Danny Williams v Sam Sexton - who wins?
No doubt most boxing observers or even casual fans will have heard about the matchup between Commonwealth heavyweight champion Sam Sexton and Danny Williams, holder of the British Heavyweight Title. The clash, due to take place on February 13th, follows Sexton's rise to prominence in the domestic heavyweight scene and also follows his two wins over tough Irishman, Martin Rogan.
As with any fight featuring Danny Williams, the fight throws up endless questions. Which Danny will turn up to fight? Does Sexton (left) have the experience to take on the man who beat Mike Tyson? Can Danny hold it together to outbox Sexton? Will Sexton produce an empathic performance and stop Danny, just as he stopped Rogan? The answers will be delivered on fight night.
Williams however, has made it known, that win, lose or draw this will be his final outing in the ring. At 36, and win 50 fights amassed through his career, he has seen plenty of quality action against top fighters, gained a Lonsdale belt outright, and been regarded as one of the top 5 heavyweights in the country for some years now. He has been there, done it and picked up a fair few belts along the way.
The key is how he prepares. If he manages to turn up weighing less than 230lbs, as he did when he stopped Scott Gammer in 2007, there is every chance that he will be able to pull off an upset win to round of his career. One thing is for sure, Danny is not easy to stop when he is on form and a lighter version of the Danny we know, will certain improve his chances.
His experience is also a crucial factor. Danny (right, with Carl Baker who dropped and beat him in Prizefighter) has fought top class opponents in Tyson, Klitchko and Samil Sam. He has also fought more than his fair share of top domestic heavyweights in Skelton, Sprott and Harrison. He can box, he can bang, and when he is motivated, he can win with a broken arm (against Mark Potter). Williams is without a doubt, a big step up in class for Sexton and he has more than three times the experience. Sexton will be wise to be wary.
That is not to say that Sexton does not have a shot at wrapping the Lonsdale belt around his waist for the first time on the 13th. He has beaten a reasonable selection of young and upcoming heavyweights domestically. His best wins have been to end the unbeaten run of Chris Burton in the Prizefighter final, as well as a win against Pele Reid and two against strong performances against Martin Rogan. He can take a shot, as proven in the first Rogan fight, and he can survive wobbly legs to turn the tables. His shot at the British title is deserved. If he has trained hard and boxes well against Williams, without being drawn into any traps from the wily veteran, his night could well be looming.
Motivation shouldn’t be a problem for either fighter. Williams wants to go out on a win, and a loss for Sexton will mean that he will have to go back to the drawing board and prove himself again on the domestic scene before his next British shot. However, Sexton has age on his side (at 11 years younger) and a win against Williams will open doors very quickly for him.
I wish both fighters the best of luck. I’d like to see Williams emerge triumphant on points. Williams deserves a decent send off for his contribution to British heavyweight boxing for the last 15 years. However Sexton’s star also deserves to maintain its ascendancy. Let battle commence!
