Samuel Peter To Fight In UK vs Skelton or Audley Harrison

BBC SPORT | Boxing | Harrison, Skelton eye world title

British duo Audley Harrison and Matt Skelton are being lined up to challenge WBC heavyweight champion Sam Peter at London's O2 Arena on 12 July.

It would be a remarkable turnaround for Harrison, 36, who looked down and out after being knocked out by Reading's Michael Sprott last February.

Bedford's Skelton, 41, lost to WBA champion Ruslan Chagaev in January.

"I've agreed terms with Don King. In the opposite corner will be Matt or Audley," said promoter Frank Warren.

"I will make an announcement on Monday. Ironically, Harrison beat Peter in the amateurs and was considered the better talent when they went pro. Watch this space."

London's Harrison returned to action on the Joe Calzaghe-Bernard Hopkins undercard in Las Vegas in April.

He stopped journeyman Jason Barnett in five rounds, but did nothing to suggest he could be fighting for a world title any time soon, despite his public utterances.

Skelton, who has lost two of his 23 professional fights, was due to face Sinan Samil Sam for the European heavyweight crown on 7 July, but that bout was recently cancelled.

The 27-year-old Peter, nicknamed the 'Nigerian Nightmare', has 30 wins and 23 knockouts from 31 fights.

He defeated Russia's Oleg Maskaev in March to claim the WBC belt. His one defeat came against current IBF and WBO title-holder Wladimir Klitschko in 2005.

Peter is due one voluntary defence before facing Vitali Klitschko, who is returning to boxing after surgery and subsequent rehabilitation after a knee injury.

 

geez cant wait for peter to kill these guys...harrison has done nothing to deserve a shot...wtf happened to vitali thought he was gonna be fighting peter?not that he deserved the shot either

 

Read the last line, states he's due one voluntary befpre facing Vitali. This fight will just be a warm up, would rather Harrison get's the shot tbh. Skelton could never beat Peter and doesn't make for an exciting fight. Harrison has the ability it is just generally not on display. If he could somehow regroup and get himself together this could be competitive, and if not then we get to see a KO within 4 rounds.

 

I would LOL soo dam hard if after everything Harrison ends up a world champ!

 

What a sham, Harrison or Skelton shouldn't be anywhere near a world title

 

i hope audley gets a shot and does well. makes mr. barnett look even better.

 

Well at least that means it shouldn't be too hard for David Haye to get a title shot.

 

I reckon Audley could take this one, he has all the tools and the background

 

Skelton has a better chance than Audley.

 

so true... this crop of HW british fighters is not very good at all

 

I like Skelton. He and Peter both make for good fights.

 

Skelton's the physically tougher of the two but has about zero chance to win. Audley, despite his china chin and tentativeness, could potentially outbox Peter for the decision. Or get spectacularly kayoed. Either one is better than a Skelton clinchfest.

 

It'll be a sad day if Fraudley gets this fight.

 

Wow. Neither of these guys deserve the title shot.

 

No, neither guy does, but if it has to happen I'd rather see Audley in the ring. I lose a little bit of my will to live whenever I watch Skelton.

 

Skelton is the better pro than Audley Harrison though. At least he is durable. Skelton>Sprott>Harrison

 

Funny, cos Danny Williams holds wins over the three of them.

 

Williams>Skelton>Sprott>Harrison

That better?

What time is it in Australia right now?

 

And all 3 hold wins over Danny Williams.

 

Audley Harrison would eb a great matchup but he hasn't done anything recently to deserve the title shot.

Out of the two, Audley has the better abilities to be a champion but he hasn't really put it together... Time's really not on his side.