By Danny Winterbottom

You would be hard pushed to find many people outside of Bradley Skeete’s inner circle who believes that the unbeaten Penge fighter can inflict defeat number two on British welterweight champion Frankie Gavin when they clash on Frank Warren’s ‘Bad Blood’ card, topped by Tyson Fury and Dereck Chisora’s rematch, on November 29 at the Excel Arena in London’s Docklands.

A point not lost on Skeete (18-0, 7 KO’s) himself as he chatted to Boxingscene following a hard training session with his coach Alan Smith.

“Listen” he said sharply.  “All the pressure will be on him [Gavin] to perform after losing to [Leonard] Bundu.  I know that I will be the underdog, but this is the biggest fight of my career and I’m ready to take that title.”

Skeete comes into the intriguing bout with nothing except his blemish free record to lose, and in the form of his life, whilst Gavin, 19-1 (12 KOs) cannot afford to slip up at domestic level after losing on points to world class Italian Bundu in a challenge for the European crown in August.

“I have improved so much over the last 12 months,” said Skeete, who admitted he was offered the chance to face the Birmingham southpaw last year.

“I knew at that time I wasn’t ready to make the step up but I have developed and matured and now I am mandatory challenger for his title—it is a fight I can’t shy away from.”

Since the fight was announced, Gavin, who captured the domestic crown from veteran former WBC world champion Junior Witter in 2012 and has defended it three times, has been quick to tell anyone who will listen that he is levels above Skeete and the other domestic 10st 7lbs operators.

“Obviously he can’t be levels above me because he’s defending a domestic title against me isn’t he?” said Skeete with distain (The vacant Commonwealth title will also be on the line).

“If he was that much better he would be fighting for a world title now but he lost to Bundu, who is very good, but he lost in a close fight for the European title.  I am his mandatory challenger, the fight has been ordered by the BBBofC, and so he has to defend his title against me.”

Skeete will go into the contest against Gavin off the back of a comfortable second round TKO win, his third in a row, over Brazilian Leandro Mendes Pinto at the York Hall on September 20.

Mendes, a 37-year-old from Rio Grande, offered very little in the way of resistance and there is a legitimate argument that Skeete’s opponents so far have in no way prepared him for a fighter as skilled as Birmingham’s former 2007 world amateur champion.  But Bradley believes he is punching harder than ever and there comes a time when all fighters must step up to the plate.

“It’s all coming together nicely, I have had 18 fights and it is my time to shine” said the rangy stylist, who boxed successfully as an amateur for Earlsfield ABC under the watchful eye of Sid Khan.

“I don’t go to bed thinking about what Frankie Gavin is gonna do in this fight.   I‘m fully concentrated on what I need to do to prepare in the best way that I can and I believe—despite what people are saying—that I will be good enough on the night to get the win.”

A tall (6’1”) bean pole framed boxer, Skeete’s contests have sometimes failed to excite the watching public as his boxing skills have, more often than not, proved sharp enough to warrant a risk free approach against the level of opposition he has faced.  However the iBox Gym resident has been knocking them over in recent outings.

“I’ve got a great strength coach” said Skeete.  “We have been doing some wicked stuff in the gym over the course of the year and in these last three fights the work we have put in has really started to payoff and show in my performances.”

“The power is there, I know it” he said confidently.  “In four and six round fights I believe it is about getting the right experience.  When I have stepped up the stoppages have come.  If Gavin underestimates me in this fight he is in big troube!”