Johnny Nelson: Isaac Chamberlain vs Mikael Lawal ‘like a volcano waiting to erupt’

Mikael Lawal’s intense rivalry with Isaac Chamberlain is “like a volcano waiting to erupt” and the title fight between Great Britain and the Commonwealth “isn’t going far”, says Sky Sports pundit Johnny Nelson.

The British pair will finally fight after months of back and forth and a rescheduled fight before the score is settled in the ring on Saturday night.

“This fight has everything,” Nelson said at Thursday’s press conference.

“Regardless of the other fight being called off, I was always looking forward to Lawal and Chamberlain.

“These two are now headliners, so instead of being backup dancers, they’re front of house.

“So they both have to show up and Lawal is going to hate this (chamberlain verbal attack) because he knows Isaac is too smart, too sharp and too playful to get involved in a one-on-one conversation with him.

“If you don’t like that kind of thing, you don’t want to get involved in it. You just want to think along and continue the fight, so I think today it’s going to be very difficult for Lawal to keep a cool head because this fight can be won and lost before they enter the ring.

‘It’s like a volcano waiting to erupt.

“The fight doesn’t go far, I can’t see it.

“Remember, there are over 26 million viewers on NBC – these people fighting on Saturday night could be catapulted into a position where they could be seen by American fighters who select them as opponents.

“So the opportunities are not just here in Britain, but worldwide. This is a great opportunity for them to become stars.”

Macklin: This could be a barn burner

Sky Sports’ Matthew Macklin has predicted a ‘barn burner’ of a fight following Chamberlain’s continued attempts to get under Lawal’s skin.

“I think Isaac is trying to goad him,” Macklin said.

“Lawal is a very proud man, and if you question your character, I don’t care how calm or composed you are, no one wants that to be questioned, especially if you are a proud fighting man.

“I think it’s a good fight.

‘Chamberlain has more experience, he has gone deeper into it.

But Lawal has gotten better, he’s getting better. He’s had a tough life and I know it won’t always be that way, but with him I think it is, and he can pop.

“So I think it could be a barn burner.”

Clarke: Good idea for Lawal to back away from Chamberlain’s verbal attack

Despite Chamberlain’s comments, Sky Sports’ Andy Clarke has warned Lawal not to lose control of his emotions after the ‘long road’ he has traveled in his career so far.

“There’s plenty of spice, plenty of history,” Clarke said.

“We saw that Mikael chose not to go to the open training.

“The fight was supposed to be in Bournemouth in May – he pulled out of there and Isaac was very unhappy – Isaac has been going to Mikael ever since.

“Mikael chooses to withdraw and not commit himself.

“I think that’s actually quite a good idea, because if you know in that verbal battle that you’re going to come second, maybe it’s better not to participate.

“These two fights, this and Sam Gilley versus Louis Greene for the Commonwealth title – they’re classic York Hall fights, it’s where they belong.

“It’s never easy to keep the emotions in check on Saturday nights because there’s a lot at stake.

“This has been a long road for Mikael to win the title.

‘It’s interesting what fighters use to fuel themselves.

“I think Lawal feels like he’s not as celebrated as he could be – he feels like we’re favoring Isaac as a broadcaster and whether that’s true or not doesn’t matter – he can use that.

“But when the bell rings, you just have to look at what is the best method of victory for you.”

Find out who will come out on top on Saturday evening when the talking stops and the York Hall bell rings, live on Sky Sports.