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Okay, any thread posted today that isn't about Gatti-Mayweather is going to get buried (and I'm dying to see it myself) but I want to talk about next month's fight on the 16th, Danny Williams vs. Matt Skelton.
Seeing him derided on this forum it's easy to forget that Danny once effortlessly ruled over the British & Commonwealth titles, and was once regarded as a man ready to step up, if not to World Contendership, then to European level. I still think he'd stand a chance against three of the four belt holders, though clearly not Vitali as was painfully shown last December.
From his debut in October 1995 he clocked up a 15 (12 KOs) record, though showed the first signs of having a screwed-up head by freezing against a pre-journeyman Julius Francis for the B & C titles.
However, after this he won 12 straight bouts (10 KOs) including beating Mark Potter with a dislocated right shoulder, TKOing Francis in 4 and beating later title challenger Kali Meehan in 32 seconds.
Sadly, the thing with Danny is that he doesn't do well under lack of pressure. Put him up against a threat and he can perform. Put him up against someone he's supposed to walk through (Sinan Samil Sam, an opponent regarded as a "formality") and he goes into mental meltdown. Even his own manager describes him as looking like a million dollars one night, a bag of **** another. Though it should be noted that his corner threw in the towel against Sam - Danny was rocked badly and TKOed, but NOT KOed.
His eight bouts since the disaster against Sam have been variable. After that his critical appeal was through the floor, and a second bout with Michael Sprott saw him again in one of his "not there" moods and scoring a brutal KO off the back of (unintentional or intentional?) low blows.
A rematch with Sprott saw a clearly bored ****less Danny beat up on a man he'd bested twice, closing his eye, but spending the vast majority of the fight clowning and showboating. Even Sprott thought Danny had won, but Williams had done enough to piss off the only man judging it - the ref. Danny had failed in his bid for the European championship and had lost his reputation that he had fought to build. Now he lost his British Titles on 114-115 decision after irritating the referee for twelve rounds.
Eighteenth months on, and he's been forced to sc**** a career fighting bums, and cannily took on the task of being Tyson's comeback opponent, seeing in Tyson what many couldn't - a man easily beatable in his declining years. Sadly, he took an ill-considered bout with a champion looking for a fight and got badly beaten by arguably the greatest heavyweight currently on the planet.
Now? On July 16th he faces a man who wrestled the British titles off Michael Sprott in his first defence by clubbing him and leaning on him incessantly for 12 rounds.
Back in 2000-2003 it would have been a walkover for Danny, who had dominated the British scene without question. Since then, his career and mental state have both gone into freefall, causing him to be in the unusual position of domestic underdog. Go to bet365 and have a wager on Danny. His peak may be behind him, but I'd never bet against him.
Seeing him derided on this forum it's easy to forget that Danny once effortlessly ruled over the British & Commonwealth titles, and was once regarded as a man ready to step up, if not to World Contendership, then to European level. I still think he'd stand a chance against three of the four belt holders, though clearly not Vitali as was painfully shown last December.
From his debut in October 1995 he clocked up a 15 (12 KOs) record, though showed the first signs of having a screwed-up head by freezing against a pre-journeyman Julius Francis for the B & C titles.
However, after this he won 12 straight bouts (10 KOs) including beating Mark Potter with a dislocated right shoulder, TKOing Francis in 4 and beating later title challenger Kali Meehan in 32 seconds.
Sadly, the thing with Danny is that he doesn't do well under lack of pressure. Put him up against a threat and he can perform. Put him up against someone he's supposed to walk through (Sinan Samil Sam, an opponent regarded as a "formality") and he goes into mental meltdown. Even his own manager describes him as looking like a million dollars one night, a bag of **** another. Though it should be noted that his corner threw in the towel against Sam - Danny was rocked badly and TKOed, but NOT KOed.
His eight bouts since the disaster against Sam have been variable. After that his critical appeal was through the floor, and a second bout with Michael Sprott saw him again in one of his "not there" moods and scoring a brutal KO off the back of (unintentional or intentional?) low blows.
A rematch with Sprott saw a clearly bored ****less Danny beat up on a man he'd bested twice, closing his eye, but spending the vast majority of the fight clowning and showboating. Even Sprott thought Danny had won, but Williams had done enough to piss off the only man judging it - the ref. Danny had failed in his bid for the European championship and had lost his reputation that he had fought to build. Now he lost his British Titles on 114-115 decision after irritating the referee for twelve rounds.
Eighteenth months on, and he's been forced to sc**** a career fighting bums, and cannily took on the task of being Tyson's comeback opponent, seeing in Tyson what many couldn't - a man easily beatable in his declining years. Sadly, he took an ill-considered bout with a champion looking for a fight and got badly beaten by arguably the greatest heavyweight currently on the planet.
Now? On July 16th he faces a man who wrestled the British titles off Michael Sprott in his first defence by clubbing him and leaning on him incessantly for 12 rounds.
Back in 2000-2003 it would have been a walkover for Danny, who had dominated the British scene without question. Since then, his career and mental state have both gone into freefall, causing him to be in the unusual position of domestic underdog. Go to bet365 and have a wager on Danny. His peak may be behind him, but I'd never bet against him.
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