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Williams-McDermott: scary

If you'd have seen that fight in a car park, or the street, McDermott would've walked away the winner. Quite simply that fifth round when he bashed Danny up was enough to take the British belt.

Glenn McCrory
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The last Friday Fight Night of the series ended up more of a Friday Fright night for poor old John McDermott.

The decision to give Danny Williams the win was unbelievable, absolutely shocking and in fact, quite scary.

If you'd have seen that fight in a car park, or the street, McDermott would've walked away the winner. Quite simply that fifth round when he bashed Danny up was enough to take the British belt.

Williams was very, very lucky. Very lucky indeed. You could argue about the points deductions late on in the fight and he did berate Dave Parris, but the referee did him a massive favour in that fifth round.

Nine out of 10 referees would've stepped in and stopped it because he was taking a real battering, but Parris allowed him to carry on and it proved the right decision - for Danny at least.

But not for McDermott. In fairness, I and most other people thought he would get bombed out inside a few rounds, but he put in a great performance. He raised the bar above anything else he had produced in his career and yet he walked away without that British belt.

Talented

I had a word with him afterwards and told him I thought he'd won it and won it well. It seemed to lift him a bit and I am glad because what we saw shows that had he got that win, there would have been something to work on, a new force in our heavyweight division.

I've always thought Danny was the most talented we have produced for a long time - although it seems we are never going to see it come to fruition - and if John can do that to him, with a little bit more work and harder sparring, he could go on to really make an impression.

Hopefully he will get to fight for the vacant title, which is the least he deserves. As for Danny, it's difficult to know where he goes from here. It was not the platform to launch a second world-title bid from and now he has been found out at world, European and British level.

If it was any other fighter, I would say it was time to call it a day, but we've seen Danny this bad before and we've seen him bounce back before. But even then, McDermott hurt him and hurt him badly and that was something that Mike Tyson didn't do and, although he gave him a boxing lesson, Vitali Klitschko didn't do either.

The decision may have been a shocker but the fight was another cracking, controversial British title affair. I have said before my only regret in boxing was that I didn't win a Lonsdale belt and this, plus the others that have gone before, show just what it means to boxers.

Not many boxers can talk of, or even dream of a world title, but the British belt is something that is within their aspirations, within their grasp.

Prizefighter

Which brings us nicely onto the news of the second Prizefighter which, I am delighted to say, will be in Newcastle.

The first one was a good idea and it certainly made for a great night's boxing and I am sure the second one will do the same. Last time we had a few unbeaten records on the line so there was plenty to lose; although funnily enough both north east fighters, David Dolan and Dave Ferguson both saw their 0's go.

Prizefighter might be a gimmick, but it is a gimmick that works. If they were to turn boxing as a whole into three, three-minute rounds, I would kick up a fuss, but this is what it is and the fighters and the fight trade have taken to it.

It gives the guys further down the ladder a chance of glory. No-one had really heard of Martin Rogan before he won but it has given him a moment in the spotlight - and a fight with Audley Harrison - he might not have got. It is a good stepping stone and the fighters now know the doors it can open.

I am sure the people of the north east will love it as well. It's a cliche you hear all the time, but they are sports mad up here and I know they will take to Prizefighter. Football will always rule the roost but if this can ignite further interest in boxing I am all for it. I want to see it back here full-time.

Fascinating

Before I go this week, I can't help but cast one eye ahead to what could be the fight of the year this weekend when Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito go at it.

They are two cracking fighters, two tough, tough men and this is a real test for Cotto. I do think he will have to come through some tough times on Saturday night, but I still fancy him to have too much.

He is really coming to the forefront as one of the best in the world but Margarito does have the height and reach advantage and whatever happens, will keep coming forward, keep throwing shots. It is going to be fascinating but like I say, I just fancy Cotto to weather the storm and come up with a late stoppage.