Williams: 'Audley would have to nail me to the floor'

Unless you happen to be an avid reader of Boxing News you could be excused for not knowing the name of the British heavyweight champion. Gone are the days when the holder of what used to be the most prestigious prize in domestic sport was an instantly recognisable figure.

Danny Williams, a likeable, clean-cut lad from Brixton, knows there is a long way to go before he can be bracketed with the likes of Henry Cooper, Lennox Lewis and Frank Bruno (who never actually possessed the title). Just when he was beginning to get a foothold on fame and edging towards celebrity outside of south London, along comes Audley Harrison to hog the hype and the headlines.

Not that the 28-year-old Williams is resentful. "Audley's good for boxing,'' he acknowledges. "He deserves all the publicity he gets. I have a lot of respect for the guy.'' Having said that, Williams admits to a spot of peevishness over Harrison's declaration that he could become British champion within five professional fights. "Who's he kidding? Audley's a good, strong boxer but he has no stamina. I see he seems to be changing his mind now, talking more in terms of 18 months. But even then there's no way he's going to beat me. He'd have to nail me to the floor, and there's no way he has the ability to do that.''

Williams' manager and promoter, Frank Warren, agrees, as you might expect. "I don't think it's even a race. Audley has not shown anything to suggest that he could give Danny trouble. Danny's younger, he punches harder, he's got stamina and a good chin.

"I was quite pissed off when Audley said about winning the title in five fights so I offered him half a million pounds to make Danny his fifth opponent. He didn't respond.

"I don't believe Audley will ever fight for the world title. And I'm not even sure that he wants to. There's no hunger there. The trouble with him is that he wants to do everything. If he had his way he'd even be selling the programmes to make sure no one is short-changing him.''

Well, that's put Harrison in his place, which at the moment is recuperating from a damaged rib which caused the postponement of his second scheduled pro fight. But time isn't on the side of the Olympic super-heavyweight champion, and no doubt he will be watching with interest the outcome of this Saturday's battle at the Wembley Conference Centre, when Williams defends his British and Commonwealth titles against the old warhorse Julius Francis, best remembered for having sold the soles of his boots as advertising space when he was duly upended by Mike Tyson last year.

Williams is on something of a crusade, because his only loss in a 23-bout career was to Francis when he originally fought for the titles he subsequently acquired last October with a sensational defeat of Londoner Mark Potter. In that fight Williams lost the use of his right arm when the shoulder popped out of its socket. He ignored advice to quit and his bravery was rewarded with a stunning knock-out with an enormous left upper-cut and three left hooks.

That victory and another, following surgery on the shoulder, when he disposed of the New Zealander Kali Meehan in 32 seconds this summer, has given him all the confidence he needs for an engagement which could be described as something of a holy war.

For Williams, who has been promised a WBU title fight in September by Warren, has followed the trend of a number of boxing champions and become a Muslim – though not a proselytising one. He hasn't changed his name, though he prays five times a day. "I want to make it clear that I'm a true Muslim, not a follower of the Nation of Islam. I don't make public proclamations, though I spend a lot of time explaining to my friends, especially my white mates, exactly what my beliefs are.''

The 37-year-old Francis, a good friend of Williams who actually offered him advice after they last met, is a committed, born-again Christian who also prays before and after every contest. He seems to be the one most likely to be on his knees at Wembley, where Williams should finally start making a name for himself.