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Telegraph
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Merv Hughes interview: I should be knighted for ‘dragging' Botham out of crocodile-infested waters
Merv Hughes has spent nine months relishing his reimagining as a 21st-century Crocodile Dundee, plucking a stricken Lord Botham from the jaws of an apex predator 15 feet long. Their escapades last November on the Moyle River passed instantly into folklore, with the great larrikin of Australian cricket reportedly shelving any thought of self-preservation to ensure that England's beloved Beefy – who published photographs of bruises sustained in his fall from their fishing boat – did not end his days as the local crocodiles' lunch. 'I should be knighted,' he says with a laugh, that famous moustache twitching with delight. 'I can't believe King Charles didn't give me a call.' There was just one problem: Hughes, far from diving heroically into the murky, treacherous waters, was blissfully unaware his friend had even taken a tumble. Deciding it is finally time to come clean, he says: 'We did go fishing, and Ian Botham did fall in the water. But did I have anything to do with dragging him out? Not quite. I was asleep in my cabin. I found out about two hours later.' Hughes and Botham are hewn from the same stock, having both become Ashes icons through a combination of playing hard and celebrating harder. If Botham is immortalised in the mind's eye through that picture of him dragging on a dressing-room cigar after hitting 145 not out, en route to the timeless 1981 triumph at Headingley, then Hughes is best captured by an image marking Australia's 1993 series win by necking a bottle of Veuve Clicquot at the same ground. 'He's great company, Beefy,' says the incorrigible Merv. 'He loves a lot of things I love doing – loves his fishing, loves his drinking, loves his eating.' Tales of Hughes's ox-like constitution are legion: he could put away so much ale in his pomp that the Bay 13 brewery, named after the Melbourne Cricket Ground's rowdiest section, has launched a 'Merv' pilsner in his honour. As for food, the scale of his late-night room service orders, involving steak sandwiches galore and milkshakes in every flavour, could shock even his room-mate Shane Warne. When he failed to make the cut for the 1997 tour of England, he joked that it was the right one to miss given that the Australians were no longer backed by the XXXX brewery. 'Got to honour the sponsors,' he grins. 'We also had the McDonald's Cup in those days, where we were given Big Mac vouchers.' It feels somewhat against the grain, then, that when we meet on a breezy day in Melbourne's Docklands, still deep in the southern-hemisphere winter, he opts for nothing more fortifying than a latte. At 63, he is all that you would hope for in the flesh, with his luxuriant whiskers and well-upholstered physique arguably more redolent of a bush ranger than a fast bowler. He made an indelible impact, though, with England fans' mocking chants of 'Sumo' contradicted by his 212 Test wickets and by the verdict of the late, great Bob Simpson, Australia's former coach, that he was 'one of the most underrated bowlers in the history of the game'. There is so much to discuss, from the England players he ranks as his toughest opponents to his views on the Bazballers' new stated commitment to sledging, an art in which he can claim to be especially well-versed. Beyond all this, though, we need to establish the real chronology of his Boy's Own adventure last year with Botham in the Northern Territory. After all, his reputation for machismo is at stake here, with Botham himself hailing him as integral to the rescue act: 'Merv asked, 'Have I done the right thing?' Or words to that effect.' 'We had gone up for a charity lunch in Darwin,' Hughes reflects. 'We had a fish, and on the second day Beefy turned to me and said, 'You don't see many crocs here.' I said, 'Mate, it's not the crocs you see that are the problem.' When I got up early to admire the sunrise, I saw a 4½-metre crocodile 10 metres away, just sitting there. What people don't realise are the tides – it's a nine-metre tide. If you go off the back of the boat, you're going to get swept away. The moment Beefy went in, a couple of guys grabbed hold of his shirt so that he didn't lose contact. That's the true story. But if you want me to tell the fictitious one, I'm happy to go with that, too. The one where I dived in the water and dragged him out of the croc's grasp.' Well, it did seem a persuasive image. Although not, perhaps, if you knew the first thing about crocodiles. 'One of my sons rang me up and asked, 'Dad, did you really dive in and save him?' And I told him, 'If my eldest child went in that river, I wouldn't dive in.' You don't even dip your toe in the water up there.' Ultimately, it was the three crew members who were awake – Justin Jones, Hughes's friend and an avid fisherman, Greg Ireland, chief executive of the Northern Territory's chamber of commerce, plus the on-board chef – who took credit for hauling Botham to safety. Not that the man himself let his battered torso and wounded pride detract from the object of the trip. A few hours later, he caught a 3ft barramundi. 'He knows what he's doing, I'll give him that,' Hughes says. 'I thought he'd just be a fly fisherman, catching trout. Some people get intimidated by big fish, but he just does it easily. I was thinking, 'I wish I was that calm.'' It might be the warmest compliment to an Englishman that has ever passed Hughes's lips. For in Ashes mode he became a terror, a cartoon savage, with his curiously pitter-patter run-up – 'mincing', one observer called it – disguising an extreme malevolence of intent. It was just not his deliveries that could unsettle, with his 1993 yorker to demolish Mike Gatting's stumps a particular highlight, but also the four-letter oaths he would throw in afterwards. 'I was pretty basic,' he admits. 'That's where Mike Atherton was too good for me. He walked past me once and said something, and I had to ask Ian Healy, 'What was that?' 'Oh, he meant that you look like a chimpanzee,' Heals said. 'Why didn't he just say it, then?' 'I think he's educated, mate.' It's interesting, the way people go about it. There was nothing subtle about what I did on a cricket ground.' By any standards, it was a fascinating duel: Atherton, the Cambridge Blue, versus Hughes, whose formal schooling ended at 16 and who, pre-stardom, kept himself fed and watered working in a Melbourne toy shop. In 1989, he targeted the 21-year-old Atherton deliberately because he was young – 'I'll bowl you a piano, see if you can play that' was one favourite barb – and was impressed by the stoicism of the response. 'I went hard at him, to see what he was made of. And he was pretty b----- good. It was just water off a duck's back, it didn't faze him.' The same could hardly be said of Graeme Hick, whom Hughes tormented so relentlessly throughout the '93 Ashes that umpire Dickie Bird intervened, saying: 'Don't talk to Mr Hick like that. What has he done to you?' Apparently, he had been fond of taunting his prey: 'Turn the bat over, the instructions are on the other side.' While the Ashes brought out his most devilish instincts, his finest moment of spontaneity came against Pakistan in 1991, when Javed Miandad had the temerity to deride him as a 'fat bus conductor'. Taking his wicket a couple of balls later, Hughes, suitably piqued, revelled in calling after him: 'Tickets, please.' It is his virtuoso abilities at what Australians call a 'bit of chirp' that make him well-placed to judge England's efforts at amplifying their nasty streak. With Harry Brook, Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett all far more belligerent in confronting India this summer, the pre-Ashes tensions are coming to the boil beautifully. Except Hughes believes it is all a little too premeditated. 'If you've got to practise it, you've lost,' he says. 'If it doesn't come naturally to you and you have to add it to your game, you're better off not doing it. I grew up with it. At 14, 15, I was copping it. The big thing you learn is that you have to be in control. The best sledge you can give an opposing batsman is one that totally humiliates him and makes your team-mates laugh.' With many predictions suggesting the closest series in years, would Hughes like to see a more even series? 'Nah,' he replies. 'I really enjoy the blow-outs.' With scorelines Down Under of 5-0, 4-0, 4-0 since 2011, he has had plenty of sadistic pleasure at the Poms' expense. The difference was that the extraordinary team to which he belonged, under Allan Border's captaincy, achieved the same dominance on English soil, securing big wins on both his Ashes tours. 'I had gone over to England on an Esso scholarship in 1983, spending time in Essex, and I progressed five years in six months,' he reflects. 'Heading off on the '89 tour, we had been written off as the worst Australian team of all time. But we had confidence among ourselves. Plus, there was real combat for spots on the team. I was looking over my shoulder at guys like Michael Slater, Shane Warne, Paul Reiffel, Damien Martyn, thinking, 'I don't want to put in a bad performance here.'' Their supremacy set the tone: when they wrested the urn back from England in '89, they would not relinquish it for 16 years. It was Hughes's antics on tour that would define him. With the demeanour of a villain in a silent movie, he was fodder for England supporters whenever he ventured near the boundary rope, not least when he began chasing a stray dog on the Trent Bridge outfield. And yet the casting was one he loved. 'I can't for the life of me understand how opposing players get disturbed by the crowd. If the crowd bait you in England, you think, 'Well, at least they know who I am.' Mitchell Johnson said it was really intimidating. But mate, it's only intimidating if you allow it to be. It was the same for Botham at the MCG – they knew who he was. It's a feather in your cap.' Sometimes, Hughes's distinctions as a cricketer can be forgotten. In 1988, he took the most wickets ever for Australia in a losing cause, with his 13 for 207 against the West Indies in brutal Perth heat. That featured the most convoluted hat-trick of all, spread across three overs and two innings. Woe betide anyone who argues that it is diminished on that basis. 'People say, 'A batsman can't get 80 in one innings, 20 in another, and be credited with a hundred.' Well, batting's easy, bowling's hard. Make the rules for batsmen and leave the bowlers alone.' He blazed relatively briefly as a player, retreating to the margins after a serious knee injury. But he takes comfort from the fact that he savoured every minute. 'Paul Hibbert used to say to me, 'Treat every game like it's your last, because it could well be.' When you're 20, it sounds a stupid saying. But then you get to a point where you think, 'How real is that?' It's amazing, the things that hit years later.' Hibbert, nine years his senior, died at 56 from an internal haemorrhage reported as possibly related to alcoholism. The generation of which Hughes was part has suffered no shortage of tragedy, from Shane Warne to Graham Thorpe. 'Dean Jones, too,' he says, remembering the batsman he once called his 'brother', who died from a stroke in 2020. It is why, although he tires sometimes of being celebrated as a 'character', he is just content that his contribution continues to endure. 'You don't play 10 years of international cricket because you're a character. But I'm happy to run with it – it still gets me work, still gets me recognised. 'Character' is fine. I'm happy to go with whatever anyone wants to call me, to be honest.' And therein lies the essence of Hughes, a sledger extraordinaire but a man with no shortage of soul.
Irish Daily Mirror
27-04-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
McKenna says 'this is only the start' as he puts middleweight division on notice
Aaron McKenna warned 'this is only the start' after recording the biggest win of his career to date on Saturday night. The Monaghan man knocked Liam Smith down on his way to a unanimous decision victory, winning the WBA International Middleweight title in the process at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. It was a coming of age performance from the 25-year-old, who dominated the 12-round contest against the former WBO world light-middleweight champion, 11 years his senior, on the Chris Eubank Jr v Conor Benn card. "This is only the start," McKenna, who was given the nod by the three judges (119-108, 117-109, and 118-108), told the Irish Mirror afterwards. "I'm going to keep my feet on the ground and stay focused until I become world champion. This isn't even 10% of what I can do." He added: "What a feeling that was. I got the chance to show myself on the biggest stage in the world and with an audience that big, a packed out arena. "There was pressure on me, no one gave me a chance. All the boxing experts said Smith was too experienced, so what a time to do it." McKenna showed his slick boxing skills and fantastic movement throughout and put the rest of the middleweight division on notice. 'The Silencer' used his jab brilliantly, also catching Smith with numerous right hands and uppercuts as he maintained his range superbly, switching stances at times. The now 20-0 fighter will face anyone next and on the basis of that performance there probably won't be too many putting their hands up to share the ring with him. "It sets up anything," continued McKenna. "I believe I'm the best fighter in the middleweight division. I want any fight next. "You have the main event as well tonight. Whether they take the fight or not, I don't know. Eddie Hearn said in an interview during the week that if I win this fight it's going to be massive for Irish boxing, that I'm the next superstar coming through. "So, you could take big fights back to Ireland." McKenna also paid tribute to his opponent, who has previously shared the ring with the likes of Canelo Álvarez, and Jaime Munguía, with Saturday's defeat just his fifth from 39 fights. It was Smith's first fight since being stopped by Eubank Jr in the tenth round of their rematch in September 2023, eight months after 'Beefy' knocked him out in Manchester. The game Liverpool man kept going right until the final bell when many others would have looked for a way out in similar circumstances and managed to survive until the end of the bout after being floored by a left hook to the body in the final round. "A win like that is a nice scalp to have on your record," said McKenna. "What a legend the sport of Liam Smith is and it was an honour to share the ring with him. I watched him growing up when he was world champion. I watched his fight live against Canelo and now I got to share the ring with him. "I not only beat him, but dropped him along the way too. It's going to do wonders for my career."
Daily Mirror
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Chris Eubank Jr to wear blood of ex-opponent for Conor Benn face-off
Both Eubank Jr and Benn will meet later this evening ahead of Saturday's clash, and the former looks set to steal the show with a bold move Chris Eubank Jr will wear a custom-made jacket featuring blood from his former rival Liam Smith for tonight's face-off with Conor Benn. The 35-year-old will meet Benn at the final press conference this evening ahead of their grudge match - which is scheduled to take place on Saturday at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. 'Next Gen' is a man of fashion, but his upcoming plan is rather chilling and bold. It's no doubt a real statement - with the Brit seemingly eager to send a message to his upcoming opponent and his ex-rival. Eubank Jr's custom-made jacket, should he choose to go through with it, will have Smith's blood stitched on, according to Mail Online. The two stars first met back in January 2023 - with 'Beefy' going on to shock the boxing world after knocking Eubank Jr out in the fourth round in Manchester. Both men would meet in an immediate rematch eight months later, with Eubank Jr going on to get his revenge, knocking the Liverpudlian out in the tenth round. The 35-year-old's jacket - which took over six months to make - features panels made from the blood-stained ring canvas during the rematch. The front of the jacket has a Union Jack patch, with the date of their rematch '02.09.2023' printed on the other side. Eubank Jr's surname is printed in block capitals across the jacket - along with a bold vertical text 'CHAMPION' running down one sleeve. The back features oversized initials 'NG' - standing for 'Next Gen' - the Brit's nickname. The letters feature dark bloodstains from the sequel with Smith in 2023, with 'It's In Your Blood' embodied above his 'Next Gen' nickname. After being presented with the jacket by 1909 and Boxing News, Eubank Jr said: "This is real blood? That's sick. I'm a big jacket guy — and that is a sexy jacket." Myles Jordan, the creative director of the jacket, added: "This jacket is the essence of what we're trying to do. Luxury streetwear rooted in boxing. The materials we use are just as important as the design itself - and this piece tells a story, in every thread, in every stain." In a pre-fight documentary uploaded to Boxxer's official YouTube channel, Eubank Jr opened up on the fight and how a loss will affect his future. "Everything is riding on this fight. This is the biggest fight of my career. The most amount of money, the most amount of pressure, the most amount of everything," he said. "Everything is riding on this. A loss... it would finish me, it would ruin me mentally, emotionally, spiritually. A defeat would be devastating because not only the beef between me and Conor real, and something I wouldn't be able to stand the defeat of on a personal level. I have to uphold my father's legacy. Letting him down would probably hurt even more." He added: "It's a massive risk. For me because everything is on the line. My reputation, my credibility, my family name, my career. I've said, 'if I lose to Conor Benn, I retire.' That is a harrowing thought to know that if I don't pull this off, if I don't do what I'm supposed to do on April 27th... there's no more boxing which is all I've done since I was 14-years-old."
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
These 'beefy' Hanes T-shirts are down to $14 for 2, but they feel more expensive
You can never have enough white T-shirts. It's the wardrobe staple that never goes out of style — you can wear it in every season and it looks good on everybody. Last month, I nabbed my boyfriend a pack of these Hanes Beefy T-Shirts, and we were both pleasantly surprised by their quality. They're thick but breathable and feel so much more expensive than they are, which is an eye-opening $14 for a pack of two at Amazon. You're looking at just $7 a pop for a wardrobe staple that'll repay your investment with years of wear. And you just know that once those temps get to climbing, you'll want a breathable white tee at the ready. Though it's the essence of simplicity, a white tee that features the perfect balance of comfort and style is not the easiest thing to find. Not to mention that you want it to be durable (because anything white is a magnet for spills and stains, amirite?). Hanes Beefy T-shirts are made with a heavyweight cotton, so they're soft but have a little bit of structure to them. And they hold that shape, even after several (hot water) washes. Wear one during your workout, layer one under a sweater or rock one with a pair of jeans or trousers. Its classic crewneck is universally flattering and casually cool. These Beefys can be had in sizes from XS to 6XL and even come in tall sizes. Not down with plan ol' white? They also come in black, gray, red, navy, blue and green. Get this — more than 42,000 shoppers have give these tees a five-out-of-five-star rating. "I got these on sale and the quality doesn't make sense for the price — these shirts are so comfortable, 10/10 will buy again," said one perplexed shopper. Said another gobsmacked reviewer: "Honestly, I thought these shirts were going to be the usual thin tees that would have neck crinkle after the first wash. Boy, was I mistaken! These tees are heavy-duty, well-made, with thick, breathable cotton." "If you're looking for a solid, comfy T-shirt, this is it," opined this sly slacker. "It fits true to size, so no weird surprises there. Perfect for lounging around the house, running errands, or pretending you have your life together." "I've been wearing these Hanes Beefy-T shirts for over a decade, and they're still my favorite," this longtime fan said. "The heavyweight cotton feels durable, but super comfortable, and they don't shrink much at all in the wash. It's rare to find shirts that stay this consistent in quality over the years." Every rose has its thorn, and for some shoppers, that would be the Beefy's sizing. "For some reason, they're slightly larger and roomier than the Hanes Tagless T-shirts of the same size," this customer observed. Au contraire, retorted this reviewer: "Shirts seem to be of decent quality but the size was slightly smaller than expected." If you have Amazon Prime, you'll get free shipping, of course. Not yet a member? No problem. You can sign up for your free 30-day trial here. (And by the way, those without Prime still get free shipping on orders of $35 or more.) The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.
