urbansplash magazine

Wilder v Fury.An epic in the making,or mismatched misfits

2018-11-29T22:30:00.003-08:00

Fury's famous night in Germany

One is adorned in all the gold and bling trappings of a hip hop moniker, and every bit as loud and bombast.Well,almost...

The other draws his ancestry from a lineage of Irish bare knuckle boxers, and claims to have already been pre-ordained for boxing greatness from the cradle. His cheeky chappy tongue in cheek humour and easy manner belies his self confidence. But again, he's still undefeated.

Not only are their backgrounds like chalk and cheese, but equally contrasting are their paths to boxing greatness,and their respective life journeys.

Face to face

Fury,deemed by many to be awkward, unorthodox,and lacking punching power, and like Wilder today,vastly underestimated, although his record proves otherwise, shocked the world in Dusseldorf, by dethroning a legend,Vladimir Klitshko,the dominant force in heavyweight boxing for over a decade.

Pretty it was not, but in terms of boxing folklore, its significance is comparable to Muhammad Ali's famous victory over George Foreman on that famous night in Zaire. Afterwards came the decline.Into deep depression and substance abuse. All of which adds an extra strand to the unfolding tale. One can argue, that if he repeats a similar result on Saturday, it's significance would not only rival that, but possibly exceed it.

Equally,Wilder's rise has been similarly undocumented, yet his record has been brutal, and without blemish.Which is why he needs his own Dusseldorf on Saturday, for the boxing world to give him his due.

Wilder,vastly underestimated,but brutal

Heavyweight boxing, once the talking point of the masses, and the focal point of the sporting world,needs nights to rival the legends of old. Could this fight, with so many subplots and potential possibilities provide it? For the sake of boxing and sporting fans the world over, we pray and hope it delivers on its promise.

Michael Dakwa

Wenger's boys dazzle at San Siro

2018-03-10T01:49:00.000-08:00

The grave diggers had done their bit, and the funeral cortege was all lined up. All that was left was for the engravers to write out Arsene Wenger's epitaph. Or maybe not.

In a famous night at the San Siro, against a backdrop of soul crushing defeats for the Gunners, amidst a growing chorus of disgruntled fans calling for the Frenchman's exit, coupled with the fact that the San Siro did not particularly hold pleasant memories for English teams, and Gennaro Gattuso's men were on a rich vein of form, the odds looked ominous.

Dubbed, unkindly by cynics ,as the poor man's Alexis Sanchez,Henrikh Mkhitaryan could not have done more to endear himself to Gunners hearts. Especially if he keeps up this habit of turning up and scoring when it matters most. Another former United man, Danny Wellbeck did not do too badly either. Although guilty of missing a couple of gilt edged opportunities,Wellbeck was full of endeavour, something Arsenal had been missing in his absence.

Arsene's boys were brave, defiant and full of belief, and blessed with the rub of the green on the night.
At times of crisis,heroes need to emerge. If not in existence, they need to be created. And they need to consistently deliver when it matters most. Which is what Arsenal need going forward, to pacify the baying mob.

The plot in the graveyard may have been secured. The funeral cortege has not dispersed, and the undertaker may have only taken a coffee break.

But the epitaph to Arsene Wenger's legacy has not yet been written.

Not yet anyway...

Mayweather triumphs in epic bout

2017-08-31T23:55:00.005-07:00

The epic no-one saw coming...

It's all over !!!

Yet no-one saw it coming.Not in that way at least.When all has been said and done,a fight which had been decried by the purists as a farce,a profanity and an affront to the fight game,this could possibly go down as an epic.

Mayweather,the dominant genius of his sport, achieved boxing immortality by overtaking Rocky Marciano's record.McGregor,although beaten,emerged with increased respect,for making a fight,of what seemed like a seemingly impossible mismatch,into probably one of Mayweather's epic duels.

Connor surprised by dominating the earlier rounds

A case can be made about Mayweather's age.However,an ageing Floyd would still be better than most boxers.Never mind an opponent who has never graced a boxing arena.Credit must be paid as regards the vision behind the staging of the bout,a clash between the biggest pay per view stars of combat sport.

This could have only worked with the right blend of protagonists,at exactly the right time and the right stage in their careers.
And at the right price...

Maybe we will never see a combat event of this magnitude in terms of interest,primarily because they may never be another Floyd Mayweather. Or a Connor McGregor.On August 25,the gods of fight sport must have been nodding approvingly.Neither boxing nor MMA were embarrassed. Both emerged with credit,and increased respectability.

While Floyd Mayweather disappears off into the sunset,with an unblemished record,Connor Mcgregor' increased exposure to a global audience unaware of MMA,can only be a good thing for the sport.

And for all lovers of the fight game in general.

Mayweather and Mcgregor embrace after epic bout

Michael Dakwa

McGregor:Pretender or Contender

2017-08-25T10:33:00.000-07:00

McGregor:Pretender or Contender

To become a legend, one must defeat and overcome an existing legend...

To make history, one must successfully overwrite the existing template. In Las Vegas, where legends are made and broken with predictable consistency, a braggadocios Irishman attempts to rewrite a code. Where 49 others have tried to. And consistently failed.

This city's fortunes are founded on gambling and speculation. An irony that underlies Connor McGregor's attempt to scale the Everest of combat sport. Defeating Floyd ''Money'' Mayweather.

For almost 2 years,the incumbent monarch slumbered, safe in the sanctity of his undisputed legacy. An untainted, unblemished, unbeaten record. Until an imprudent young lion, whose reputation has been forged in a completely different realm, dared to throw stones at his undisturbed lair.

It seemed like fantasy, akin to an event conjured up in the mock up world of video gaming or make believe. Ironically,only in a city where the lines between fantasy and reality are almost indistinguishable, could this event even been considered a possibility.

On paper, this seems to be the greatest mismatch since David and Goliath, as improbable as Rocky Balboa upsetting Apollo Creed.Both,would have been considered an almost no go for the betting man.

But then again, such were the odds on Brexit.Or a Trump presidency...

Although Mayweather has reigned supreme for over two decades, dismissing all challengers with almost an air of arrogant contempt, Father Time waits for no man, including Floyd Mayweather. The question is, has it done enough to unscramble the DNA code, upon which his invincibility is based.

Under the bright lights of the T-Mobile Arena, on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada, a new monarch will emerge. Either to the incarnations of an Irish limerick. Or the familiar bombast tones of a hip hop rhyme.A soundtrack that has often accompanied the pound for pound, King of boxing.

With bated breath, the world awaits...

Lets get ready to Rumble!!!

Michael Dakwa

Spurs out of jail

2013-02-14T14:59:00.002-08:00

The Baleman delivers again

Gareth Bale

Cometh the hour...

The greatest players have a knack of producing the goods when it matters most.Names such as Messi ,Ronaldo,Gerrad,Van Persie spring to mind.And now add a new name to that list.

Gareth Bale...

On a night when the white shirts of Spurs flattered to deceive, looked bereft of ideas against a well organised and drilled Lyon side, two incisive strikes by man of the moment Bale, gave Spurs hope for the second leg in France in a week's time.

Bale free kick goal

Andre Villas Boas inherited a fast youthful side, bursting at the seams with self expression and creativity.This season he has added a certain resolve and tactical awareness that has seen them as serious contenders for a Champions League spot.

Except today.

This is a day that belonged to one man.With the first half threatening to end goal-less, Bale produced a brilliant free kick which had the Tottenham faithful in ruptures.It was a strike the great masters would be proud of.

Lyon equaliser

Their lead did not last long.An even more superb strike from a promising Lyon youngster ,Umtiti, threatened to steal Bale's thunder.But as they say, you cant keep a good man down.With the clock winding down towards injury time,Spurs won another free kick in enemy territory.With the White Hart faithful biting on their fingernails, up stepped the Welsh wizard to send the fans into raptures.

Lyon have shown that the return leg in France will be anything but straightforward.Yet on White Hart Lane today hung a new banner.

With Bale,anything is possible.

By Michael Dakwa

World Stunned!

2013-02-14T04:05:00.004-08:00

Role model Olympian Oscar Pistorious charged with murder

In a recent photoshoot

At London 2012

His was a story that inspired,amazed and uplifted people the world over.A young man's refusal to take his disability as inability,striving through prejudice and insurmountable barriers to become one of the most recognisable personalities in the world of modern sport.As double amputee, Oscar Pistorious broke record after record, constantly redefining the boundaries of Paralympic sport, and at London 2012,achieving a seemingly impossible goal.Competing as an equal amongst able bodied athletes,and more than holding his own.Yet today the Rainbow nation,and the sporting world at large is in shock,as this edifice comes crumbling down.This morning Oscar Pistorious was charged with murder.The questions being asked in South Africa and the world over are;

Why,and how?

At a time when the world's only superpower America, wrestles with its conscience over the scourge of gun crime,Britain reeling with a triple murder trial involving two young law enforcement officers,the Rainbow nation has too been asking questions as to how to solve the twin problems of rising crime and an ever escalating murder rate.The presence of a national and international icon in the dock brings these questions even closer to the fore.Yet at the moment ,emotions are running high.

Oscar Pistorious with girlfriend

Grief,for the young ,promising woman whose life was so tragically cut short.Bewilderment,at how such an awe inspiring athlete 's star has fallen from the heavens.Questions as to the circumstances surrounding this tragedy.The sporting world at large keeps asking.

Why,how?

By Michael Dakwa

Ball Boys the World over,unite!

2013-01-24T04:58:00.002-08:00

Benitez comments on Hazard incident

It is one of the biggest unwritten rules in football and all sport.

Ball boys should be seen and not heard.But apparently,Swansea City's had not read the contract,or blatantly disregarded it.Using delaying tactics that only a seasoned football pro would be proud of,he took all the time in the world in giving the ball back to Edin Hazard,the Chelsea star.And Hazard,in an apparent rush of blood to the head,decided to take matters into his own hands,and tried to kick the ball out of the lad's grasp,earning him his marching orders.

It is one of only the latest headlines involving a ball boy, another being an alleged racist altercation between Lee Croft,an Oldham midfielder,at Sheffield United.

Lee Croft ball boy incident

I was a ball boy once,though not fortunate enough to grace the all encompassing arenas of the Premiership,only the humble ground of my local pub team.Usually,you got a pat on the back for a job well done.Or if you were extremely lucky,some left over slices of orange from the half time team talk.Then one day I got really lucky.I got a left over bar of Snickers chocolate from a member of the opposing team.

Spurs ball boy incident

It's a highly unappreciated role,being a ball boy.You stand and patrol the line,in all weathers,rain,sleet,and occasionally snow,waiting for your moment of glory.When someone kicks the ball out of play,your chest swelling with pride,you retrieve it as fast as possible,and pass it back on to the field of play.

Andy Murray hits ball boy

Yet you are not placed in the same league as a linesman,referee,never mind a player,for this hugely important role.So I reckon there's a growing underground movement of disgruntled ball boys the world over,campaigning for recognition for services rendered.

I'm all for it.I was one myself.

I'm also hoping,that the Swansea City ball boy, receives more than half a bar of Snickers,in recognition of his hugely understated role in assisting them to their first Cup Final in god knows how many decades.

So keep out your eyes peeled for your local branch of the Ball boys Appreciation Society.

Coming soon,to a club near you

Michael Dakwa

The Dream lives on

2013-01-23T16:14:00.000-08:00

The magic of the Cup is well and truly alive.

Not the FA Cup that is,but its less illustrious cousin,the Capital One Cup.Used by most top sides to farm out new talent and experiment with fringe players,it is fast staking its claim as one of the major events in the football calender.

The emergence of two unheralded sides,mid table Swansea City,and non premiership side,Bradford City as this year's finalists,will bring a cheer for neutrals the world over.Their journey epitomised all that is good in English football.Self belief,hard work,and sheer determination to overcome the odds.Some will argue that the trophy lacks the allure and prestige of its more famous rival,yet to several clubs,it represents their only realistic opportunity to add to their silverware.With the Premier League turning into virtually a two horse race,and the domination of the Spanish giants in Europe,the Capital One Cup is rapidly growing in significance.Thus a number of top premiership teams fielded their full array of talent,making Bradford and Swansea's achievements even more remarkable.

Worthy to note is the emergence of two promising managerial talents,Michael Laudrup, and Paul Lambert.Having successfully carried the baton from Brendan Rogers,Laudrup has managed to continue the tradition of Swansea of fast,free flowing passing football,with an emphasis on teamwork,rather than a dependence on overpriced and overrated marquee players.Paul Lambert is proving that not all the best prospects in the English game have to be foreign.And again,the bedrock of his team's success has been hard work and teamwork.

Two sides,two divisions apart,yet home to passionate footballing communities,will grace the hallowed shrine of English football.And it's no less than both deserve.

Michael Dakwa

London 2012 Opening,A festival of creative brilliance

2012-07-27T17:51:00.001-07:00

Simply awesome...

Sombre... Awe inspiring,spectacular. This was a pageantry rich in depth,diversity and imagination.

Yet all unmistakably British.

With the eyes of the world watching,Britain expected. And London delivered. On its promise to showcase our culture to the world,on its pledge to pass the baton of Olympic promise to an underprivileged and emerging generation. This was another masterpiece from one of our greatest directors.,Danny Boyle. Commanding, captivating,and tongue in cheek at times. Yet laced with a clear indelible message.

Yes,we still can. And ideals of hope and aspiration can still unite a world facing a backdrop of economic uncertainty and political strife.

Set in the English countryside,the set evolved to tell the story of a nation,its history,values and achievements,the source of our inspiration,and what makes us who we are. It became a tapestry which attempted to weave all facets of British culture,arts music,and bring together generations,gradually turning into a carnival of colour,underpinned by inspired storytelling. And when Sir Paul McCartney took to the stage to roll back the years with a rendition of a Beatles classic,Hey Jude,it was a fitting crescendo to an unforgettable night.

Now lets make history.

Michael Dakwa

Reaction to Opening Ceremony

Date with Destiny:London 2012

2012-07-26T17:39:00.001-07:00

The moment is upon us...

Jesse Owens clinches gold in Berlin

Finally,the long wait is over. A nation waits in hope,expectation and anticipation. The dreams of athletes,coaches and whole nations will converge in the nation's capital. It's been seven long years in the making. But to all those participating,it's the culmination of lifetimes dedicated to perfection and achievement.

The next month will see the greatest array of sporting talent ever assembled. For the Olympic games,its been an epic odyssey through the ages,from its birth at Mount Olympus,to the so called Hitler Olympics in Berlin,where an unknown Jesse Owens shattered the myth of Nazi racial supremacy.From the controversial Moscow Olympics,where the shadow of the Cold war loomed large over the globe,to the present day,London 2012.

It's a different era. Unlike the last games staged here,when the British Empire wielded enormous influence and power, and sought to counter the growing influence of another emerging power,the United States,these games represent more a triumph of ideals rather than economic and political might. That the ideals that form the backbone of our nation still prevail. That for a month,different colours,nationalities and faiths will unite in common cause.

We hope the red and blue will blow proudly over the podium,several times. We hope our athletes will represent us with pride and dignity,and rise to the challenge,of holding firm to the firmaments of the Olympic ideal.

Courage,perseverance,a belief in our enterprise and ability. Values which have shaped the course of the games,and our history. Principles which in the next month,we will need more than ever,as we face our date with destiny.

London 2012,the moment is upon us.

Michael Dakwa

National disgrace:Denied the right to settle after risking life for queen and country

2012-07-25T19:25:00.002-07:00

Good enough to fight and die for queen and country,but not good enough to live in it

A young proud Fijian youth could hardly contain his excitement, as he paraded his regimental regalia at his passing out parade,whose roll call of military honours spans over3 centuries.

Yet for one moment,the new recruit could not envisage that 13 years later,after a distinguished military career serving for queen and country on some of the most hostile battlefields in modern warfare,Iraq and Afghanistan,his greatest fight would be to stay in the country he had risked life and limb for.

After applying for the right to remain in the United Kingdom in March 2012,Lance Corporal Isimeli Baleiwai was informed by the U.K Border Agency on 28 June 2012, that he would not be granted citizenship,for getting into a fight with a colleague. An offence for which most yobs on a Saturday night out would hardly get a caution for. Imagine the incredulity on this brave soldier's face,or his British wife and children,on being informed their father would be facing deportation,after more than a decade of enduring constant anxiety , each time he departed on a tour of duty. More still,the views of the British public and taxpayer,constantly bombarded with news of criminals with convictions of the most violent crimes,including rape and murder,allowed to stay in the country,for fear of denying them their right to a family life, claiming benefits,housing,and indulging in freedoms,which men like Lance Corporal Baleiwai risk their lives on a daily basis to defend.

What does it say for our national conscience,or sense of fair play,that there are more than a hundred similar cases of servicemen,who were proud to die for our country's flag,but now told they are not worthy to live in it?

What is this world coming to?

Michael Dakwa

Has hip hop truly transcended colour?

2012-07-25T12:31:00.001-07:00

It seemed like a typical July night at Glastonbury. Tens of thousands of delirious revellers singing along to a modern day festival classic ,Wonderwall, by Oasis,under the iconic Pyramid Stage, where legends of string ,including Pink Floyd,Bruce Springsteen and Rod Steward had previously strummed their stuff. Only this time,it wasn’t the Oasis front-man leading the chorus,but Brooklyn born hip-hop legend and producer,Jay-Z, in a seeming antithesis of what this universally acclaimed festival stood for.

It was a far cry from the days of its origins,when the genre was mainly the preserve of black underground American artists,classed as a clandestine rebel movement,on which even established black artists and DJs frowned upon,believing it to be against everything black people should aspire to. As renowned record producer and co-founder of Def Jam,Russell Simmons famously said,in 1990,'Black radio hated rap from the start,and there's still a lot of resistance to it'.

Yet mainstream or not,its emergence was accompanied by a wave of outrageous fashion styles,dance trends,and street lingo,which filtered its way to urban youths, intending to stamp their mark on a generation. Various artists ushered in their own signature garb,eagerly lapped up by youth worldwide, craving for variety. Notable examples being the infamous baggy hammer pants,which suddenly exploded on the scene ,following the runaway success of Please Hammer,Don't hurt em, by Mc Hammer' ,or scores of urban youths,with their jeans slung backwards,with the emergence of pre teen duo,Kris Kross. Hip hop fashion also provided a voice of expression for young females,eager to ditch accepted mainstream modes and show their originality and defiance. Brassy,confident rappers like Queen Latifah and ,led the charge,with a new wave of designs, which flew in the face of what it traditionally meant to be beautiful.

Throughout this revolution,hip hop found an unlikely ally in established fashion designers,who saw a niche in the market,and an opportunity to use this emerging phenomenon to re brand their own images. It is rumoured Snoop Doggy Dogg''s appearance on Saturday Night Live with a Tommy Hilfiger vest, led to an unprecedented boom in the label's popularity,with New York outlets emptying out the following day. Other designers followed suit,Nike FUBU,Calvin Klein,Reebok . This helped not only cement hip hop as a music genre,but as a culture and lifestyle. Nowadays,you are more likely to find youths of all different backgrounds using the term bling,or sporting various designer labels.

Yet this explosion of hip hop on main stream culture,has not been without its critics. Various politicians and eminent persons have been quick to heap an increase on gun and gang violence on hip hop music,forgetting that it is a wide encompassing generic term which includes several sub genres,of which gangsta rap is one. Ironically,this public demonisation only helped increase its appeal ,with various artists vying to outdo themselves in terms of notoriety. Tragically,life also began to imitate art,as several prominent artists lost their lives,due to various feuds,or 'beefs',as they are known in the industry. The loss of Biggie Smalls and Tu pac Shakur being among the most significant,and more widely publicized.

This however,did not affect hip hop's increasing influence on mainstream popular culture. Established main stream producers,such as Universal saw through its image unlimited marketing potential and artistic merit,and established Interscope Records,which brought artists like 50 Cent and The Game to the fore. With mainstream recognition,came a redefinition of hip hop as a genuine form of artistic expression. Hollywood soon followed,casting several hip hop artists as positive role models,a far cry from previous stereotypes as bad boys,gun runners,drug dealers. Nowadays,you are more likely to find a Tu pac poster in a white working class teenager's bedroom in England, as you are likely to find it in a Jewish boy's neighbourhood in Manhattan.

The very fact that it has now emerged as a mainstream phenomenon,may also mean that some of its original bluntness has had to be tempered to appeal to a wider audience. However,this should not be seen as a negative development. For any form of artistic expression to continue to thrive ,it needs to constantly re-invigorate and re-invent itself. This is not exclusive to hip hop,but all genres. That’s why it warms my heart when I see Elton John and Eminem sharing the mike,or Jay Z and Sir Paul McCartney belting out Linkin. Or alternatively,seeing a rap legend at Glastonbury paying homage to the kings of string in like fashion...

So in the words of a guitar legend ,I say,rock on.

Or ,in hip hop terms,keep it real...

Michael Dakwa

Sources for this article include:

Hip hop Music-Wikipedia,the free encyclopedia

Hip hop fashion-Wikipedia,the free encyclopedia

Keyes,Cheryl,Rap Music and Street Consciousness,p 152

Wilbekin p 282

Emerson,Para(Feb 2002)'Where My Girls at',Negotiating Black Womanhood in Music Videos',Gender and Society 16(1):115-135

Cant Stop,Wont Stop:A History of the Hip Hop Generation-By Jeff Chang

About the author

Michael Dakwa a free-lance journalist and author for a number of years, is currently the C.E.O of Stirling Publishers,and Project Manager of Miss Urban Summer Splash 2014.He is due to take up the post of editor of Urban Splash,an online magazine incorporating all things urban,due soon for online launch.