Boxing Preview Analysis: Prizefighter Heavyweight III

ByLee Bellfield


© Lawrence Lustig

The successful Prizefighter series continues tonight at London’s Excel Arena when eight of the country’s top heavyweights go head to head in an elimination tournament.

Amongst the eight attempting to bag the £32,000 prize fund are bitter rivals and former opponents Danny Williams and Audley Harrison.

Both men boast one win apiece over each other and should both men win their opening two bouts, they are scheduled to meet in the final.

The beauty of this tournament is that the matches are held over three consecutive three minute rounds. Seedings in tournaments like this tend to go out of the window, so one shouldn’t be surprised if a lesser known fighter upsets the odds.

Harrison and Williams are obviously the biggest names in this tournament. Unfortunately, another former Williams/Harrison foe Michael Sprott, who was also scheduled to compete, had to withdraw following a family bereavement.

Of the eight fighters competing, you have three who have held a championship of sort. Williams is the British Champion and Harrison is an Olympic Champion. The third fighter is Scott Gammer from Wales, who is also a former British Champion.

As well as the £32,000 first prize, incentive comes in the way of a potential rematch against Danny Williams who defeated him for the title in nine rounds back in 2007. Gammer has been installed as third favourite. Gammer has an interesting first round tussle with unbeaten Coleman Barrett.

The other four fighters in the tournament are as follows :

Danny Hughes – 23 year old unbeaten in 7 fights
Neil Perkins – 28 year old unbeaten in 4 fights
Scott Belshaw – 24 year old with 10 wins in 12 fights. One of his defeats was a 2 round stoppage against Tyson Fury in May
Carl Baker – 27 year old with 8 wins in 11 fights. At 20 stone 7 pounds he will be the heaviest in the tournament.

Experience and pedigree in this tournament are overwhelmingly in the favour of Williams and Harrison. Certainly when they were kept in separate halves of the draw the odds were firmly stacked in their favour to meet in the final. Certainly the bookies have agreed.

There is plenty to fight for the two favorites. For Williams its the chance of revenge against Harrison. When he was KO’d in three back in 2006 he only had a short time to prepare. For Harrison, its a genuine chance to get his career on track after so many letdowns. This incidentally will be his first outing this year after a disappointing loss in December against Martin Rogan.

I feel the two favourites will meet in the final. I also feel that Harrison will shine too in this tournament. As his Olympic gold medal proves, the tournament environment suits his makeup and he knows this is the last chance bar none.

Harrison to win prizefighter.