Samuels heaviest at Prizefighter Middleweights weigh-in - 21/11/2008

PAUL Samuels is the heaviest of the eight fighters for Matchroom Sport’s next Prizefighter competition.The fourth Prizefighter event, this time at middleweights, takes place on Saturday, November 22 at the York Hall in London and all the action will be shown live on Sky Box Office.

At Friday’s weigh-in at the Britannia Hotel in London, Samuels scaled at 11st 8lb, exactly on the limit that had been agreed.

Bookmakers’ favourite Martin Murray was the lightest boxer at only 11st 6lb 3oz. None of the favourites have gone on to win any of the three previous Prizefighter competitions but Murray will be hoping to end that record.

Samuels, who at 35 is the oldest in the eight, is up against the youngest boxer – 21-year-old Danny Butler of Bristol.

The other quarter-final match-ups are Max Maxwell (Birmingham) v Steve Ede (Southampton), Cello Renda (Peterborough) v Danny Thornton (Leeds) and Joe Rea (Ballymena) v Martin Murray (St Helens).

Four quarter-finals, two semi-finals and a final will all take place in one action-packed evening of boxing where the winner will collect the £25,000 top prize.

“It’s a very intriguing competition and this event will see an element of excitement because I’m in it,” said Newport-based Samuels.

“I’m an intelligent boxer, a thinker, but I can switch and if I have to stand and trade then I will. I will make the format suit me.

“I see my chances as very good and I’m going there to win it. I didn’t enter to just be one of the fighters.

“I believe I’m one of the favourites to win it and I’m very much looking forward to it. When the opportunity of Prizefighter first came along I was undecided whether to enter but then I said to myself ‘where am I at the moment’.

“This competition could catapult me back into the limelight and back into big-time boxing.

“I’ve very much underachieved in my career and I’m a bit of an enigma. My life has been dramatic and I could write a book about my life and the highs and lows.”

The Prizefighter Champion wins £25,000, runner-up gets £12,000, losing semi-finalists collect £8,000 and beaten quarter-finalists receive £4,000.

The full list of fighters in the event is Danny Butler (Bristol), Steve Ede (Gosport, Hampshire), Max Maxwell (Birmingham), Martin Murray (St Helens, Merseyside), Joe Rea (Ballymena, Northern Ireland), Cello Renda (Peterborough), Paul Samuels (Newport, Wales) and Danny Thornton (Leeds).

All the action will be screened live on Sky Box Office from 9pm as part of the Ricky Hatton v Paul Malignaggi package.

Prizefighter Middleweights
Paul Samuels 11st 8lb
Steve Ede 11st 7lb 14oz
Danny Butler 11st 7lb 12oz
Danny Thornton 11st 7lb 2oz
Max Maxwell 11st 7lb
Joe Rea 11st 7lb
Cello Renda 11st 6lb 11oz
Martin Murray 11st 6lb 3oz

Reserves
Paul Buchanan 11st 8lb
Ciaran Healy 11st 8lb