By Terence Dooley
Danny Williams is close to announcing his retirement from the sport of boxing after suffering the ignominy of defeat at the hands of a relative novice in Carl Baker. Williams, 36, lost in the quarterfinals of the Prizefighter tournament last Friday night, he was floored twice and dropped a three-round decision to his opponent, who is not in Danny’s class.
Danny has told the South London Press that he is going to have a think before calling time on his hectic career. “I’ve had historic fights with Vitali Klitschko, Mike Tyson and Matt Skelton - so many hard fights,” said Williams.
“I’ve had too many wars and it was only a matter of time before they caught up with me - I think that moment was October 2. I’m not taking anything away from the guy but even though he is not a puncher, there was no real power in his shots, I went to the floor. My punch resistance had gone.
“I was talking to Anthony Small in the dressing room afterwards and it’s like when you’re chopping down a tree - there are five minutes of giving it big whacks before a little one topples it over. I’ve taken big rights from Klitschko and Tyson and I’ve hardly anything left. Training was good for this fight and I’ve got no excuses. I wanted revenge over Audley Harrison but it just wasn’t to be. I’m going to sit down and consider my options.”
Williams has been an enigmatic figure, and a portly one, his skills are world class when he puts them together. Unfortunately, a love of Kipling cakes, coupled with an erratic approach to training, prevented Danny from realising his true potential.
Danny will be remembered as the man who nailed one of the final nails in the coffin of Mike Tyson. Williams stood up to Tyson in 2004 and went onto to KO ‘Iron’ Mike in the fourth-round.
However, a subsequently challenge for Vitali Klitschko’s WBC crown saw Williams floored four times and battered from pillar to post. There were some domestic triumphs, though, Danny handed Audley Harrison his first professional defeat; however, Williams was badly exposed against Klitschko and never truly rediscovered his earlier form.
In recent times Danny has been a bit of a carnival act, in 2007-8 he engaged in a series of bizarre fights - defeating Konstantin Airich in Spain after a controversial no-contest with Oleg Platov in Germany, and a British title win over the unbeaten Scott Gammer lodged somewhere in between.
On the plus side, Williams defeated Mark Potter for the vacant British title back in 2000 despite suffering from a dislocated shoulder earlier in the fight, he handed Matt Skelton his first professional defeat in 2006 and blew away Kali Meehan in a single round.
Ross Minter has also decided to walk away from the sport. Ross, the son of middleweight legend Alan Minter, said that his body is not capable of absorbing protein quickly and easily, and is, therefore, unable to repair itself effectively after training sessions.
Minter, 30, has, consequently, decided to walk away for the good of his health. “After weighing up all the pros and cons of continuing as a professional and the continued strain training placed on my body, I decided that the desire and determination required to drag myself through more injuries to reach the top was sadly no longer there,” admitted Ross.
“With a young family to think of, I feel the time is right to move on and give something back to the sport that has basically been my whole life.”
He continued: “Although I'm only 30 my body just doesn't react well to injury and after seeking advice from some of the country's top nutritionists, they discovered I was suffering from a condition where my body was unable to absorb protein effectively and this will have severely hampered my body's ability to heal itself.”
Minter has been badly cut in his biggest fights, he has also had hand injuries and a niggling rib injury; the former fighter now hopes to forge a career in the promotional world.
Minter won the English welterweight title in 2005 with a fourth-round TKO of Brett James; he was also out-fighting Freddie Curiel in 2007 before running out of gas in round eight - the final round of the contest. Recent losses to Michael Jennings and Nigel Wright helped make the decision to retire an easier one to take.
Ross finishes with a 17-4-1 (8) slate; Danny Williams walks away with a 41-8 (31) record.
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