2007 review: Ten top fights that got away by Oliver Fennell Dec 14th 2007

At the end of last year, in my previous website residency, I picked 10 all-British dust-ups I wanted to see in 2007. And how many do you think actually happened? That's right … precisely none. It would be churlish to complain, though, as some of our boys instead fought at the highest level internationally in what were even bigger contests than the ones I proposed, while others engaged in alternative – but just as anticipated – domestic scraps. For the record, here are the fights I asked for 12 months ago, along with why they didn't happen, and whether or not they will in 2008. 1- Junior Witter v Ricky Hatton, WBC and IBF light-welterweight titles Why did I want it to happen? Hatton was returning to light-welterweight after his shaky showing against Luis Collazo at 10st 7lb and Witter had finally won his own version of the world title, having beaten DeMarcus Corley for the WBC strap three months before. Hatton had lined up IBF holder Juan Urango for the new year, but Witter had been goading him for years and finally owned an incentive in his iconic green-and-gold belt. Hatton and Witter's rivalry dated back to their British title days and with both now firmly on the world stage, a fight between them was more enticing than ever. Why didn't it? There has always been the suggestion it is Hatton who has avoided Witter. His nemesis had vocally goaded him for years and Hatton had always claimed Witter brought nothing to the table. But finally Witter bagged a world belt of his own and still was no closer to a Hatton fight. To be fair, Hatton had 2007 quite clearly mapped out from an early stage, and Urango aside, nobody can argue Witter would have made for a bigger fight than those The Hitman did face – Jose Luis Castillo and a certain Floyd Mayweather. Will it happen this year? After being thwarted by an expert boxer in Mayweather, it's hard to imagine Hatton will be keen to go back in with another tricky, reflex-based tactician in Witter. Then again, Hatton insists his future lies back at light-welter, where Witter would be the most lucrative fight. 2- Clinton Woods v Joe Calzaghe, IBF light-heavyweight title Why did I want it to happen? The cynic in me suggested Calzaghe would not fight Mikkel Kessler, so I argued a fight with Woods would be the next-best option. For Calzaghe, it would have been a chance to become a two-weight champion, and for Woods it would have been a chance to break into the top flight. Why didn't it? Calzaghe got the Kessler fight after all. In any case, Woods was injured through the middle of 2007, and when he returned, he had a mandatory rematch against Julio Gonzalez to take care of. Will it happen this year? If Calzaghe can't secure a financial blockbuster against the notoriously difficult-to-deal-with Bernard Hopkins, Woods would be an attractive domestic alternative. Plus Calzaghe has cleaned up at super-middleweight, so if he wants a 12st 7lb belt, Woods is probably the most attractive option. 3- Enzo Maccarinelli v David Haye, WBO cruiserweight title Why did I want it to happen? The combination of power and vulnerability made this potentially the most exciting and unpredictable top-level British clash of 2007. Why didn't it? Despite all the grandstanding from both sides, it was never really likely to. Haye had not long been named WBC mandatory and unless Maccarinelli/Frank Warren made him an offer he couldn't refuse, he was always going to go for the universal number one, Jean-Marc Mormeck, instead. Haye didn't receive such an offer, so he went ahead with the Mormeck fight, which was the bigger fight internationally. Will it happen this year? As above – Haye could be tempted if there was enough money on the table, but assuming he is not made such an offer, he will pursue his stated intention of moving to heavyweight. 4- Matt Skelton v Audley Harrison, Commonwealth heavyweight title Why did I want it to happen? Harrison had just reignited his career by surprisingly trouncing former conqueror Danny Williams. He was supposed to have fought Skelton on that night, but the Bedford Bear was out injured. What was once thought a foregone conclusion now looked a live fight, and it was designed to settle once and for all the British heavyweight merry-go-round, which at the time was still exciting. Why didn't it? Skelton-Harrison was all set for the spring. All Harrison had to do was get past Michael Sprott in a February warm-up. But Sprott sprang one of the upsets of the year, flattening Harrison in three rounds, and bagging the Skelton match for himself. Will it happen this year? Who knows? Skelton has a long-awaited world title shot against Ruslan Chagaev in January, and he's a long-priced underdog. If he wins, his domestic contemporaries will be off the radar, and if he loses, the 40-year-old could well retire. If he doesn't, it will be back to the British retreads, although Harrison has been missing in action since the Sprott shock 10 months ago. 5- Jon Thaxton v Amir Khan, British lightweight title Why did I want it to happen? At the end of last year, Khan was talking of a world title within his next five fights. I considered that to be over-ambitious, but suggested a compromise in Thaxton-Khan at the end of 2007, when Khan would turn 21 – the minimum age allowed to contest British championships. Why didn't it? Thaxton looked a bit too tasty at the time of writing, and Khan was steered towards the lighter-punching Commonwealth champ, Willie Limond, instead. Disaster nearly struck when Khan was heavily floored, but he redeemed himself against Graham Earl this month. Promoter Frank Warren's strategy of getting his young charge another year's worth of seasoning has paid off. Will it happen this year? Quite possibly. With Khan looking sensational in his last bout, and Thaxton struggling in his, Warren may well feel the time is right to make this match. 6- Jamie Moore v Bradley Pryce, British and Commonwealth light-middleweight titles Why did I want it to happen? It would have been a confrontation between two boxers who are never in a bad fight, a unification of two major championships, and an unofficial world eliminator. Why didn't it? Moore has had one eye on world honours all year, and Pryce never figured on his agenda. They went their separate ways, the highlights being Moore beating fringe contender Sebastian Lujan and Pryce ending the unbeaten run of young braggart Anthony Small. Will it happen this year? For now, Moore is on the bench awaiting shoulder surgery, and when he recovers from that, he has a mandatory European challenger to look forward to. Having ditched his British title, if Moore is unsuccessful in his Euro tilt, he might look at Pryce's Commonwealth strap for consolation. Otherwise, a win for Moore will lead to bigger things. 7- Carl Froch v Glenn Catley, British and Commonwealth super-middleweight titles Why did I want it to happen? With Froch treading water and Catley in the formative stages of a comeback, it would have made a good youth versus experience clash, with victory validating the winner's aspirations to bigger things. Why didn't it? Catley scored the second win of his comeback in February, but has not been heard from since. In his absence, Froch had his breakthrough fight against another former world champion in Robin Reid. Will it happen this year? It doesn't make sense, now. Froch's wins over Reid and Sergey Tatevosyan have put him above domestic class, and Catley's disappearance has knocked him down the pecking order. We don't even know if he intends to fight again. 8- Michael Hunter v Esham Pickering II, British and Commonwealth super-bantamweight titles Why did I want it to happen? Their first fight, in 2005, was close and exciting, and a rematch would have been the perfect route back for both men as they looked to rebound from recent defeats. Why didn't it? Hunter moved up to featherweight and didn't look his old self, while Pickering stayed put at super-bantam, where he lost in a shocker to Sean Hughes near the end of the year. Will it happen this year? Unless Pickering emphatically avenges the Hughes defeat and then steps up to featherweight, it wouldn't make sense for either party. 9- Gary Lockett v Ryan Rhodes II, WBU middleweight title Why did I want it to happen? They had engaged in a well-received scrap in 2005, with some disputing the decision awarded to Lockett, lending an air of unfinished business to a rematch nobody would have minded seeing. Why didn't it? For no good reason. Both men spent 2007 stagnating against inferior opposition when an obvious breakthrough fight was staring them in the face. Will it happen this year? Unlikely – Rhodes has dropped down to light-middleweight, while Lockett has ludicrously been awarded the number one spot in the WBO rankings. He'll want to keep that warm without risking defeat. 10- Ovill McKenzie v Peter Oboh, Commonwealth light-heavyweight title Why did I want it to happen? It promised to be a pure slugfest between wild but powerful dangermen who were being avoided by everybody else. Why didn't it? McKenzie's first fight of the year saw him obliterated in a round by Dean Francis, while Oboh walked out on a fight with Tony Oakey – and in all probability on his career, too. Will it happen this year? No. McKenzie has resumed journeyman duties, and no promoter in the land is going to go near Oboh after April's theatrics. Next week: My top 10 all-British fights for 2008.

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