Month: August 2023

Liam Smith vs Chris Eubank Jr 2

Tuesday 29th August 2023

Liam Smith vs Chris Eubank Jr 2

Smith and Eubank Jr. initially faced each other in January, engaging in a highly intense bout at the AO Arena. The fight ended in a dramatic fashion, lasting only one minute into the fourth round before Smith secured victory with a pair of stunning knockdowns. Eubank Jr, unhappy with the referee’s decision to stop the fight, was determined to seek revenge. He activated the rematch clause in their contract and embarked on an extensive training camp to avenge his loss to Smith. The upcoming bout promises to be a high-stakes and intense encounter between these two determined fighters.

If you are looking for the perfect place to get involved in the atmosphere of this epic rematch, secure your spot at your local pub and get ready to soak in every jab, hook, and knockout in HD!

Find Your Local Showing Liam Smith vs Chris Eubank Jr 2

Can’t find a pub? No worries, give our experts a call on 020 3326 6025

The First Fight

Both boxers looked super sharp in the opening round. Eubank was landing sharp jabs, but Smith was feinting, trying to draw the jab, and looked so patient in his style and confident in his ability that he was able to land some cracking counters. The close opener, but Smith just edged it with his better work. 

In the second round, Eubank changed it up to a box on the outside in round two and create some distance between them, which prevented Smith from getting into range, but Smith stuck to him like glue, and Eubank had to work hard, and use up a lot of energy as he was constantly stalked by Smith.

The third was such a good round for Eubank that he became a bit too comfortable and complacent in the fourth. When he was backed into the corner, he neither held nor fired back, instead moving his head and upper trunk cockily, fully exposed and not respecting his opponent’s power, and was stunned with a big left uppercut and ensuing left hook that each did the real damage, both big shots part of a relentless 10-12 punch barrage. This led to Eubank’s defeat as the referee called the fight before he got knocked out.

Find Your Local Showing Liam Smith vs Chris Eubank Jr 2

Can’t find a pub? No worries, give our experts a call on 020 3326 6025

How will it go down?

Liam Smith dominated Chris Eubank Jr in every way when they met in January as he knocked his opponent out in the fourth round. Eubank Jr has three defeats on his record – against Smith, Billy Joe Saunders, and George Groves. Smith has three defeats under his belt, but he has won his last four bouts. Eubank will come out all guns blazing against Smith. He will feel embarrassed at how he was defeated and still feel he can knock Smith out. We expect Smith to take everything Eubank has to throw at him and grind out a win.

However, this fiery affair will not be an easy fight. Chris Eubank Jr has revenge on his mind.

We Love Sport prediction

We are predicting a very close fight that will go longer than the first fight. We believe Liam Smith will be too technical for Chris Eubank Jr and see Smith coming out on top here.

Prediction: Liam Smith to win between 7-9 Rounds

Find Your Local Showing Liam Smith vs Chris Eubank Jr 2

Can’t find a pub? No worries, give our experts a call on 020 3326 6025

We Love Sport x Boxing

Here at We Love Sport, we love boxing. For every big fight card, we do our utmost to make sure We Love Sports pubs and bars are the best place to watch the fight other than in the arena or stadium itself. 

Reasons to NOT watch F1 in the pub

Monday 28th August 2023

Reasons not to watch F1 at the pub

The F1 season is well and truly underway with Red Bull continuing their dominance as they’ve flown out of the traps. Other than the title challenge though, it has been a fantastic season all over the grid in terms of competition. However, why on EARTH would you want to watch that in the pub? We couldn’t think of anything worse, here’s why…

1. The pints are too cold & there’s too many options to pick from

We’ve all been there, right? You’ve been waiting for your first pint of the day. You & your mates have decided to go the pub for the F1. You arrive at your local We Love Sport pub or bar & you’re greeted with TOO many options to choose from. Then, when you FINALLY order, it’s too cold! At home, there’s lukewarm cans left, right and centre. And don’t even get us started on The Pit Crew. If you join it, you get a free pint of Peroni dropped into your email head of the race… who’d want FREE drinks!?

2. The TV’s are in such high quality

4K, UltraHD, HD. What’s all this nonsense? The best way to watch F1 through my SCART lead, like the good old days. The TV’s in the pubs are way too clear and don’t even start the conversation nof the sizing. Who needs TV’s that big and clear?

3. The sound is perfectly clear and the right volume

Now this one really grinds my gears. The last thing anybody needs when watching Formula 1 is to hear any noise. The sound of the engines are just too loud. Yeah, cars are pretty but there’s no need to hear them so clearly! Not only that, there’s Crofty and the rest of Sky Race Control doing nothing but giving us information and updates. Don’t get that at home, simply mute it.

4. The atmosphere in the venue in the big moments is TOO electric

Verstappen getting Hamilton in the last lap in Abu Dhabi 2021 & Hamilton overtaking Perez & Leclerc in the one swoop in Silverstone 2022. The thought of the atmosphere in the pub when that happened was probably UNBEARABLE. It would’ve given goosebumps all around as the excitement kicked in. Nobody’s heart rate needs that. Better at home where the TV can just be switched to Friends (for the 1000th time) and forget all about the mental scenes that have just occurred.

5. The food is too nice and someone else cooks it for me

This is the final straw. Chicken wings, pizza, burgers!? They are too delicious in the pub and to be honest the line is drawn when someone else cooks the food. What do you mean that all that has to be done is order and a great chef will cook the food and bring it to the table as the racing is on? Nah, too far.

We Love Sport x Formula 1

Yep, that’s right. The pubs have a fantastic range of cold pints with a great variety of foods for you to choose from. Not only that, but the screens are also clear and large with We Love Sport pubs and bars having the perfect volume & top-drawer atmosphere for all of those big moments. So why would anybody ever consider watching Formula 1 in the pub!?

Women’s World Cup Final: Spain v England

Friday 18th August 2023

Women’s World Cup Final: One Game to Immortality

After a month of thrilling football, it all comes down to one more game. Spain meet England in Sydney at 11am on Sunday in what will certainly be an end to end rollercoaster. The two sides have seen off plenty of strong teams and now they are 90 minutes away from footballing immortality. England aim to hold both the European Championship and World Cup, whilst Spain aim to be the first side in women’s football to hold the Under 17 World Cup, Under 20 World Cup and World Cup.

Make sure you watch Sunday’s game in a We Love Sport pub or bar anywhere across the country. We’ve been there every step of the way and we’ll hope you’ll join us for the first World Cup Final that the women’s team have reached.

Route to the final

England reached their first World Cup Final after defeating co-hosts Australia 3-1 in Sydney. The game was tight and tense but goals from Ella Toone, Lauren Hemp and Alessia Russo sealed the game for The Lionesses. England topped their group which featured China, Haiti and Denmark, defeating all three and finishing with 9 points. This saw England face Nigeria. The Lionesses made hard work of this game, with Lauren James getting sent off. The tie went to penalties with Chloe Kelly emphatically scoring to put them through. A 2-1 win against Colombia in the quarters put them through to their game against the hosts. 

Find Your Local Showing the Women’s World Cup Final

Spain reached the final after a dramatic 2-1 win against Sweden. Despite conceding an equaliser in the 88th minute, the Spanish side managed to grab a winner just 60 seconds later. Their journey started in the groups where they comfortably defeated Costa Rica and Zambia, but were humbled 4-0 by Japan in their final group game. The Spanish women’s national team won their first ever knockout game when they defeated Switzerland 5-1 in the Round of 16, and they then put Holland to the sword, defeating them 2-1.

Keys to victory

Both Spain and England possess some of the best players on the planet and it’s a battle of tactics. England are relentless, physical and nonstop. Spain on the other hand have a similar philosophy to the men’s side of old – keep the ball and break teams down slowly. The tactics both sides employ are clearly incredibly effective and these are the best two sides on the planet.

Sweden showed though, that stopping the Spain midfield can really slow down the entire team and nullify them. The energy of England’s midfield will likely do just that. The winner of the 2022 Ballon d’Or, Alexis Putellas, will be aiming to add another trophy to her fantastic collection and the world’s best player will undoubtedly have a say in Sunday’s match up. Salma Paralluelo has taken the tournament by storm too. She has won 3 international underage tournaments and will be looking to achieve legend status already as she’s already scored two of the biggest goals in history!

For England, it comes down to their defensive prowess. The team have shown excellent resiliency in the face of a lot of adversity. Stars like Beth Mead, Leah Williamson and Fran Kirby missed the tournament through injury, which probably made The Lionesses think they’re cursed. Lauren James’ red card made the round of 16 a much tougher task than it needed to be, but they got over the line. Sarina Wiegman has brought a lot of grit into this national side and it showed in the EURO’s last year and is showing now. Grit and hard work will be what defeats this classy Spanish side, with Millie Bright leading a defensively strong unit.

Find Your Local Showing the Women’s World Cup Final

Prediction

You’d be a fool to put money on this game, or to put your name to a prediction. That’s why we won’t. This final is as 50/50 as it possibly could get. Two sides excellent at a plethora of different things and both of these sides could go back to Europe as worthy World Champions.

We Love Sport x Women’s World Cup

Our partnership with HerGameToo has really helped us flourish when it comes to the women’s game. As the Women’s World Cup has taken over the nation, we’re proud to have supported the tournament in We Love Sport pubs and bars. No matter how the game goes Sunday, we’re looking forward to continuing our longstanding relationship and promoting the women’s game even further.

Free Drink for the World Cup celebration!

Friday 18th August 2023

Free Drink If The Lionesses Win!

England play Spain on Sunday in the Women’s World Cup Final! They’ve done the country proud over in Australia and New Zealand and at 11am, the whole country will be supporting them. We want the pubs filled and the atmosphere to be bouncing for the girls.

Hopefully, England come away victorious and if they do, Heineken will be offering a free drink to those in specific We Love Sport pubs and bars! When you arrive at a We Love Sport pub or bar, you’ll be given a voucher for any drink in the Heineken catalogue to be used if England win the World Cup.

Where’s the offer valid?

If England win, you can grab a your free Heineken bar in 4 brands under the We Love Sport umbrella for Sundays Final. Make sure you’ve booked your table so you can enjoy the final as comfortable as possible and have a space to enjoy your free drink if England win.

WALKABOUT

Walkabout’s up and down the country will be showing the final and your free drink voucher will be valid here. Click here to book your table at your local Walkabout!

CLUBHOUSE 5

Our new sports bar in Leicester Square is another place where the offer is accepted! The Lionesses game will be live from 11am – book here for Clubhouse 5!

SPORTS BAR & GRILL

There are 6 Sports Bar & Grill’s across London and the Heineken offer is valid here too! Grab your table and your drink as history unfolds. Click here to book at any of the 6 sites. 

CRAFTED SOCIAL

Our Crafted Social pubs and bars are buzzing for the World Cup Final. Heineken’s offer to celebrate the final is also valid here, so if click here to find and book your local Crafted Social pub or bar!

We Love Sport x Women’s World Cup

The Women’s World Cup has been excellent and thrilling. It all comes down to this one game. We’ve loved supporting the Women’s game and hopefully we’ll be celebrating in the pubs on Sunday afternoon. We’re delighted to bring this offer to our pubs with Heineken and we can’t wait to see how the women’s game develops further in pubs!

Anthony Joshua vs Robert Helenius: Who is Helenius?

Tuesday 08th August 2023

Anthony Joshua vs Robert Helenius

We had a very informative blog post created talking about the ins and outs of Anthony Joshua vs Dillian Whyte II. Unfortunately, leopards don’t change their spots and Dillian Whyte failed a drugs test for the THIRD time, which hopefully ends his career for the safety of others. Instead, on August 12th, the Nordic Nightmare Robert Helenius bravely steps in on 5 days notice to face AJ. It’s not the ideal fight for the fans, but all respect to Helenius and AJ for giving us a show.

Find Your Local Showing Anthony Joshua v Robert Helenius

Who is Robert Helenius?

This section is usually the tale of the tape, however we all know about AJ. Robert Helenius (32-4), however, is not quite as known as his opponent. The 39 year old Finnish heavyweight only fought on Saturday the 5th, in his comeback fight against Mika Mielonen. Helenius fought Deontay Wilder in October 2022, where he got knocked out in the 1st round. 

Two of the other losses consist of a knockout loss against Gerald Washington, whilst in 2017 he lost against Dillian Whyte. However, hard to judge a man who loses to a drugs cheat. He has however beaten three world champions in the shape of Lamon Brewster, Samuel Peter, and Siarhei Liakhovich. And way back in 2011, he defeated Derek Chisora.

How will it go down?

On paper, it should be an easy night at the office for Anthony Joshua. Helenius’ record isn’t exactly fantastic, but he is fresh off of the back of a strong performance. Yes against a man who doesn’t have a Wikipedia page, but after a strong camp and performance, he’ll be in fantastic shape and will be more than ready for this chance. Helenius would’ve known he was in contention to fight AJ, as the fight was called off before Helenius competed, so there is no worries about post fight indulgence.

Find Your Local Showing Anthony Joshua v Robert Helenius

However, Anthony Joshua will be looking at Helenius as an easier opponent than Whyte. Helenius is 6’6 but doesn’t have the greatest finishing record. It’s a chance for AJ to really put his marker down after a relatively lacklustre fight v Franklin. 

We Love Sport prediction

Helenius isn’t a complete walkover, but Anthony Joshua should be looking to take the Finnish man out early. He’ll be aware that the fans are disappointed with the opponent and will want to put on a show and to make it clear he is still in the hunt for the top of the tree.

Prediction: Anthony Joshua by KO/TKO between rounds 4-6.

Find Your Local Showing Anthony Joshua v Robert Helenius

We Love Sport x Boxing

Here at We Love Sport, we absolutely love boxing. For every big fight card we do our upmost to make sure We Love Sport pubs and bars are the best place to watch the fight other than in the arena or stadium itself.