WHEN boxing fans take their seats and tune in for the Prizefighter 2 tournament
on September 12, they will see eight British heavyweights at very different stages of their careers slugging it out.
Chris Burton, Sam Sexton and Dave Ferguson are among the new blood touted as favourites
for the 25,000 pounds winner's bounty, the latter fighting on home turf in Newcastle.
Welshman Darren Morgan and tricky Lincoln southpaw Lee Swaby are considered dark
horses, while journeymen Luke Simpkin and Dave Ingleby will start as rank outsiders.
Pele Reid completes the line-up and at 35 is the elder statesman of the bunch.
The likeable big man from Birmingham was once tipped to become a genuine world
champion but has never come close to realising those lofty expectations, stumbling when stepping up to good domestic and international
level.
All five of his defeats have been by stoppage, including a two round April loss
to John McDermott for the vacant English title in his last fight and three round setback against Julius Francis for the
Lonsdale and Commonwealth belts in 1999.
But with 17 of his 19 wins arriving inside the distance, the former kickboxer with
the unorthodox skills has a genuine puncher's chance of Prizefighter victory.
And after preparing diligently with new trainer Paul Gough, he intends to redeem
himself and take care of some of the "unfinished business" he feels he still has in boxing on the night.
Reid said: "When I lost to John McDermott it was like, 'Where do I go now?'
"It crossed my mind to retire after the fight. Immediately after, if I'd made a
rash decision it was definitely an option.
"But I've come too far to turn back and the reason I continue to box is that I
don't think I've reached my potential and the McDermott fight wasn't a true measure of my potential.
"I made too many basic mistakes and got caught after leading with the right
hand. But 10 months without a fight beforehand was too long.
"I needed a warm-up and my sparring was minimal. I only had four sparring sessions
with Sam Sexton prior to the fight and one with Neil Perkins.
"This time I've been sparring all over the place, with Danny Williams, Michael
Sprott and Franklin Egobi.
"You can do all of the pad work and bag work you want but sparring is the best
place to test yourself and fine-tune things.
"Without sparring you are only partly prepared and it has been refreshing sparring
Danny. I've taken each step as it comes and I'm very confident and know I can definitely win it."
Quality sparring aside, Reid said the focus of Gough's training has been on tweaking
things rather than making major alterations.
"I'm an old dog and a leopard can't change his spots, so he hasn't tried to change
me. We are keeping it simple, working on my strengths and refining things and making me more efficient.
"I'm feeling a better fighter than I was and preparation has gone well."
And while he is reluctant to label Prizefighter his last shot at the big time,
Reid knows he is in the autumn years of his career and it is time for him to deliver.
"I don't see it as the last throw of the dice really and my career isn't based
on losses - I've only lost five times," he told Fightnewz.net.
"But this is a young person's sport and I'm 35 years old and haven't got years
to be messing about. I've got to do it now while I'm still fit and hungry.
"Every dog has its day and I believe mine is still to come. I've got a big opportunity
with Prizefighter and hopefully I can perform and do myself justice."
Sheffield-born Reid watched the first Prizefighter with interest when Martin
Rogan came out on top in April.
But he is expecting the sequel on Sky Sports, which will also include seven three-round
bouts to decide the winner, to be even better.
"The standard of fighters is higher," he said. "There are the new kids on the block
and the likes of Lee Swaby.
"He is a tough customer and I beat him on points in my only full contact kickboxing
bout before I became a pro boxer.
"But I'm not worried about the rest of the field, they've got to worry about me."
Reid's defeat to McDermott snapped a three-fight win streak after returning
to boxing from an absence of four years, during which he fought on the testing K-1 circuit in Japan.
But he is adamant that the experience recharged his batteries and has made him
more focused for opportunities like Prizefighter.
"My time in K-1 was brilliant and made me mentally tougher," he said.
"Even though I'd boxed it was quite daunting because you get hit with knees and
kicks as well as punches.
"You can even come out of sparring limping, but it was a wicked challenge. I fought
Ray Sefo and even though I lost I gained a lot of support.
"I refreshed myself in K-1 but I always wanted to come back to boxing because I
feel like I've got unfinished business.
"Prizefighter is around the corner and I want to prove that with the right training
and team which I've now got I'm a completely different fighter.
"I feel I've under-performed in my career and deep inside I know I'm much better
than I've showed.
"But the past is the past, this is the present and the future will be different."
