HOW PATHETIC WAS THAT?

[steve689]

Yes that's a good comparison, Elliott also talks a lot of sense.

[AlexY2K4]

I've met Johnny Nelson, he's a very nice guy and intelligent. I just get frustrated with him as a boxer, hiding behind that paper WBO title and not fighting anyone with any substance.

[Gingoi]

Yes, much better. Neville Meade was a dangerman. He banged out several favoured opponents en route to his shot at the title, which he then won with a crushing face-first kayo of Gordon Ferris in one round.
Meade was also a former top amateur who struck gold in the 1974 Commonwealth Games.
Take it from me, Sprott is the worst. He's too reluctant.

Just checked his record out and your right. Beat Lucien Rodriguez early on and some of his losses we against decent guys.

In my defence I can only really remeber his later fights, remember he had a lot of defeats and wasn't good when losing to David Pearce.

So Sprott it is then. :)

You're thinking of Meade's awful fight with Leroy Boone, a durable American who stood up to Meade's early onslaughts and came on to outpoint him in Neville's first fight as champ. But at least Neville tried to win and, as you know, was an old man when he won the title. He had every excuse to fade. Sprott, on the other hand, is 28.

Can't really remember the specifics, but you're right, he was champ at the time when he looked sluggish, and an old man too. But as you said, he'd always give 100%.

[adamiw]

Yes that's a good comparison, Elliott also talks a lot of sense.

he's a 'consummate professional'.

seriusly, when you see Paul Elliot on the telly, he covers Italian football on Eurosport, just notice how many long words he uses.

[stujones]

My father said something that actually made a lot of sense.

"Butterbean would beat these two".

A Frank Bruno comeback anyone!

[mrbassie]

As for Sprott, well I am very disappointed. He had the skills to outbox Skelton, but decided not too. Instead getting involved in some kind of bravado show of strength - My, how Danny Williams must be kicking himself.

I disagree with that, I think if Sprott was fired up he could have delivered a serious pasting to Skelton, but he wouldn't engage, kept jabbing from miles too far out and so on.
I'll tell you what though, in round 5 I said to myself 'that's it, the tide's turned' because Skelton had nothing left at that point and that's when Sprott started to have success but he didn't seem to have the nerve to keep it up.

[TheRiverCityHippy]

i thought the same myself.
i cant recall the exact round but skelton seemed to have punched himself out and sprott had some success, in fact they had a few toe to toe exchanges around this time and sprott came out the better. i thought he had it in the bag.
he should have seized the moment but he let it slip by.
still cant make up my mind if the fight was good or shit.

[mrbassie]

I'll make it up for you; it was shit

[Twinkle Toes]

I disagree with that, I think if Sprott was fired up he could have delivered a serious pasting to Skelton, but he wouldn't engage, kept jabbing from miles too far out and so on.
I'll tell you what though, in round 5 I said to myself 'that's it, the tide's turned' because Skelton had nothing left at that point and that's when Sprott started to have success but he didn't seem to have the nerve to keep it up.

Nah, I think you'll find we are agreeing. Sprott fell into Skeltons type of fight, and he has the experience and skill to not have done that.

He looked as though he froze a little too, and he continually fell back into the ropes happy to start a wrestle fest. He should have made Skelton look a mug, as all he had to do was step to the side when Skelton came barging forward (with his eyes shut) or if he was going to stay there, throw some uppercuts, and catch an incoming Skelton.

I still maintain that Sprott played right into Skeltons hands, as proved by how Sprott started to dominate when he decided to have a go, and make use of his skill, and speed.

[KOJOE90]

Talking of pundits i like Johnny Nelson, he is bright and alert and doesn't slur all the time or use constant "Know what i means" or "At the end of the days"

Agree mate, I think Nelson makes a good pundit, has some intellegent and interesting opinions.

[KOJOE90]

Sprott did exactly as he did in the Williams fight: just stood off and didn't throw punches. Move over Michael Holden: the worst British heavyweight champion ever is now Michael Sprott.

Even worse than Neville Meade???

Yes, much better. Neville Meade was a dangerman. He banged out several favoured opponents en route to his shot at the title, which he then won with a crushing face-first kayo of Gordon Ferris in one round.
Meade was also a former top amateur who struck gold in the 1974 Commonwealth Games.
Take it from me, Sprott is the worst. He's too reluctant.

Unfortuanatly I cant recall ever seeing Meade fight. :(

I believe though he is doing ok and training Amatuers somewhere in Wales. Unlike his former opponent Paul Sykes whom I understand since retiring from the ring has been in and out of prison and is currently homeless and has a bad drink problem.

[KOJOE90]

Did I hear right that Paul Dempsey kept inplying that Derek William had held The Commonwealth and British Heavyweight Titles?

When he only held the former.

[hitman_hatton1]

Did I hear right that Paul Dempsey kept inplying that Derek William had held The Commonwealth and British Heavyweight Titles?

When he only held the former.

yeah i noticed that he called him a british, comm and european champ when he was only a commonwealth and european champ.

[knockout artist]

Talking of pundits i like Johnny Nelson, he is bright and alert and doesn't slur all the time or use constant "Know what i means" or "At the end of the days"

Or "I think he will", I think he can.

fornicating Glenn McCrory keeps opening sentences with these words.

I'm glad they have replaced him with Watt. I'd get rid of McCrory altogether. I think he is useless.

[J]

MORNING GENTS,
Sprott didnt turn up he was bullied for the first four rounds and made it hard for himself.
Skelton just swarmed over him all night using whatever tactics necessary.
It was like a skelton home tie tho, a lot of thai fans who have followed skeltons transition were there.
middle rounds sportt boxed a bit better giving skelton something to think about but at the end of the day aggression and desire won that fight you could see Skleton was more pumped up.

Audley would kick skeltons arse I feel, sprott doesnt puch hard enough to keep skelton off him Aud does and wouldnt be bullied in the same way Sprott was, as he has the physical attibutes to hold his own.
I also think if skelton got a bit roughhouse Aud is more than capable of getting a bit spiteful back.

sprott seems just too nice. and let skelton rough him up.

[Kilburn]

Morning gentlemen, here's my take.

1. Sprott did not "decide" not to outbox Skelton - he just couldn't. He'd have never made it to the 12th round had he been using up the energy required to keep Skelton away from him. It was hard enough just taking breaks in the clinches - watch him trying to avoid actually wrestling too much, Skelton was clearly an exhausting lump to share the ring with.

2. Sprott only had that brief success in the middle rounds because Skelton took his foot off the gas and backed up. It wasn't a case of the champion suddenly "waking up" and starting to fight his fight.

3. Richie Davies is a lazy fat bastard who was WAY too slow to split them up.

4. Skelton has a decent chin - he took that right hand around the 8th bang on the jaw as he was rushing in.

5. Skelton would test Audleys stamina BIG TIME. No way Harrison gambles on knocking Skelton out early. No way.

[J]

I agree there dude Sprott couldnt deal with the size and bulk, he just didnt have the armoury to keep Skelton off but I do feel a naturally bigger guy like Aud would have the measure of Skelton simply as matt relies on brute strength determination to swarm his opponnent and tire them, take away those advantages and theres not so much left in terms of technical ability.

He is a big hard detemrined bastard though.
Wouldnt want to meet him in a dark alley thats for sure

[glittermonkey]

Time for the postmortem-esque gloating! The fight went almost exactly like i thought it might. I am god. Bow down to the almighty Glittermonkey etc etc etc. I was bound to get one right eventually (law of averages and all that).
On a more serious note, how much futher can Matt Skelton go? He's done well to get himself to this level so quickly, but IMO the only real option for him is to win the belt outright. I just can't see him making much of an impact on the European scene let alone the world. Yes, there are winnable fights for him at that sort of level but the top guys are a long way ahead of him.

He is a big hard detemrined bastard though.
Wouldnt want to meet him in a dark alley thats for sure

You wouldn't have to run very fast to get away though.

[J]

haha you make me larf mate, nice one

Skelton isnt technically good enough to go to a miuch higher level BUT what he does have is tonnes of heart a good chin, decent power determination

he also has a lot of GUTS

in seriousness I dunno he could give some of the more limited opposition a decent fight Sinal Sam for instance would be a good scrap. Two crude bangers goin toe to toe.

Wouldnt be pretty but niether was Sat. Sprott seemed totally intimidated from the outset including the fact there was more noise from the Skelton fans.. He just got mugged in the first four and never really fully recovered despite coming back into it in the middle rounds.


So dunno he may make it a bit further but not much.