of 17 Grand Slam titles and has the ability to catch Federer before he retires. Known as the King of Clay, Nadal managed to claim his 11th French Open title, proving himself as one of the greatest male tennis players in the world.

3. Novak Djokovic

Placing Djokovic on our list was an easy decision. However, deciding where to place him wasn’t as easy. He is only 31 years old which means he still has loads of tennis left in his career and the opportunity to claim more Grand Slam titles before he decides to retire. Although 2017 was not the best year in his career, Djokovic did manage to claim the French Open in 2016 and managed to win Wimbledon in 2018 after beating Nadal in the semi-finals.

4. Rod Laver

Rod Laver turned pro in 1962 and retired in 1979. He has a total of 200 career titles and 11 Grand Slam titles, including 4 Wimbledon, 2 US Open, 2 French Open, and 3 Australian Open. He was also included in the Tennis Hall of Fame in 1981. He is also the only player to win the Grand Slam twice, once as an amateur during 1962 and again in 1969 when he turned pro.

5. Pete Sampras

Pete Sampras turned pro in 1988 and retired in 2002. He has a total of 64 career titles along with 14 Grand Slam single titles, including 5 US Open, 7 Wimbledon, and 2 Australian Open. He was also included on the Tennis Hall of Fame in 2007.

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Floyd Mayweather Responds to Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Challenge

Floyd Mayweather has recently responded to the challenge requested by Khabib Nurmagomedov to come out of retirement and meet him in the ring. Nurmagomedov wants to make Las Vegas great again and its’ for this very reason that he decided to challenge Floyd Mayweather to a fight.

Floyd Mayweather


The world-renowned boxer with a 51-0 record was last seen when he entered the ring to battle it out against Conor McGregor in August 2017 where he managed to defeat the UFC fighter in a 10 round bout. This was little over a year ago before Nurmagomedov defeated the Irishman when he made his return to the UFC.

Khabib Nurmagomedov

After he successfully defended his lightweight championship at UFC 229, Nurmagomedov has loads of options in front of him. He can either agree to a rematch against Conor McGregor, look forward to an exciting showdown against Tony Ferguson, or make a move to WWE or Bellator if he so chooses.

However, the current lightweight UFC champion decided to take a completely different route by calling out Mayweather to return to the ring which will also provide the largest payday of Nurmagomedov career so far. His message to the American boxer, that is still undefeated after 51 fights, appeared on the Instagram page of Leonard Ellerbe’s for everyone to see. “Let’s go, Mayweather” Nurmagomedov stated. “We need to fight now, 27-0 vs 51-0, two fighters that have never lost a bout. Cause in the jungle there can only be one king. I am obviously the king as I managed to drop McGregor.”

Mayweather accepted the challenge and called out several companies to book the bout between the two fighters that are both still undefeated. “MGM Grand, Showtime, and CBS get your chequebook ready,” Mayweather stated. “ Visit Leonard Ellerbe’s Instagram page to view Nurmagomedov’s challenge.”

His statement to make Las Vegas great again seems to be a direct link to the unfortunate events that unfolded after the main event at UFC 229, with Nurmagomedov and his team involved in a distasteful scene with McGregor’s team as vicious fights broke out both out and in the Octagon.

Nurmagomedov triggered the post-fight brawl when he jumped the Octagon fence to confront McGregor’s trainer and teammate, Dillon Danis, while McGregor was punched by three of Nurmagomedov’s team members in the Octagon following pre-fight insults regarding Nurmagomedov family, background, and religion.

Fight Won’t Happen Anytime Soon

Due to the events that took place at UFC 229, the fight between Nurmagomedov and Mayweather is likely to happen far into the future as Nurmagomedov is facing a prolonged ban from the sport while remaining under investigation by the NSAC. Nurmagomedov had his $2 million purse withheld due to his awful actions. Both Nurmagomedov and McGregor are scheduled to appear in at the NSAC hearing on 24 October 2018. Mayweather constantly teases that he will make a return and recently claimed that he would like a rematch against Manny Pacquiao when they met last month in Japan.

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What’s Next for Conor McGregor After UFC 229?

Conor McGregor made his return to the octagon at UFC 229, but nothing went according to plan as he was submitted in an explosive encounter with Khabib Nurmagomedov in Las Vegas recently. McGregor returned after being away for almost two years but was completely outclassed by ‘The Eagle’, whose rear-naked choke on McGregor forced a submission during the fourth round of the fight.

The end result caused havoc at UFC 229 as Nurmagomedov jumped out of the cage and caused a riot within the arena, while McGregor was attacked in the octagon as Nurmagomedov’s team members jumped over the octagon during the riot. The aftermath will certainly see fallouts on both sides where Nurmagomedov might be stripped of the lightweight title. Despite the devastating loss, McGregor continues to be a star attraction and has multiple options ahead of him. So what will McGregor do next?

Khabib Nurmagomedov

The riot that was caused by Nurmagomedov after the fight might preclude a rematch should the Nevada State Athletic Commission decide to come down hard on Khabib. McGregor is certainly keen on the idea after his tweet on Sunday stating that he is eager for a rematch.

Any rematch between these two fighters will undoubtedly be a very lucrative affair for all parties involved, but after the riot that took place this weekend, the UFC might be halted in their tracks. The fact that Nurmagomedov is still unbeaten also needs to be considered. So does McGregor actually deserve a rematch against the current champion?

Should McGregor want to continue fighting when it comes to the UFC, Tony Ferguson is the most logical choice to make. They both have a mutual dislike towards each other, but nothing close to the enmity between Nurmagomedov and McGregor. Ferguson has been eager to fight McGregor for a long time and is currently ranked second in the lightweight division. In addition, McGregor will earn himself the right to face Nurmagomedov again should he be able to defeat Ferguson.

Anderson Silva

McGregor was asked about any future opponents he would like to face prior to his fight against Nurmagomedov. Surprisingly, McGregor mentioned Silva who is considered the greatest fighter in the UFC of all time. Silva dominated the middleweight division between 2006 and 2013 and boasted with a 16 fight winning streak at one stage. However, Silva’s best days are behind him, and the discrepancy with weight between the two fighters will undoubtedly create a bout between them.

Retirement

This is probably even more unlikely than McGregor facing off against Anderson Silva. However, it should be an option for McGregor who is set for life financially after another extraordinary payday where he took home nine figures after being defeated by Nurmagomedov.

Why on earth should McGregor risk his health over the long term in a brutal sport that can cause instant irreversible damage? Well, there’s no denying that he loves the sport and that will surely keep him in the fighting game for many years to come.

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The Skills and Styles of Christiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi

Whenever Real Madrid used to play against Barcelona in a professional soccer match, the most obvious subplot was always the battle between Christiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. They are, without a doubt, the two highest paid soccer athletes in the world. Christiano Ronaldo recently signed a multi-year contract deal with Juventus for $136 million and makes a whopping $36 million as an annual salary.

Lionel Messi has Christiano Ronaldo beat in the salary department. When he signed a multiyear contract with Barcelona, there was a staggering $835 million buyout clause. He also received a cool $59 million signup bonus and makes an annual salary of $50 million per year, including bonus money.

Both of them have won the FIFA Player of the Year award on multiple occasions and scored goals in the Champions League final. Their statistics and style of play will offer hints on who the best player actually is. Let’s take a look.

Head vs Feet

Soccer players are allowed to score with both their feet or head, and Ronaldo and Messi have distinct differences when it comes to this area. Messi is a left-footer and completes most of his goals on the left side. Messi is also incredible in one-on-one’s and has the ability the curl the ball into a corner, or even produces a couple of spectacular piledrivers. Where Messi enjoys displaying true finesse when it comes to scoring a goal, Ronaldo relies on sheer power. Ronaldo is a right footer but can also score with his left foot. His record of goals speak for themselves, but when it comes to foot power, Messi certainly has the edge.

Free Kicks

Messi has the ability to produce exquisite goals that bend past the goalkeeper and his free kicks incorporate more finesse as opposed to brute force. On the other hand, Ronaldo has more variation when it comes to free kicks where he manages to swerve the ball into the goalpost which is quite remarkable each and every time. Therefore, Ronaldo has the edge when it comes to free kicks.

Control and Dribbling

Messi is an incredible dribbler, and no one can argue that he is the best in the world, especially when you look at how he destroys his opponents. Messi’s greatest strength is the fact that he has quick feet and a beautiful technique over and above his pace. There’s a handful of players that can perform a stepover in the same manner as Ronaldo and it is this skill that assists him in beating his opponents every time. However, he relies more on his pace to beat his opponents as oppose to Messi which means Messi has him beat in this department.

Conclusion

Messi, due to his small size, can be knocked over quite easily but he is very capable of holding his own, especially when its one-on-one. On the other hand, Ronaldo is far more physically imposing. Messi has more influence in the game, while Ronaldo is a bit of a bully. Ronaldo has obviously scored more goals, but when it comes to overall performance and technique, Messi certainly takes the crown.