The finest specimens of the human form at their peak slugging it out on the biggest stage, through blood, sweat and tears.

Yes it was the BDO World Darts Championship, and there was some programme on too about Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier knocking lumps out of each other.

Forget the Thrilla in Manilla and the Rumble in the Jungle, first up was the fright in Frimley Green as the other darts championship, the not as good one, turned up occasionally on the Beeb.

I say occasionally as yet again the nonsense of live action being cut down in its prime, because of time constraints, popped it’s ugly head up.

One game, level pegging going into the final few legs was literally Stubbed out, Ray coming on to say that if you wanted to continue watching you could press your red button otherwise it was Jeremy Paxman and University Challenge.

As someone pointed out to me this week the only red button they have on their TV has ‘off’ written on it.

Anyhow Ted Hankey won the BDO version, which stands for Blazers Definitely On, and the glamour didn’t stop there with the ladies championship.

The game I caught featured Trina Gulliver, the golden girl, against a Dutch woman called Karin Krappen. I’m not sure what colour she was, but I didn’t probe too deeply.

The fact that she looked like the long-lost child of Chris Evans and Alan Carr meant I was somewhat disturbed, even more than from the thunderous thump of the darts on the board.

Sounded like a seal thwacking a herring off the bedroom floor and the only bigger hits came in Channel Four’s Thrilla in Manilla documentary.

This was a bit disturbing for me. I was always a huge fan of Ali (Muhammad, not Bongo), but it turns out that he was a right nasty piece of work.

I’m gutted, haven’t been so disappointed since the day I found Ker-plunk in my mum’s wardrobe and it suddenly dawned on me that it wasn’t Santa bringing the pressies. Mind you, I was 27.

Lots of accusations flying about of racism, womanising and talking down to supposedly inferior people. That’s enough about the Royal Family though, back to the boxers.

Some fantastic coverage of the fights between the two, totally barbaric and totally enthralling at the same time and you were left feeling sorry for both of them. I think I’ll stick to Ker-plunk.