It looks like Richard Williams will be facing Tshepo Mashego in his comeback fight on January 31 at York Hall. There is talk of the fight being for the vacant Commonwealth light-middleweight title, but nothing is confirmed as yet (apparently Jamie Moore doesn't want to relinquish his belt).
Mashego is the reigning South African light-middleweight champion. He won the title with an eight round knockout over the previously unbeaten Vincent Vuma last year and defended it with a unanimous 12-round decision over another tough opponent, William Gare, in November. Gare is known over here for challenging Steve Roberts for the WBF light-middleweight title at York Hall in 2001, losing a technical decision in nine hard rounds.
Mashego also went 10 hard rounds with current WBO middleweight champion Felix Sturm of Germany last year, conceding a unanimous decision.
So he's no pushover.
Currently 13-3 (7), Mashego's performance against the bigger Sturm suggests he is capable of extending the smaller Williams.
Richard Williams may be facing Mashego
I heard from an unreliable source that Roberts-Williams may be happening soon, it's such a shame that the top guys in a once blossoming division are only looking to face one another now after damaging defeats rather than a year or so ago when there was a load of talent at the top of there games. It could have made some cracking matchups 
It's tragic. The promoters concerned should be ....steve689 wrote:I heard from an unreliable source that Roberts-Williams may be happening soon, it's such a shame that the top guys in a once blossoming division are only looking to face one another now after damaging defeats rather than a year or so ago when there was a load of talent at the top of there games. It could have made some cracking matchups
Ashamed of themselves, terrible terrible management of boxers careers in the case of those domestic junior-middles.
Re: Richard Williams may be facing Mashego
Sounds like a very credible opponent for Williams, and its worthy of a commonwealth title fight.bennie wrote:It looks like Richard Williams will be facing Tshepo Mashego in his comeback fight on January 31 at York Hall. There is talk of the fight being for the vacant Commonwealth light-middleweight title, but nothing is confirmed as yet (apparently Jamie Moore doesn't want to relinquish his belt).
Mashego is the reigning South African light-middleweight champion. He won the title with an eight round knockout over the previously unbeaten Vincent Vuma last year and defended it with a unanimous 12-round decision over another tough opponent, William Gare, in November. Gare is known over here for challenging Steve Roberts for the WBF light-middleweight title at York Hall in 2001, losing a technical decision in nine hard rounds.
Mashego also went 10 hard rounds with current WBO middleweight champion Felix Sturm of Germany last year, conceding a unanimous decision.
So he's no pushover.
Currently 13-3 (7), Mashego's performance against the bigger Sturm suggests he is capable of extending the smaller Williams.
Nice to see Williams show ambition, he needed a good opponent with his advancing age to get back to somewhere near world class, this is an excellent start. Well done.
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MightyWarrior
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 13262
- Joined: 23 Jan 2003, 14:01
I hope they can salvage something from the wreckage of the UK light middle division.
Instead of matching Williams and Alexander continualy with obscure Europeans I'd love to see a big crossroads fight between the two very soon.
The winner would really get some momentum going with a meaningful win.
Too much to hope for I guess...
Instead of matching Williams and Alexander continualy with obscure Europeans I'd love to see a big crossroads fight between the two very soon.
The winner would really get some momentum going with a meaningful win.
Too much to hope for I guess...
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DG.
- Heavyweight
I doubt Williams Vs Roberts will ever happen. Williams would stop Roberts ( 10 times out of 10 ).. Roberts is retired for good...
If Wiliams makes weight in a way that suits him - he has the skill to do good things..
Good chin and a punch.
Any fighter that is not known is dangerous and I hope that whoever RW fights next Saturday, he wins well and gets the opportunity to kmake a real impact on the World stage..
I have always liked RW against Vargas - Vargas is a knockout waiting to happen and I doubt Vargas makes 11st easily - he is a big guy.
Premature talk at the moment but should RW win next week, he has to be given the opportunity to challenge a world rated and known fighter - Travis Simms ?....
Martinez is good but - RW beats him 9 times out of 10..IMO.
WQA would be a mis match at this stage - WA needs a few more warm ups,IMO.
Even then - I doubt WA has the accuracy or skill to beat RW...
If Wiliams makes weight in a way that suits him - he has the skill to do good things..
Good chin and a punch.
Any fighter that is not known is dangerous and I hope that whoever RW fights next Saturday, he wins well and gets the opportunity to kmake a real impact on the World stage..
I have always liked RW against Vargas - Vargas is a knockout waiting to happen and I doubt Vargas makes 11st easily - he is a big guy.
Premature talk at the moment but should RW win next week, he has to be given the opportunity to challenge a world rated and known fighter - Travis Simms ?....
Martinez is good but - RW beats him 9 times out of 10..IMO.
WQA would be a mis match at this stage - WA needs a few more warm ups,IMO.
Even then - I doubt WA has the accuracy or skill to beat RW...
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MightyWarrior
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 13262
- Joined: 23 Jan 2003, 14:01
I really hope Williams pulls it all together and gets a good run going. Time is running out. He always looked the best of the UK L Middles to me, along with the now derailed Lockett, but he seems to suffer from "Danny Williams Syndrom" - if it's not one thing wrong with him, it's another...
To be fair to the guy I know these virus type problems can go on for years, and the doctors don't know what to do about them half the time.
He's one of the good guys and it'd be great to see him make something for himself in 2004.
To be fair to the guy I know these virus type problems can go on for years, and the doctors don't know what to do about them half the time.
He's one of the good guys and it'd be great to see him make something for himself in 2004.
COMEBACKING Richard Williams takes on Ghana's Ayittey Powers for the vacant Commonwealth light-middleweight title (vacated by Jamie Moore to concentrate on his forthcoming British title revenge match with Scott Dixon) on Saturday, January 31 at York Hall. It's a possible return to the good old days for Wiilliams, who won the same title with an impressive third round stoppage of Canada's Tony Badea in January 2001 and made two dazzling defences (former 'world' title challengers Andrew Murray and Shannan Taylor both going out early) before concentrating on the vacant IBO light-middleweight title he also picked up in destroying Taylor in four rounds in December 2001 (the Aussie's only previous loss had come at the hands of "Sugar" Shane Mosley).
But he was less convincing as IBO champ, in a reign blighted by injury and illness. Ultimately, the Stockwell stylist lost the title on a unanimous decision to unheralded Sergio Martinez after 12 punishing rounds last summer in Manchester. It seemed a shock at the time, but Martinez's subsequent stoppage of Adrian Stone in Bristol puts the result into context.
Williams, after all, twice dropped Martinez.
But the ex-champion, who hasn't boxed since, was clearly outboxed by the Spanish-based Argentinian, who proved something of a revelation. Normally a classy boxer himself, Richard found himself loading up in an effort to pull the fight out of the bag. He nearly did so, too. He floored southpaw Martinez early and late with hard head shots, but lacked the accuracy - and seemingly the conditioning - to finish his fleet-footed challenger. Martinez peppered him with right jabs and quick, stinging combinations, and prevailed by 115-110,115-112 and 116-110 on the scorecards.
He floored and nearly stopped the exhausted-looking Londoner in the last.
It was only a second pro defeat for Williams since another southpaw, Michael Alexander, outpointed him in a four-rounder in his third fight in 1997 (a result of sweating down to welterweight claims the fighter). And there were rumours Williams had also struggled to make 11 stone for his fight with Martinez, a fight drafted on to the Michael Brodie-Juan Cabrera bill at a few day's notice last June when Jamie Moore suffered a shoulder injury and was unable to defend his British and Commonwealth titles against Gary Logan (they met later in the year).
But, at 32, it doesn't get any easier to make weight.
Still, a man of his ability doesn't become a bad boxer overnight. A fully-fit Williams has the power and skill to give any light-middleweight in the world a run for his money. Ghana's Ayittey Powers is no exception. A product of the ferocious Accra boxing hotbed, Powers has been in deep since turning pro in 2000. In only his fifth fight, he stopped far more experienced Marciano Commey in six rounds for the West Africa middleweight title, and in his seventh outing took the exceptional Joshua Clottey, whose boasted a record of 22-1 (16) going into the fight (several of those wins in Britain), 10 hard rounds.
Currently 9-2-1 (6), the Ghanaian's only losses remain that points setback to Clottey, and, last time out in August, after 12 hard rounds to Osumanu Adama for the national light-middleweight title (held by Adama).
Despite his lack of fights, he looks a bit of a dangerman. The last two Ghanaians we saw at York Hall, Alfred Tetteh and Anyetei Laryea, proved tough, worthy opponents for Esham Pickering and Nicky Cook three months ago,
But Williams has seen his type before, and handled his type before. He featured in two IBO defences with the big-hitting Paul Samuels. The first ended prematurely on a technical draw (Samuels was cut), but Williams was pushed to the wire in the rematch before overcoming the gritty Welshman in 10 bruising rounds. "He hits tremendously hard," admitted Williams afterwards. "He rocked me to my boots with one particular shot.
"It is easily the hardest and best win of my career."
Another successful defence followed against Russia's former WBA welterweight title challenger Andrei Pestraiev, who had floored and outpointed the previously unbeaten Steve Roberts a fight earlier. He didn't win a round against Williams on any of the judges' cards (120-106 and 120-108 twice) and was hurt several times to the body by the Londoner, whose record of 17-2-1 (14) indicates genuine power behind the skills.
He definitely carried the heavier dig against Martinez - his third demanding defence in six months, which was probably asking a bit too much of him. He looked jaded more than anything that night in June.
Seven months on, he should have the freshness to bounce back in style. He can become the first man to stop the Ghanaian.
But he was less convincing as IBO champ, in a reign blighted by injury and illness. Ultimately, the Stockwell stylist lost the title on a unanimous decision to unheralded Sergio Martinez after 12 punishing rounds last summer in Manchester. It seemed a shock at the time, but Martinez's subsequent stoppage of Adrian Stone in Bristol puts the result into context.
Williams, after all, twice dropped Martinez.
But the ex-champion, who hasn't boxed since, was clearly outboxed by the Spanish-based Argentinian, who proved something of a revelation. Normally a classy boxer himself, Richard found himself loading up in an effort to pull the fight out of the bag. He nearly did so, too. He floored southpaw Martinez early and late with hard head shots, but lacked the accuracy - and seemingly the conditioning - to finish his fleet-footed challenger. Martinez peppered him with right jabs and quick, stinging combinations, and prevailed by 115-110,115-112 and 116-110 on the scorecards.
He floored and nearly stopped the exhausted-looking Londoner in the last.
It was only a second pro defeat for Williams since another southpaw, Michael Alexander, outpointed him in a four-rounder in his third fight in 1997 (a result of sweating down to welterweight claims the fighter). And there were rumours Williams had also struggled to make 11 stone for his fight with Martinez, a fight drafted on to the Michael Brodie-Juan Cabrera bill at a few day's notice last June when Jamie Moore suffered a shoulder injury and was unable to defend his British and Commonwealth titles against Gary Logan (they met later in the year).
But, at 32, it doesn't get any easier to make weight.
Still, a man of his ability doesn't become a bad boxer overnight. A fully-fit Williams has the power and skill to give any light-middleweight in the world a run for his money. Ghana's Ayittey Powers is no exception. A product of the ferocious Accra boxing hotbed, Powers has been in deep since turning pro in 2000. In only his fifth fight, he stopped far more experienced Marciano Commey in six rounds for the West Africa middleweight title, and in his seventh outing took the exceptional Joshua Clottey, whose boasted a record of 22-1 (16) going into the fight (several of those wins in Britain), 10 hard rounds.
Currently 9-2-1 (6), the Ghanaian's only losses remain that points setback to Clottey, and, last time out in August, after 12 hard rounds to Osumanu Adama for the national light-middleweight title (held by Adama).
Despite his lack of fights, he looks a bit of a dangerman. The last two Ghanaians we saw at York Hall, Alfred Tetteh and Anyetei Laryea, proved tough, worthy opponents for Esham Pickering and Nicky Cook three months ago,
But Williams has seen his type before, and handled his type before. He featured in two IBO defences with the big-hitting Paul Samuels. The first ended prematurely on a technical draw (Samuels was cut), but Williams was pushed to the wire in the rematch before overcoming the gritty Welshman in 10 bruising rounds. "He hits tremendously hard," admitted Williams afterwards. "He rocked me to my boots with one particular shot.
"It is easily the hardest and best win of my career."
Another successful defence followed against Russia's former WBA welterweight title challenger Andrei Pestraiev, who had floored and outpointed the previously unbeaten Steve Roberts a fight earlier. He didn't win a round against Williams on any of the judges' cards (120-106 and 120-108 twice) and was hurt several times to the body by the Londoner, whose record of 17-2-1 (14) indicates genuine power behind the skills.
He definitely carried the heavier dig against Martinez - his third demanding defence in six months, which was probably asking a bit too much of him. He looked jaded more than anything that night in June.
Seven months on, he should have the freshness to bounce back in style. He can become the first man to stop the Ghanaian.
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DG.
- Heavyweight
bennie wrote:COMEBACKING Richard Williams takes on Ghana's Ayittey Powers for the vacant Commonwealth light-middleweight title (vacated by Jamie Moore to concentrate on his forthcoming British title revenge match with Scott Dixon) on Saturday, January 31 at York Hall. It's a possible return to the good old days for Wiilliams, who won the same title with an impressive third round stoppage of Canada's Tony Badea in January 2001 and made two dazzling defences (former 'world' title challengers Andrew Murray and Shannan Taylor both going out early) before concentrating on the vacant IBO light-middleweight title he also picked up in destroying Taylor in four rounds in December 2001 (the Aussie's only previous loss had come at the hands of "Sugar" Shane Mosley).
But he was less convincing as IBO champ, in a reign blighted by injury and illness. Ultimately, the Stockwell stylist lost the title on a unanimous decision to unheralded Sergio Martinez after 12 punishing rounds last summer in Manchester. It seemed a shock at the time, but Martinez's subsequent stoppage of Adrian Stone in Bristol puts the result into context.
Williams, after all, twice dropped Martinez.
But the ex-champion, who hasn't boxed since, was clearly outboxed by the Spanish-based Argentinian, who proved something of a revelation. Normally a classy boxer himself, Richard found himself loading up in an effort to pull the fight out of the bag. He nearly did so, too. He floored southpaw Martinez early and late with hard head shots, but lacked the accuracy - and seemingly the conditioning - to finish his fleet-footed challenger. Martinez peppered him with right jabs and quick, stinging combinations, and prevailed by 115-110,115-112 and 116-110 on the scorecards.
He floored and nearly stopped the exhausted-looking Londoner in the last.
It was only a second pro defeat for Williams since another southpaw, Michael Alexander, outpointed him in a four-rounder in his third fight in 1997 (a result of sweating down to welterweight claims the fighter). And there were rumours Williams had also struggled to make 11 stone for his fight with Martinez, a fight drafted on to the Michael Brodie-Juan Cabrera bill at a few day's notice last June when Jamie Moore suffered a shoulder injury and was unable to defend his British and Commonwealth titles against Gary Logan (they met later in the year).
But, at 32, it doesn't get any easier to make weight.
Still, a man of his ability doesn't become a bad boxer overnight. A fully-fit Williams has the power and skill to give any light-middleweight in the world a run for his money. Ghana's Ayittey Powers is no exception. A product of the ferocious Accra boxing hotbed, Powers has been in deep since turning pro in 2000. In only his fifth fight, he stopped far more experienced Marciano Commey in six rounds for the West Africa middleweight title, and in his seventh outing took the exceptional Joshua Clottey, whose boasted a record of 22-1 (16) going into the fight (several of those wins in Britain), 10 hard rounds.
Currently 9-2-1 (6), the Ghanaian's only losses remain that points setback to Clottey, and, last time out in August, after 12 hard rounds to Osumanu Adama for the national light-middleweight title (held by Adama).
Despite his lack of fights, he looks a bit of a dangerman. The last two Ghanaians we saw at York Hall, Alfred Tetteh and Anyetei Laryea, proved tough, worthy opponents for Esham Pickering and Nicky Cook three months ago,
But Williams has seen his type before, and handled his type before. He featured in two IBO defences with the big-hitting Paul Samuels. The first ended prematurely on a technical draw (Samuels was cut), but Williams was pushed to the wire in the rematch before overcoming the gritty Welshman in 10 bruising rounds. "He hits tremendously hard," admitted Williams afterwards. "He rocked me to my boots with one particular shot.
"It is easily the hardest and best win of my career."
Another successful defence followed against Russia's former WBA welterweight title challenger Andrei Pestraiev, who had floored and outpointed the previously unbeaten Steve Roberts a fight earlier. He didn't win a round against Williams on any of the judges' cards (120-106 and 120-108 twice) and was hurt several times to the body by the Londoner, whose record of 17-2-1 (14) indicates genuine power behind the skills.
He definitely carried the heavier dig against Martinez - his third demanding defence in six months, which was probably asking a bit too much of him. He looked jaded more than anything that night in June.
Seven months on, he should have the freshness to bounce back in style. He can become the first man to stop the Ghanaian.
Good article, odd little mistakes, mate !
Taylor had been stopped by Julian Holland after Mosley.
Samuels was not cut - it was Williams.
Don't let spud read this with the mistakes in it !
:P
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MightyWarrior
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 13262
- Joined: 23 Jan 2003, 14:01
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hitman_hatton1
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 6150
- Joined: 26 Nov 2003, 20:57
i just wanna c williams v takaloo :x these promoters really do need there head banged together for letting us down over these fights 
they have a final chance to make it happen but whats the chances of em doing it. 
hopefully williams stays healthy and he could do something with his career still oh yeah and keep him away from lefty's
they have a final chance to make it happen but whats the chances of em doing it. hopefully williams stays healthy and he could do something with his career still oh yeah and keep him away from lefty's
Williams-Takaloo ain't never gonna happen. Politics will see to that. The best you can hope for in the near future is Takaloo-Wayne Alexander and Williams-Jamie Moore.hitman_hatton1 wrote:i just wanna c williams v takaloo :x these promoters really do need there head banged together for letting us down over these fights
hopefully williams stays healthy and he could do something with his career still oh yeah and keep him away from lefty's
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DG.
- Heavyweight
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DG.
- Heavyweight
bennie wrote:Williams-Takaloo ain't never gonna happen. Politics will see to that. The best you can hope for in the near future is Takaloo-Wayne Alexander and Williams-Jamie Moore.hitman_hatton1 wrote:i just wanna c williams v takaloo :x these promoters really do need there head banged together for letting us down over these fights
hopefully williams stays healthy and he could do something with his career still oh yeah and keep him away from lefty's
Can't see Matchroom putting their best Light Middle ( Williams ) against their future best Light Middle ( Moore )..
Patrick Maxwell asures me Tak beats Moore But I am not so sure..
Williams schools Tak, taks skill level way too low..