So Tucker Pudwill is now the new challenge facing me a week on Saturday.

These last minute changes happen far too often in boxing for everyone's liking and I have every sympathy for boxing fans who are gearing up for a night watching both myself and Ricky Hatton against our scheduled opponents.

Tate pulled out the fight with yours truly because of a perforated ear drum incurred during sparring. Ricky's fight was changed for a less satisfactory reason called contractual problems which should be more controllable and there should be appropriate penalties in place to stop it happening.

So what about Pudwill? An experienced pro and IBF contender who took Ottke all the way. We're going to have to build up the dossier on him and check out all the fight videos over the next few days and figure out the fight plan.

Either way, this is part of the bigger picture. If I am to fight Bernard Hopkins or Roy Jones Jr. next year I must step into the ring on a regular basis and this should increase my level of performance accordingly.

The Hopkins fight is looking more and more likely with a lively exchange of views already brewing up. I would hope that the date and venue would be set with a degree of urgency after next week.

Over the years, I have suffered many frustrations when I simply haven't fought often enough mainly due to injury. This year, I set my stall out that I was going to fight again before the end of the year. I would have liked that fight to be against Hopkins but rather than wait around it was my desire to fight now that prompted the initial match up.

Too many times in the past, I have ended up fighting in January and had to endure a miserable Christmas training and dieting when I should have been putting my feet up with the family. I was determined that this was not going to happen this year.

In a really quiet week for Sport, there has not been much else remarkable to comment on other than the continuing woes of our cricketers in Australia and the continued improvement of Manchester United and Chelsea.

As for the cricket , we really have no other option but to take it on the chin. At least over the next few weeks the one-dayers give us separate perspective and challenge with the chance to blood a few fresh faces. Whatever happens we have to try to come back from this tour with a few positives and a plan for how we are going to re-build and improve.

Some of this is going to involve the old-fogeys getting Team England on a truly professional base . If too much cricket or even sub-standard County cricket is to blame then we have to nurture our best young talent in the best environment possible.

We can only do this by selecting a squad of players and giving them all central contracts rather than the chosen few. Its a tough decision but the right one especially if the talent is thin on the ground.

I have to be pleased with my tipping of the Man Utd upturn. Defensively they look a lot stronger and Michael Sylvestre seems a natural talent and solution to their central defence problems. If Wes Brown can steer clear of injuries and the return of the star names will see a decent challenge to Arsenal after Christmas.

As for Chelsea. I think Claudio Ranieri has rubbed the magic lamp and for once he's got a decent result from the genie within.

With hardly any changes to the squad, there is now a rock solid defensive platform with the outstanding Marcel Desailly and William Gallas , a combative and compact midfield and the prospect of either Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink or Eidur Gudjonnsen hitting a rich seam of goals to complement Gianfranco Zola's hefty haul.

Us Chelsea fans dare not think the unthinkable that we will compete and win the Premiership. After all we still have the Highbury steamroller in the way.

Realistically I don't think Chelsea will win the league as a few key injuries will inevitably take their toll but a Champions League spot is on the cards in a season that was met with a fair level of fan despondency in August.

Over the next few days the Press Machine rolls into gear as part of the build up to the fight . I look forward to giving you the run down and my thoughts on the fight next week .