Today's most under-rated British boxers by Oliver Fennell Oct 25th 2007

In a new mini-series, Oliver Fennell looks at the most under-rated and over-rated boxers in Britain, both today and in history. Part one looks at five active fighters who deserve more recognition for their achievements than they currently receive. 1- Clinton Woods Despite being a "big three" world champion, Woods is all-but unknown outside of his home city of Sheffield. There is no good reason for this. His "ordinary bloke" persona might explain why he is a faceless monarch in America, but Britain traditionally embraces blue-collar champs. His fights are always worth a watch and he has the results to demand recognition – wins over Glen Johnson, Julio Gonzalez (twice) and Rico Hoye are as good as any other titleholders' at present. Age is against him at 35, but even so, the biggest names of the light-heavyweight division – Roy Jones, Antonio Tarver and Bernard Hopkins – are all well north of this. More importantly, I would give Woods a fair chance of beating any of them. 2- Amir Khan No, this is not a typo – I really do think Khan is underrated. Yes, he is one of the best-known boxers in Britain, and yes, he gets more exposure and money than several arguably more deserving pros. But it is because of this exposure that Khan doesn't get enough credit. Khan has been thrust into the nationally-televised spotlight from day one and has been judged harshly. Had his career panned out exactly the same way but for the most part tucked away on non-televised undercards, Khan would probably have been praised for how quickly he has been developing. Think about it – a 10-rounder in his 10th fight, a Commonwealth lightweight title in his 13th, and meeting boxers with winning records from his fifth contest onwards. How many prospects have a CV like that? 3- Danny Williams Williams has suffered by association. Fans have grown tired of the British heavyweight scene and its interminable permutations of Danny, Audley Harrison, Matt Skelton and Michael Sprott. To the general public, these four are lumped together as one turgid, underachieving whole. But this does a disservice to Williams, who, when in shape and confident, has proven he's a level above. After all, he's the only one of the four to have fought for a genuine world title, and his famous victory over Mike Tyson is leagues above anything his peers have achieved. It's fair to say he only has himself to blame for most of his defeats, but if he can maintain the conditioning and focus he showed when dethroning British champ Scott Gammer earlier this year, he can still be a force at a higher level 4- John McDermott It's easy to take one look at McDermott and write him off. But the flabby belly and meek face disguise an improving technique which has seen him emerge as the mandatory contender for the British heavyweight championship. Clearly he will never be the world title material promoter Frank Warren claimed he was when signing him in 2001. However, the 27-year-old might yet become the last man standing in a British division dominated by middle-aged men. Sure, "Big Bad John" could stand to lose a stone or so, but some people are simply built this way naturally. If he wasn't a serious fighter, he wouldn't have won an ABA title or beaten Scott Gammer last time out. 5- Anthony Small British fans love to hate a showman, especially one who so outwardly believes in himself. The fighters say "confident" and the fans say "arrogant". When Small was humbled by Bradley Pryce in July, his detractors were falling over themselves with glee and proclamations of "I told you so". They would have you believe Small was a "pretender" who was "exposed" against a good, old-fashioned pro. But such fans conveniently forget what really happened on that night. Small was far from exposed – he actually dominated Pryce in the early going and was so on top that a stoppage win looked only a matter of time. Small ultimately bowed to the greater stamina and seasoning of the champion, but it had been a sterling effort in much, much higher company than he had previously fought in. He can come again. Has Fennell got it right, or are his opinions over-rated? Add your comments here. Next week: Britain's five most over-rated active boxers.

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you sure? Oct 26th 2007, 02:29:47 by big thumbs Can't see how you can say Danny Williams is under rated, he's found his level. Been beaten conclusively when stepping up. And Anthony Small, he reminds me of his trainer Spencer Feron, both run out of steam in a fight. Think he'll be lucky to win a British title.