Team Skeete Hoping To Land November Clash With Jeff Horn

 By Terence Dooley

Andy Ayling, the manager of British welterweight Champion Bradley Skeete (27-1, 12 KOs), has told BoxingScene that rumours of a mooted fight between his charge and Australia’s WBO holder Jeff Horn (17-0-1, 11 early) are correct, but reiterated that it is not a done deal as things stand.

Brisbane’s The Courier Mail reported that the fight was on following comments made by Horn’s trainer Glenn Rushton at a business breakfast in the city earlier this week.  Rushton claimed that his fighter would be meeting a ‘6’ 1’’ champion English boxer’, which could only be a reference to Skeete, who is ranked at three in the WBO’s Top Ten and is therefore an eligible opponent for a voluntary defence.

However, as previously reported on BoxingScene the reports were denied by Dean Lonergan, Horn’s promoter, who confirmed that while discussions are ongoing with a number of potential opponents there is still work to do.  Duco Events lured Pacquiao over to kick off his proposed four-fight “Farewell Tour” only for the visitor to bid adieu to the belt he won via a decision over Jessie Vargas in November 2016.     

Ayling confirmed that Skeete is an option for Horn, and was keen to point out that they are ready and willing to take the fight should it come to fruition. 

“We are happy with the proposal,” he said.  “Bradley wants to do it and we have a good relationship with Top Rank [who have two options on Horn, including a potential rematch with Manny Pacquiao].”

Horn shocked the boxing world by grinding out a decision with over future Hall of Famer Pacquiao in Brisbane in July, there has been talk of a rematch with the Filipino in 2018, but Horn hopes to squeeze in another outing before then. 

Lonergan yesterday stated that: “[N]egotiations are progressing well with the top 10 ranked opponents”.

A November 25 date in Brisbane has been floated, and Skeete would be willing and ready to travel for a crack at the WBO belt that he has coveted for a few years now.  The 28-year-old decisioned Dale Evans in his last outing, his second of 2017, and called for Horn as soon as the dust settled on the Pacquiao fight.

The Tooting-based boxer’s only loss came against Frankie Gavin in November 2014; he has since racked up nine wins, including a decision over Sam Eggington in March 2016 that saw him annex the Commonwealth belt.  “Super” Skeete has improved since the loss to Gavin to the point where some have tipped him to pull off an away win should the fight take place.

Horn, though, will feel buoyed by the victory over “Pacman” despite the fact that it was deemed a contentious decision by many fans, punters and fellow fighters, especially in light of Waleska Roldan’s 111-117 card, which was far too wide in Horn’s favour.  Still, the 29-year-old former teacher will not care about the negative press and may feel that the lessons learned in the contest will allow him to take his first title challenger to school.

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