Cakes off menu as Williams gets serious

DANNY WILLIAMS is taking British heavyweight champion Matt Skelton much more seriously than he did Olympic gold medallist Audley Harrison as he sets his sights on another world title shot.

Williams dispensed with the services of Jim McDonnell, his tough task-master trainer, in the build-up to his Commonwealth title victory over Harrison in December because he did not rate Harrison.

But McDonnell is back on board for Saturday's clash with Skelton.

Williams said: "After only three days of training with Jimmy, I'd surpassed my fitness for the Harrison fight. For Harrison I trained on pizzas and Mr Kipling cakes, because I knew that boy's not a fighter. Technically he's really good but he's just not a fighter. I didn't need the pain Jimmy puts me through for him."

Williams is suffering a regime of really hard conditioning work, vicious hill sprints and two-hour runs before tackling 39-year-old Skelton.

He expects the Bedford brawler to proudly defend the 18-fight unbeaten record he has since coming late to professional boxing four years ago. "Until you lose you don't know you can, so it's going to be hard for him to be broken."

Williams plans on weighing around 18stone 10 or 11lbs, a little less than he scaled the night he knocked out Mike Tyson in four rounds in July 2004.

He hopes victory will lead to a shot at WBA world champion Nikolai Valuev the 7ft 2in, 23st 'Beast from the East'.

Valuev became champion with a controversial victory over John Ruiz.

"I think he's all right but I'm not that greatly impressed with him. I saw his previous fight against Larry Donald and I thought he lost that one," said Williams.