Russian super middleweight champ is easy on the eye

Britain’s favourite champion boxer may be a handsome devil, but our friends in Russia can boast a fighter on an even higher aesthetic plane. Say hello to sexy WBC and WBA super middleweight champ Natascha Ragonisa, who defeated Kenyan Conjestina Achieng in a controversial match last July.

Ahead of their much anticipated rematch this Friday night, the two hard-hitting ladies have been exchanging bitter words, and as an impartial observer, it’s hard to know which girl to side with. Actually, let’s go with the one who is hot and does nude photoshoots.

More pictures and sexy video after the jump…

Joe Calzaghe v Roy Jones Jr, Setanta Sports 1, Free Bets, Best Odds

Joe Calzaghe is 7/2 to win what could be his final ever fight by knockout at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night so our brothers at chickendinner have been looking at the stats to see what chance there is of that happening. Here’s what they found out:

Will there be a knockout victory?

» Calzaghe has won two of his three fights on foreign shores by knockout but he required a split decision to overcome Hopkins in Nevada earlier this year.

» Five of Calzaghe’s last six fights have gone to a decision as have each of Jones Jr’s last three since he lost successive fights by knockout in 2004.

» Calzaghe has won just one of his last three fight’s against Americans by knockout (33%) whereas the overall percentage of his victories that have come by knockout is 71%.

» None of Jones Jr’s 52 previous fights

Victoria’s Secret model with a taste for terrifying boxer-types

In the world of modeling, 24-year-old Czech Karolína Kurková is a big deal: only Gisele Bündchen and Heidi Klum are in greater demand, and she has made a comfortable living posing in clothes that only Frank Lampard can afford for the past nine years. Essentially, she could have any man she wanted, but according to German tabloid Bild, the blonde lovely has directed her affections towards a man whose nickname is Dr Steel Hammer, and whose appearance resembles that of a provincial nightclub bouncer. Ukrainian heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko is a lucky chap.

Aussie heavyweight boxer Brad Pitt, that is

It turns out that American water polo player Ryan Bailey isn’t the only athlete in Beijing to share a name with a hunky gentlemen, as Australian painter Brad Pitt will also be living in the Olympic village for the next few weeks.

Pitt is an amateur heavyweight boxer, and as you can see, he is just as pretty as his Fight Club equivalent.

Answer: no, not any more.

Oh, and Mike, someone’s dad wants his clothes back.

The best sports on the telebox this weekend

With the Snooker World Championship, a full Premier League fixture list and the Calzaghe/ Hopkins fight going down this weekend, there really is no need to leave the couch. So, er, don’t.

Spoiler reader offer: The Calzaghe fight is on Setanta, which normally costs £9.99 a month. However, if you click here and quote 1904 before midnight tonight, you can get Setanta for £5 for the first three months. So that’s the big fight, the Blackburn/ Manchester Utd game and the rest of the Premier League season for a fiver - get on it!

FRIDAY

Blue Square Premier
Burton Albion/ Stevenage Borough (Setanta Sports 1, 7.45pm)

SATURDAY

Premier League
Arsenal/ Reading (Sky Sports 1, 12.45pm)

Snooker
World Championship (BBC1, 1pm)

Championship
Stoke City/ Bristol City (Sky Sports 1, 5.15pm)

Premier League
Blackburn Rovers/ Manchester Utd (Setanta Sports 1, 5.15pm)

Calzaghe/ Hopkins, Sunday, 4am, get Setanta here

After a week of heavy promotion, humble Joe Calzaghe is still coming to terms with seeing his face plastered across slot machines, blackjack tables and room keys in the City of Sin. Provided that he isn’t over-awed by the bright lights, huge buffets and gentleman’s clubs that Las Vegas provides in such large helpings, the bods at chickendinner believe Calzaghe will be victorious in the fifth round. How did they come to this assertion? Check out their rounds betting guide to find out.

Super special Spoiler reader offer: The big fight is only available on Setanta. Subscribe for just £5 a month for the first three months if you sign up before Friday night - simply click here and quote code 1904.

[Picture: Machochip]

Without this WAG, there would be no big fight this weekend

After a thoroughly messy divorce in 2005, Joe Calzaghe very nearly gave up boxing: “If I’m made to pay her 50 per cent of all my future purses then what’s the point of boxing? The taxman already takes the other 50 per cent!” Throughout the separation debacle, however, he was given the strength to carry on by actress and model Jo-Emma Lavin. The twenty-seven-year-old Welsh beauty, who is lucky enough to have two Christian names, attends every fight and is the main reason he gets in the squared circle today:

“Jo-Emma really gave me the added belief to keep going. She just kept telling me I could do it.”