Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin

It’s been a long-held maxim in boxing that it’s impossible to add muscle to the chin. In other words, fighters who have a glass-jaw are stuck with this limitation for their entire (often relatively short) careers. However, two boxers are beginning to make me question the validity of this notion. I saw Wladimir Klitschko get brutally knocked out in 2003 and 2004, and to be quite frank, he looked like a bum. Having barely survived three knockdowns against Samuel Peter in 2005, Klitschko has now won 11 world title fights in a row. I was sure if David Haye caught him on the chin, Klitschko would fall, but Haye definitely landed at least two big right hands and Klitschko didn’t crumble. Admittedly, he didn’t land a full Hayemaker (the broken toe prevented that), and perhaps the defensive style Klitschko has adopted since those mid-career wobbles, has successfully prevented anyone from properly testing his chin. Certainly the current paucity of the heavyweight division has helped in this regard. But what about Amir Khan? How has he gone from having the most suspect chin in British boxing to being on the verge of dominating the 140 pound division (with talk of moving up to welterweight and challenging the likes of Floyd Mayweather)? Every time these fighters step into the ring – especially against dangerous punchers – I’ll still be thinking ‘maybe this time’. But how many world championship defences must a fighter make before one has to stop considering him ‘chinny’?

Hope the joke's not on Haye

David Haye should beat 'Ordinary' Harrison easily on Saturday (and I hope he does), but at heavyweight you just never know. That's why it was very silly for Haye to take this fight - if he's going to get caught by a bomb, far better that it happens against one of the Klitschko's than against some bum

What the Haye?

Now I'm always been a big fan of David Haye. But calling the Klitchko brothers out, and then choosing to duck them and instead fight Audley Harrison? Come on David, get a grip man - you're a World Champion for goodness sake. A unification bout with Wladimir Klitchko would be huge (and very winable - his chin is so suspect); a fight with 'Ordinary' Harrison is just a joke.

New Year Wishes

1/ Philadelphia Eagles or Arizona Cardinals to win the Superbowl (or at least get through the first round of the play-offs)
2/ France to win the FIFA World Cup (further devaluing an already tarnished competition)
3/ Mayweather and Pacquiao to stop bickering and have the damn fight (which Mayweather would win easy)
4/ David Haye to fight (and beat) one of the Klitschko brothers
5/ Phil ‘the Power’ Taylor to win BBC Sports Personality of the Year

And the winner is...

My 'alternative' fighter of the year award - henceforth known as The Fran - goes to David Haye. The heavyweight division has been dreadfully dull for what seems like an eternity, but finally a fighter has come along capable of generating some much needed excitement. And he's British. 'Nuff said.

Haye, Haye, USA

Congratulations to David Haye for bringing some long-needed excitement back to the heavyweight division. The Americans are going to love him - the only bad news is that he's stuck with a mandatory defense against John Ruiz, probably the most boring fighter on the planet.