Spiteful Skeete From Now On

Bradley Skeete exorcised the ghosts of Bilbao from his system with a stunning third round stoppage of Fernando Valencia last time out at Brentwood in October. Any lingering demons from his defeat to Kerman Lejarraga six months previously were put to rest as the punching man from Penge got his career back on track with venomous intent. He is looking for me of the same when he returns to the Brentwood Centre on December 15 with the Argentinean Diego Ramirez in the opposite corner, as he explains in his latest Fighter Diary... FIGHTER DIARY BY BRADLEY SKEETE IT WAS A big and important statement from me against Fernando Valencia and a big win to say 'I am back', sort of thing. The opponent was a tough one who had never been stopped and, to get him out of there the way I did, was good. It was not like it was a relief, I wouldn't say that, it was just an 'I'm back' feeling. Everyone goes on about me not being a big puncher but, while I'm not claiming to be this big knockout merchant, to go through the gears, drop him a couple of times and get him out of there early was a signal of intent from myself. For me, I felt like I was back to where I was before Bilbao and I enjoyed it more than anything. It got something out of my system and it was a relief in that sense because everything I had been working on happened for me. It all came together for me and it was a good showcase to remind people of what I am all about. It was a performance where I showed a bit of spite and I do enjoy it when I show that side of my game. When I get criticised I do take it on board because you've got to take the good with the bad and I look at everything. My best performances and the ones everyone have been excited about are the ones where I have been spiteful and got the job done. I do enjoy it more, although I am not known for going in there crash, bang, wallop. When I am spiteful, on the front foot and letting my shots go - even on the backfoot and letting them come onto me but still punching with venom - that seems to be when my best performances come. I would like this to be the way forward for me and it is what will get me the fights, I think - and the good wins. I have had 30 fights to date, I am 31-years-old, I've picked up some decent titles along the way and now it is about getting that European title, which I would love to win. That is the only title I've not won - barring a world title - and if I can get that the only left for me is a world one. I'd love it and it would be a dream come true, so I will carry on working hard as I come towards the end of my career, although I would not say I am getting close to that as I have a good few years left. It is time to push on now and get those fights. Losing to Kerman Lejarraga was a shock to my system but it is has not altered my thinking over what my ambitions are. It was over before it began for me in Bilbao and Lejarraga is a great fighter as he has shown since. I believe he will go on and fight for a world title. I am not crying out for a rematch but it is a fight I would like to have again because everyone who knows me knows that wasn't the real me in there and I just didn't get to show the best of myself. I've kept in contact with him and his team and I think even they were shocked by how it went. I am not one to make excuses and I lost to the better guy on the night. Fair play to him and he did a good job on me. I would like it again though. I have now got the chance to shine again on a live BT Sport show and I intend to make the most of it. The last time I was on BT I won the British title outright against Dale Evans and, I'll say it myself, it wasn't a great performance. It was a winning one though and I won every round to win the belt outright, so no-one can take that away from me. Performances like my last fight are the ones I've got to start putting on now. I've got to go in there, be spiteful and dominate my opponent. That is what people like to see and that is what I will be showing them. People then might start calling me Spiteful Skeete!