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As this now appears to be all but signed according to the BBC site, I thought I'd create a poll on this December match-up.
It's a fight I'm greatly looking forward to as Audley G - the middle-class guy with the business degree who tells us he's from da ****** - is arguably the funniest man in boxing today:
The prospect of Audley being matched with the second-funniest trainer in the world (Buddy McGirt) is something I relish, a double act that has the potential to be so funny it could make Zab Judah's chicken dance look like a funeral procession.
So what will happen in this match-up? Certainly on a pure technical level Audley has the ability run rings around Skelton - though you could say that about virtually any of Skelton's opponents.
A KO either way is also unlikely, I feel... if Audley can take some glancing Humdilla off Danny Williams and get up from it, he should be able to take Skelton's shots within reason, given that Skelton isn't a concussive puncher, despite his high KO ratio. Likewise, while I suspect Audley might be able to generate more power when he sits down on his punches, Skelton has been shown to have a class chin and if he can take flush Humdilla he can certainly take what Audley has to offer.
However, the big factor is that Skelton will be making Audley fight his fight... the guy's no graceful boxer, but all 16 stone of him will be leaning on Audley all night long, hammering away at every legal (and not so legal) target area exposed.
While Audley has the potential to beat Skelton, he hasn't proved that he has the heart to be able to do what is required while under adversity. Skelton has, and I think that's the telling factor. Skelton is a proven force at the level he's at, and is also capable of adapting - his last fight saw him ditch his macho pride and get on the back foot, something which surprised and impressed me.
Ultimately I've got to go with the proven quantity to win the fight - Matt Skelton. But what say YOU?
It's a fight I'm greatly looking forward to as Audley G - the middle-class guy with the business degree who tells us he's from da ****** - is arguably the funniest man in boxing today:
The prospect of Audley being matched with the second-funniest trainer in the world (Buddy McGirt) is something I relish, a double act that has the potential to be so funny it could make Zab Judah's chicken dance look like a funeral procession.
So what will happen in this match-up? Certainly on a pure technical level Audley has the ability run rings around Skelton - though you could say that about virtually any of Skelton's opponents.
A KO either way is also unlikely, I feel... if Audley can take some glancing Humdilla off Danny Williams and get up from it, he should be able to take Skelton's shots within reason, given that Skelton isn't a concussive puncher, despite his high KO ratio. Likewise, while I suspect Audley might be able to generate more power when he sits down on his punches, Skelton has been shown to have a class chin and if he can take flush Humdilla he can certainly take what Audley has to offer.
However, the big factor is that Skelton will be making Audley fight his fight... the guy's no graceful boxer, but all 16 stone of him will be leaning on Audley all night long, hammering away at every legal (and not so legal) target area exposed.
While Audley has the potential to beat Skelton, he hasn't proved that he has the heart to be able to do what is required while under adversity. Skelton has, and I think that's the telling factor. Skelton is a proven force at the level he's at, and is also capable of adapting - his last fight saw him ditch his macho pride and get on the back foot, something which surprised and impressed me.
Ultimately I've got to go with the proven quantity to win the fight - Matt Skelton. But what say YOU?
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