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Williams: I want Valuev

27/02/2006

Commonwealth heavyweight champion Danny Williams has urged promoter Frank Warren not to set up a rematch with Matt Skelton and instead land him his dream world title shot against WBA champion Nikolay Valuev.

Williams, 32, out-boxed and out-pointed Skelton, the reigning British heavyweight champion, at London's Excel Arena on Saturday night but was pushed perilously close and admitted afterwards that it was one of the toughest fights of his career.

Warren said after the bloody clash, which has helped put pride back into the nation's top division, that a rematch "would be great to see" and hinted he would prefer to see a second instalment rather than see Williams go up against the 'Beast from the East' Valuev.

But Williams told the BBC today that he is not interested in lining up again against Skelton, 38, and insisted that he deserves another world title shot and a chance to make amends for his hammering at the hands of now-retired WBC king Vitali 'Dr Iron Fist' Klitschko in December 2004.

"To my mind there's absolutely no point in fighting Matt again," he said. "It's time now for Danny Williams to move to another level.

"My promoter Frank Warren has said publicly that the winner of my fight against Matt Skelton would get a world-title shot against the Russian Valuev and I'm really excited about that."

Valuev, 32, at over 7ft tall and about 24 stone, is the biggest heavyweight champion of all time and is unbeaten in 43 fights, but Williams, buoyed by three successive victories since his Klitschko defeat, is confident he can pull off a shock and fulfil his dream.

"I watched him against Larry Donald and I felt he was quite a good boxer, but he was well beatable," Williams 'The Brixton Bomber' added. "To me it looked as if he lost that fight, so I don't think he's anything special and I think I'm more than capable of beating him."

Valuev is due to make the mandatory first defence of his belt in Germany at the end of May against an as yet unnamed opponent. Williams is unlikely to land this opportunity but, providing the Russian wins, a meeting could be arranged for September.

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