Smith, Crolla, Coldwell, Bellew, Booth, Moore, Nelson and more
Monday 17 October 2016 19:58, UK
Jurgen Klopp will go head-to-head with Jose Mourinho on Red Monday and we will find out whose game plan works and which side will deliver the knockout blows.
So with many of Britain's best boxers - past and present - big football fans, we asked a special Panel who they would want in their corner if they needed to call on either Klopp or Mourinho.
Which coach would they want behind them? Do mind games make it all the way into the boxing ring? The Panel, including Liverpool and United fans, give us their answer...
I'd go for Jurgen Klopp every day of the week. Mourinho is successful but you've got to listen to what your trainer says and you wouldn't know what's going on with his mind games.
With Klopp he would give you 100 per cent commitment and he would demand you did the same. The other thing about Mourinho that would worry me is he's still remembered for parking the bus to go and get a result away from home, and you can't fit one in a regular boxing ring.
I'd have to go with Jose Mourinho but you know what - and it pains me to say it - I am a big fan of Klopp. I like him. I don't give a you-know-what about Liverpool but he's one of those guys that, when you see him being interviewed on Sky Sports News HQ, you watch. He's interesting and I like the way he comes across.
Klopp is a good manager but Mourinho has done it everywhere he's gone and has this air about him. He knows how to get the best out of his players and when you've got a one minute 'team-talk' after every round, that's what you want.
The only honest answer I can give you is... if David Coldwell isn't in my corner then I am walking out! I think Dave is a thinker and Klopp seems to act on impulse so it leans me towards Mourinho if I have to pick one. But don't be fooled by his nice smile and his nice approach, he has steel behind that - just like Dave.
As for Klopp or Mourinho, I would rather have Antonio Conte in my corner if I could. He's made of steel, he has the determination I like but I just can't go with Klopp because of who he coaches.
Mourinho without a doubt. Klopp would be a good motivator but Mourinho is a bit of a tactical genius. You always need motivating but at the very top level, you need those extra little things and a cool head in the corner.
It's hard to work out what Mourinho would bring into the corner for a minute but he has to be the man, especially if we are talking about winning, no matter how he does it. No-one will make me better than Joe Gallagher has done, but Mourinho has won things wherever he's gone. The only downside is I haven't seen him at a fight of mine... yet!
I'd probably go for Klopp. Believe it or not, I don't go for the show-ponies! Klopp seems to be a thinker as well and I would need someone emotional to motivate me and vice-versa. The emotional ones need a thinker to steer them in the right direction.
To be honest, if I had my own pick, I would have Sir Alex Ferguson, Brian Clough or Sir Bobby Robson in my corner. They are the only football managers that I have ever taken inspiration from. They were smart, cunning, entertaining and I honestly think all three would've been successful in boxing - even in my corner.
Klopp is a bit eccentric for me and I am not sure we would stick to the game plan we've put together. Mourinho is a bit more practical - and actually seems to a be a boxing fan - so you are expecting me to go with him.
You all know I am a big United fan but I am going to go for Klopp for one reason and one reason only... his glasses always remind me of Freddie Roach. What more of an inspiration do you need in the corner?
I would go for Jose Mourinho - and that is not just to suck up to Jamie Moore. His strategy is what I need and as much as I like him, I think Klopp is too much like me. He is very impulsive, reacts instantly and to have two blokes the same in the corner wouldn't be great chemistry.
If I had Mourinho in my corner, I'd have a patient guy and a balance. I know Mooresy is a big Mourinho fan of course, but he is the one that has to rein me in sometimes. Jose has Rooney with him, so if he was in my corner I could ask him to get some of his hair transplants to help Mooresy out.
I would go for Mourinho simply because when he does get it right, he is unbeatable. When he comes up with one of his fool-proof tactical plans, like he has done so many times in the past, he is very hard to break down. If you had him in your corner and camp for 14 weeks, I'm sure he would come up with a fantastic game plan to win you a fight.
He would be calm and composed in your corner, but get his message through with authority and that's what you need. He is often the man for the big games and with the preparation time that we have in boxing, I'm sure it would work massively in his and my favour.
I'd go for Mourinho. Klopp is cool, I love his passion and I'm sure he would inspire me, but there was that story when Jose was at Chelsea all those years ago about when he hid in a laundry bin so he could sneak in and speak to his players. That's what you want in a trainer - a geezer that does everything necessary to get the result.
There's no doubt he's charismatic and talented but a lot of the time it's that devilishness that gets you results. He has that in abundance, possibly more than any other manager in the world.
I'd have to go with Mourinho, too. He's colourful, he does his own thing, doesn't go with the crowd and I like that individuality in my corner. If he has got the right tools - which is obviously me - he would get the results.
It does help that seeing him at The O2, I know he likes boxing but he also gets the entertaining factor. I think he'd like to do the job but he would also want to put on a show. That is why he is one of the most popular, intriguing football managers we've seen. With a frown or a smile, my trainer at least would be The Entertainer.
