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Skelton loses world title challenge on points to Chagaev

20/01/2008

Matt Skelton has lost in his bid to win the heavyweight world title despite going the distance against Uzbekistan's WBA champion Ruslan Chagaev.

Chagaev was given a unanimous points decision, 117-110, 117-111, 117-111, by the three ringside judges in Dusseldorf.

Skelton started the bout well, using his size and weight advantage to crowd the Uzbek, and was ahead in the early rounds.

But as the fight continued, Chagaev's better boxing skills helped him catch the eye of the judges as he landed cleaner blows on his opponent.

Chagaev began to counterpunch to good effect and scored with some piercing left hands. Skelton was undeterred and to his credit kept going after his opponent.

But Chagaev was too quick for the 40-year-old Briton and started to pick Skelton off with increasing ease as the fight progressed.

Skelton was deducted a point in the eighth round but by then the Uzbek was well ahead. Chagaev did enough in the latter rounds to secure his first title defence.

Having only started his professional boxing career at the age of 33, Skelton vowed to fight on despite the defeat.

"It's been a great journey for me. I only started boxing less than six years ago and I got to this stage and got my chance to reach the mountain top," he said.

"It didn't happen but I've got no intention of quitting and I intend to fight on."

Elsewhere, Roy Jones Junior beat Felix Trinidad with a unanimous points decision in their light-heavyweight non-title bout.

Jones is now likely to reiterate his calls for the chance to fight super-middleweight world champion Joe Calzaghe later this year.