Carly Skelly: “Expect a good fight and a massive performance from me”
After not one, but two postponements, Carly Skelly and Amy Timlin are finally set to battle it out on October 31st.
Although there was obvious frustration at the fight being put off twice, it now takes place on a massive pay-per-view card. The bout will now take place live on Sky Sports Box Office, on a Matchroom card headlined by Oleksandr Usyk and Derek Chisora.
Now that Skelly finally has a set date to work towards, she has been training hard and is looking forward to the fight and getting back into the ring for the first time since February.
“I’ve had a good training camp. It’s been quite a long one really because we’ve had a couple of changes in the date and stuff which obviously can have its negatives psychologically, but in all fairness, I’ve tried to look at it as giving me more time to develop my skills and to work on stuff, so it’s worked out really well.”
The fight was originally scheduled for August, before getting postponed to September. Then, due to the coronavirus hiatus, it was further postponed to the end of this month. However, the undefeated scouser hasn’t dwelled on the cancellations.
“The fight was originally organised for August and I was training really hard for that, and then in mid-June, we got told it was probably going to put back until September. So I did have a little time where I was just ticking over, working on a lot of technical stuff. So during the training camps, I’ve had weeks where I’ve just tapered, took it down a little bit and been able to work on things on the more technical side, which has been really good. I haven’t let the postponements dampen my spirits at all.”
Due to the fight being postponed a number of times, ‘Thumper’ has had an extremely long training camp. However, the Liverpool southpaw believes this has been a blessing in disguise.
“I picked up the training again when I heard the news and got a date. I kept going with the sparring and the technical stuff, so even though it has been frustrating because you’re looking forward to that date, it’s worked out in my favour as well because we’ve worked on loads of stuff, so it’s good. It’s also ended up on a better platform for us, so it’s worked out even better in the end.”
Carly Skelly and Amy Timlin will battle it out for the Commonwealth super-bantamweight title (Photo credit: Matchroom Boxing)
The Liverpudlian will be facing the rising prospect, Amy Timlin, on Halloween night. Skelly admits she doesn’t know too much about the 20-year-old, but that she expects a good fight nevertheless.
“I don’t know loads about her; I’ve just seen her once in the amateurs. She boxed a girl I know from near me, so I did see her in the amateurs and she did look like she was a come forward fighter, very similar to what I’m about, so I’m looking forward to it.
“I quite like someone who comes forward and wants to have a fight, because that’s what I want to do. Other than that, I don’t know a lot about her. I know she’s a young girl; she’s determined so she’s going to come out and give it her all. I think it’s going to be a cracking fight.”
Both Skelly and Timlin are undefeated, without a blemish on their record, so it looks like a fan-friendly fight on paper. Skelly believes all of the pressure is on her opponent, and that she can go in with nothing to lose.
“I know Amy has got a lot of followers and she’s got the bigger publicity. She’s got a big manager who’s really well known in boxing in Dave Coldwell, so I think there’s a lot of pressure on Amy. For me, as I’ve said before, I already have my career, I do this out of the love. I think people might see me as an underdog, but for me, I think the pressure is on her; there’s no pressure on me. This is just something I’m going to come and do and love, and I think it’s going to be a big ask for her, being so young and me being more of a mature fighter. My power is what’s going to be the decider in this fight.”
Pictured: Carly Skelly (Photo credit: British Boxing Television)
As already mentioned, the fight will take place on a massive pay-per-view card. The 33-year-old is over the moon to have a chance to fight on a bill like this and is ready to seize the opportunity in what will be her first televised fight as a professional.
“It’s amazing to be fighting on a card like this, it’s a massive opportunity for both of us. I don’t think that’s going to make a big difference to me.
“I don’t know how it will go, but I won’t take it too serious, I’ll go and enjoy the night that it is. It would be stupid to waste the experience that it is, so I’m just going to enjoy myself.”
Like every boxing event since lockdown, there will be no crowd present. However, the undefeated 3-0 southpaw will not be phased by this and is just happy to be given an opportunity of this magnitude.
“It’s just been one of those years where it has been really unusual for everybody in every aspect. The fact that we’re still getting this opportunity is great. It would be nice to have everyone there, have your family there watching, but they can still watch it on Sky. Whether they were there or not, they’re still going to be able to watch it.
“It makes no difference to you whilst you’re in the ring, your family and friends being there or not. I’ve just got to be grateful that I’ve got this opportunity because there are a lot of people who are struggling to get the fights obviously because of the current situation we’re in at the minute.”
Pictured: Skelly will be hopeful of getting her hand raised on Halloween night (Photo credit: British Boxing News)
Now that woman’s boxing is flying, there is certainly no debating the ability and talent the ladies have got. However, one talking point which is prominent in boxing circles is that of the two-minute rounds.
Lots of fighters, coaches and boxing journalists have voiced their opinion on whether the women should fight three-minute rounds, just like the men do. Skelly believes there are benefits and drawbacks to both the two and three-minute rounds, but insists she can perform for either length of time.
“With the two-minute rounds you’ve got to go out there quite quickly because you don’t have that extra minute. You have got that little bit of time to get things done, so you have got to go out there quite fast. I think it suits me though because I am a fast and come forward fighter - I can get what I need to be done in those two minutes. I’ve found adapting to the two minutes nice. I think I’ve done it well.
“I totally get why people are saying, ‘Why aren’t women doing the three minutes like the men?’, and I totally get that, I’d be happy to do either or to be honest it’s not something that would affect me, I’d just carry on. We’ve done it as amateurs anyway for years, so it makes no difference twos or threes for me.”
It seems like a very subjective topic, one which many people in boxing have voiced their opinion on. The Commonwealth title challenger is no different and isn’t too fussed on either discipline.
“I think you’d be able to show off your skills more in three minute rounds, but I think that some of the fights that we’ve had recently have been really good fights; they have been very toe-to-toe. As they are only two minutes, I think you kind of have to go out there and do what you want quite quickly because you aren’t in that round for as long as the men, so you need to get your work done quite quickly.
“I think that’s why you watch some really good woman’s fights because they are full-on fights and a lot of work is done within the rounds. If it was three minutes, again it would probably be slower as you have a little longer to go for them then. I think you’d see different kinds of styles. At the minute watching a lot of woman’s fights, I think they’re really fast-paced and they are quite toe-to-toe.”
No matter the discussions and arguments that are ongoing about the length of rounds, this fight on Halloween night will take place over 10x2 minute rounds, for the Commonwealth super-bantamweight title.
Skelly is ready to go next weekend, and cannot wait to put on an impressive display for the fans.
“Everyone can expect a good fight and a massive performance from me.”
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Carly Skelly faces off against Amy Timlin on a packed undercard of Usyk vs Chisora on Saturday 31st October. For the most up to date information make sure you are following @ESBRBoxing, @EddieHearn, @MatchroomBoxing and @SkellyCarly
Headline: Usyk vs Chisora
Date: October 31st 2020
Time: First bell approx. 19.00
Venue: TBC
Channel: Sky Sports Box Office / DAZN