Manny Pacquiao defends his WBO Welterweight championship belt against Ghanaian fighter Joshua Clottey tonight. Pacquiao was originally scheduled for a super-fight against the unbeaten Floyd Mayweather, but the fight fell through over a disagreement about blood testing. Pacquiao may fight Mayweather at a future date, but must first get through this tough clash with Clottey, who has never been knocked out.
Scotland host England today in the Six Nations desperate to earn a first win in the competition and give themselves a chance of avoiding the dreaded ‘wooden spoon’. The hosts have given a good account of themselves in each of their three games, particularly against France and Wales, but have failed to convert chances into points and have been undne by some sloppy defending.
Aston Villa continue their quest for a top-four finish in the Premier League today as they travel to Stoke. Villa are one of many sides chasing a place in next season’s Champion’s League and are currently in seventh place, four points behind Tottenham in fourth, with two games in hand. Stoke are now safe from relegation, in eleventh place, and are just hoping to secure a mid-table finish.
The new IPL season started yesterday, with the Kolkata Knight Riders cruising to an impressive 11 run victory over the defending champions the Deccan Chargers. Owais Shah (58*) and Angelo Matthews (65*) were the heroes, putting on 130 runs for the third wicket. Despite skipper Adam Gilchrist smashing 54 from 34 balls, the Chargers could not find their way back into the match, and eventually finished on 150/7.