The one-handed boxing Roo

The front page report in The Sun today had a few of us scratching our heads.

Apparently Wayne Rooney, the young England and Man United forward, took out the Blackburn defender Michael Gray with a single punch in a Manchester nightspot at the weekend.

The foolhardy Gray was said to have approached the table where Rooney was sitting with his fiancee, Coleen McLoughlin, and suggested that they might enjoy, er, a threesome.

"Gray hit the deck and by the time he stopped seeing stars he was removed from the club," one witness told the newspaper.

But the interesting thing is that, according to the Sun report, Rooney did it "WITHOUT getting out of his seat".

So how do you deck a Premiership footballer with a single punch while still remaining seated? 

We asked Ron Lewis, Times boxing writer, who said: "It's incredibly difficult - either that or the other guy was incredibly drunk. Proper punching comes from the whole body, from getting your feet properly grounded. It's difficult to throw a decent punch when you're off balance, let alone sitting down."

Lewis points out that Rooney's younger brother was a national schoolboys champion, his father also boxed, and Wayne himself was handy with the gloves until he signed up for Everton as a teenager.

Perhaps he could give a few tips to Curtis Woodhouse, ex-Sheffield United and Birmingham City, who has given up the Beatiful Game altogether to make his name in the Noble Art and has his debut tonight in a welterweight bout at a hotel in Park Lane. It's a far cry Woodhouse's days in the Premiership, when most of his fights were outside pubs in Birmingham.

Woodhouse has got big ambitions but admits that he's got a lot to learn:"I'm not going to start calling out Floyd Mayweather."

As a mere welterweight, he'd better not call out Wayne Rooney either.

Comments

[Joe Louis]

It was probably an 'arm punch'. Wayne Rooney is naturally stong and has big arms and a powerful torso; he probably transferred his weight from one arse cheek to the other as he threw the punch. Good on you Wayne, nice to know that with all that time in an England shirt, they haven't quite rinsed the Irish out of you.

[Morgan Goford]

This sort of thing happens all the time, always has and always will. We are animals don't forget, we may have evolved considerably more than all other animals, but we remain animals nonetheless. Our societal controls, that are supposed to prevent this kind of spat, are a thin veneer over the baser instincts that exist in us all.

Gray's behaviour was neanderthal, as was Rooney's response, but it is understandable given the context of their individual personalities and education. Who can say they have ever been blinded by a footballer's wit or intelligence? A modicum of intelligence might have provided Rooney with a response other than to lay Gray out (assuming he did, the Sun's source is typically ambiguous), but without this who can say they begrudge him defending his fiancee's (fragile) honour?

The only depressing element to this 'story' is that Rooney's weakness (as an inability to control yourself surely is) is glorified in order to reach a much wider audience, thus becoming more prevalent in the public eye, and therefore a bigger part of our society. The Sun will claim 'it was in the public interest' to run the story, but we all know that actually means 'it will sell more papers'.

One can understand and even tolerate Rooney's behaviour, but not the glorification of it. The Sun has been a major influencer of public opinion for many many years (if not, why is their support during parliamentary elections so highly valued by those who depend on it?), so The Sun's congratulatory tone can only make Rooney's violence more of an example to follow.

[John Charlesworth]

Watch it Wayne! Your off pitch escapades are becomming bigger than your on-field ones. Stay fit and focussed.

If Alex doesn't like it your career will be over. Concentrate on your football - forget the media hype.

[yemi adetunji]

Rooney? Lost his temper in a bar?Poor fellow, to tell the truth though Gray was aking for it.Rooney is damned if he reacted and damned if he didn't.In Nigeria where i live asking for a threesome is considered RUDE and INTRUSIVE, what is the world turning to?

[Sarah]

Rooney assaulted Gray, and in one stroke put himself in the wrong. Despite provocation, there were other ways of dealing with this obnoxious creature and Rooney chose the stupid way. Personally, I prefer words to violence, and ruthlessly witty put down I find much more enthralling than watching one fool punch another.

[whatyourlanguage]

I feel very strongly that people "who feel very strongly that the hand-wringers writing their "but what about the children?" comments should relax a little"
get a life

[Justin]

I don't think the question to be answered is whether Rooney did the right thing or not, we all handle situations differently and it seems Gray got what he deserved. Surely sexually harassing somone on a night out is just as bad or if not worse than physically protecting someone you love.
The real question is where were the management of the club to protect its patrons from drunken advances while enjoying a meal?

[Mathew]

At last......nobility, honour and chivalry.......now let's see a bit of that on the pitch. Rather perverse really.

[GK]

A boorish yob lays out a presumably drunken loudmouth both from an industry of obsencely paid arrogant individuals lacking any degree of class or the ability to behave in any semblance of decent behaviour. All this for an alledged insult to his desperate wanna be hanger on girl friend (would we have heard of her if she wasn't with him and would she put up with his granny antics if it were not for the benefits of being associated with him ?). Who cares, get your priorities right, report on some actual news

[Andy Farley]

No-one who has congratulated him on knocking the boor out is wringing their hands about the imaginary increase in violence in society, so calling them hypocrites is factually incorrect. If they’d posted “Oh I saw a terrible man hit another man who asked for sex off his fiancé, but that Wayne Rooney’s lovely” – that would be hypocrisy.

As it is they are expressing the opinion that if someone lacks the manners to act correctly towards people in your company and refuses to go away, then you’re in the right to make them go away. And kudos to Rooney for doing it in the best way possible.

As adults and members of society it behoves us to keep each other in line. That means that if someone is acting in an untowards manner, you should do your best to correct it.

Or, if some swas is being “out of order”, then you’re completely correct in “having a straightener” and “sparking him, straight out – no bother”.

[Mike]

I think people should stop moaning and whining about Rooney's behaviour.
One, to approach another guy, who is with his girlfriend, and suggest such a thing, is pure stupidity.
Two, don't forget; You Can Not Reason With A Drunk.
Now, I'm not saying what he did was amazing or anything, but stop complaining about what he did and get on with your life. The increasing level of violence? Violence has always been part of society. Accept it, or retreat to a private world where violence does not exist.
Reasoning skills are NOT going to help with someone who is drunk. Remember that.

[Frank Upton]

I expect Michael Gray dived.

[Mark Anderson]

Whilst not condoning violence for the sake of violence, what was Rooney to do in light of the gross insult to the ladies in his company? Especially his own fiancee. But the report of one seated punch I will take with a pinch of salt. Don't be too quick to condemn Rooney for sticking up for his girl friend. Save your contempt for the boorish drunken idiot who started a fight he couldn't finish.

[john]

Well done Wayne. Serves the obnoxious so and so right. Making those comments to someone is wrong, and thoroughly merits a smack. Also, Darwin suggests survival of the fittest. If you're stupid enough to make advances on Rooney's partner then you are too dim to survive!!!

[Alex]

Maybe he hit him in the groin?

[Pat Masters]

With soldiers dying in Iraq and Afghanistan, and countless other painful things happening in the world, why do we glorify yet again this aggressive yob and his appalling behaviour? Please let us move on to real news...

[Mark Vickers]

I feel very strongly that the hand-wringers writing their "but what about the children?" comments should relax a little.
However civilised our society becomes, people will always be impressed by serious tests of man-strength. Chopping wood with single swings of the axe, having a REALLY hairy chest, being able to do lots of one-armed push ups, or best of all, dropping some loser with a single punch WHILE STILL SEATED will always show that you are an alpha male who can vanquish your enemies while protecting your mate and her cubs.
This is impressive to men and attractive to women. And it is. And it is.

[Melanie Richardson]

I normally abhor violence, but in this instance I have to say Mr Rooney may have been right. We have all been in those places where some ghastly drunk's boorish behaviour ruins the event for everyone else. A short, sharp smack sorts it nicely - how do you verbally negotiate with a drunk?

[Alan Howard]

Who really cares ? The sooner the press stop paying so much attention to the yobbish behaviour of Wayne Rooney and report on the real news the less bored and better informed we will all be .

[Tommy2Shoes]

If Le Saux was the thinking man's footballer Wayne is the "Sun-reading-bacon-roll-brahn-tea-leave-it-aht"'s favourite,

A Gazza for the new millenium!

Come on Wayne!

We love yah Shrek.

[David Thompson]

Rather than almost glorifying this aggressive individual he should be castigated for his violent, loutish behaviour. Had his victim fallen and sustained severe brain injury it would have been a rather different news report and a different outcome for Rooney.

[William Grey]

I'm astounded by the way the media is glorifying this...a man hits another man in the street and he's called a thug. Rooney does it in a club and we're all patting him on the back whilst being impressed that he managed to do it with one punch.

Is this the total measure of a man these days? How hard he can hit another person? How unable he is to deal with situations using his brain and reasoning skills?

Can you not see the utter hypocrisy of lauding behavious like this, whilst at the same time wringing your hands about the increasing level of violence in society?