The boxing publicity machine has been in overdrive, as the name-calling started ahead of the proposed fight between Bedford's Matt Skelton and Danny Williams. Skelton has yet to say in public whether or not he'll go back on his stance that he'd never fight Williams, after Danny pulled out the night before their fight in July, saying he had flu.
 | | One of the banners on the bus. |
With Skelton reluctant to voice his opinion on getting the fight on in December, Williams decided to come to Bedford to find the British heavyweight champion. Williams and his entourage toured the town on a bus, displaying signs taunting Skelton to come out of hiding. "I just really want to fight Skelton" explained a passionate Williams. "I pulled out first time with the flu and everyone including Skelton said I was a bottle job for doing that, so I'm here again saying the fight is on again, you're getting paid more money than before so lets get it on! He is looking to back out." However Williams, a Muslim convert of five years, also explained that he is currently not even training ahead of the proposed December bout due to the recent start of Ramadan. "I'm not boxing at this precise moment, I'm just praising Allah and just trying to be the best person that I possibly can because this is the month where the prophet Mohammed (PBOH) had the Koran revealed to him" he said. | "I know in my head that I am not suppose to do it and at some point I'm going to have to give it up." | | Danny Williams on the battle between boxing and his religion. |
"As Muslims we are suppose to fast and be as good as we possibly can at this time of the month. There is no hitting, there is no arguing with people, you just have to be as pure clean as possible." Williams however, faces a constant battle over whether he should actually be participating in his chosen profession. "To be honest the two do not go together" he revealed. "In Islam we are forbidden to hit people in the face so it is not good for me to be a boxer, so at some point I am going to have to get out of this sport. "I know in my head that I am not suppose to do it and at some point I'm going to have to give it up." Despite the religious requirements that Islam puts upon Williams, he feels that he is thoroughly suited to being a Muslim.
 | | Still looking. |
"It is very easy" he said. "My trainer will tell you I'm always up at 3.00 or 4.00am in the morning. The morning prayer is suppose to be the hardest one and that is the easiest one for me. I find Islam very easy for me and I fit my five prayers in very easily." Though he battles with his conscience over whether he should he should actually be boxing at all, he was first drawn to Islam while abroad. "I went to Turkey and heard the Adhan (the call to pray)" he explained. "I was a Christian at the time and I got goose pimples and carried on looking into Islam and I just felt this was the way of life for me and this was the way of life for God." But despite Williams being more than aware that his days being involved in the boxing profession are limited, he still has the drive and ambition to reach for his dreams. "After boxing I'd like to do security work but at the moment I'm still looking to fulfil my ambitions and my dreams of becoming World Heavyweight Champion and I'm plugging away at that." | 
