Tony Kelshaw 
Anthony Joshua versus Tyson Fury predictably heads our list of the most anticipated boxing bouts of 2021, with the proposed heavyweight unification match set to break box office records. However, that isn’t the only clash fight fans would love to see this year and we’ve got five eagerly-awaited showdowns.
Porto and Benfica are both playing catch-up behind Sporting in Portugal’s Primeira Liga this season but the Dragons can put pressure on the leaders here. Sergio Conceicao’s side beat Benfica three times last term, twice in the league on route to a title triumph and in August’s cup final on neutral territory.
West Ham are well placed to have a good crack at the FA Cup this season following some solid Premier League results and should brush aside Stockport. Hammers boss David Moyes reached the final of this competition back in 2009 with Everton and three other cup semis, so he does take knockout events seriously.
Tottenham cruised through to the EFL Cup final this week and should make light work of Merseyside minnows Marine in round three of the FA Cup. Jose Mourinho is not the type of manager to get caught up in the romance of this tie and a clinical performance is expected from Spurs.
Newport have a proud history of FA Cup upsets in recent years and are backed to give Brighton a tough work-out at Rodney Parade. In the last few seasons, County have beaten Leeds and Leicester in Wales in this competition, as well as earning a replay against Tottenham.
Luke Campbell’s hopes of finally becoming a world champion in the pro ranks are expected to be quashed by rising star Ryan Garcia in Texas. Olympic gold medal winner Campbell has twice come up short at the highest level and now takes on a precocious talent being tipped to become a box-office star.
We’ve got a runner-by-runner guide to the King George VI Chase 2020 entries and our top tip to prevail in Kempton’s Boxing Day spectacular. Some of National Hunt racing’s greatest performers have claimed this prestigious prize, with Kauto Star incredibly coming out on top on five occasions.
We’re hoping to bash the bookies with five televised selections from Kempton and Wetherby for our Boxing Day racing tips. The King George VI Chase is the highlight of ITV’s coverage and we’ve turned to PA’s Ashley Iveson for expert selections on that contest and a strong supporting card.
Jose Mourinho has a great record in the EFL Cup and that makes Tottenham hard to oppose when they visit Stoke in this season’s quarter-finals. The Spurs boss lifted this trophy three times during two stints with Chelsea and again prevailed while in charge of Manchester United.
Following the announcement of six contenders, we’re taking a look at the 2020 Sports Personality of the Year odds to see who is fancied to claim this prestigious award. The winner will be announced on December 20 via a live broadcast from Salford, with voting open to the public during that programme.
Britain’s Callum Smith steps up to elite level when taking on Mexican superstar Saul Canelo Alvarez in San Antonio and is expected to relish the challenge. Beating one of the modern-day boxing greats is a big ask for the tough Liverpudlian, but we feel he can be competitive at the Alamodome.
Anthony Joshua will hope to stay on course for a mouth-watering clash with Tyson Fury next year by brushing aside Kubrat Pulev at Wembley. The Briton, who also holds WBA, WBO and IBO belts, defends his IBF heavyweight title and is expected to prove a class apart from 39-year-old Bulgarian veteran.
Leicester are hot favourites to wrap up first place in Europa League Group G by seeing off already-eliminated AEK Athens at King Power Stadium. The Foxes have already brushed aside Braga 4-0 and Zorya 3-0 on home turf and are unbeaten in their last eight European matches at this venue.
Rangers are fancied to wrap up top spot in Europa League Group D by winning in Poland against Lech Poznan, who are already out of contention for the knockout rounds. Steven Gerrard will be keen to progress as pool winners and avoid facing a team dropping down from the Champions League in the last 32.