Commonwealth heavyweight champion Matt Skelton, 39, will defend his title against Olympic heavyweight gold medallist Audley Harrison, 34, on the 9th of December at London’s ExCel Arena. Skelton, who is from Bedford, won the Commonwealth belt back in July when he won a unanimous decision over fellow citizen Danny Williams.
Harrison, who is from London, is attempting to do what fellow heavyweight Mike Tyson has decided to do, and to try and get his career back on the straight and narrow after a succession of poor defeats. The former Olympic champion was once the owner of the Commonwealth belt before he lost it to Williams in back in late 2005. Harrison’s status as a world heavyweight champion took a thrashing following that pathetic excuse for a fight.
Then after another loss to American Dominick Guinn in his next fight, Harrison was linked to talks of potential retirement. But Harrison, who achieved gold in Sydney in 2000, was given the prospect to redeem himself. He was offered a lucrative bout with Skelton, who has been incapable on agreeing a world title fight.
I believe Harrison has only ever made one decision in his boxing career that was worse than this one; and that was to become a professional boxer. He should really learn to walk away before his already flawed significance is hurt any more. And as for Skelton, he’s OK but not a great boxer and definitely not a heavyweight world champion. But who knows, it might make for an interesting spectacle.
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