People should be paid to watch the fight -Maloney

REAL_DEAL · Post by **REAL_DEAL** » 08 May 2004, 08:16

It's a nothing fight
By PAT SHEEHAN

FRANK MALONEY reckons fans should be PAID to watch Audley Harrison’s fight with Julius Francis.

Olympic golden boy Harrison faces Francis tonight in the first defence of his WBF crown.

But Maloney, who steered Lennox Lewis to the undisputed world heavyweight title, insists he will not waste any electricity by watching the Bristol bout when it is screened live on BBC2.

Unbeaten Harrison, 32, turned to Francis — who took the showdown at just 10 days’ notice — when Russian Nicolay Popov pulled out.

But Maloney raged: “It is a nothing fight and Harrison has nothing to gain as Julius has lost his last six fights.

“I’ll be amazed if Harrison doesn’t finish it in three rounds. But the British Boxing Board of Control should be asking ‘is Julius a suitable opponent?’

Maloney was in Francis’ corner when he fought Mike Tyson in 2000. But they parted company after Francis lost his British and Commonwealth title fight against Brixton’s Danny Williams the following year.

He advised Francis to hang up his gloves. But instead the 39-year-old has fought on — taking high-risk fights around Europe at short notice.

Maloney rapped: “The public should be paid for going to this fight instead of paying to go and see it.

“Harrison should have been taking on men like Julius after about four fights, not in his 16th and after three years in the paid ranks.

“Imagine if I’d tried to match Julius with Lennox Lewis at the same stage of Lennox’s career. I would’ve got buried alive by the critics — but Audley has got away with it.

“What we really need from Harrison is a commitment that he is going to step up in class and prove he really is a world champ in the making.

“If Harrison is going anywhere, like he keeps telling us he is, he should beat Julius quickly — like Mike Tyson, Vitali Klitschko and John Ruiz did.

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 08 May 2004, 09:19

Warren and Maloney can't stand the fact Audley Harrison is not in their pocket. As Ian McNeilly said a while back, Warren and Maloney have become the Mickey Duff and Terry Lawless of the 21st century - two men they despised.
It was quite comical reading Duff's autobiography "Twenty and Out" (which has recently been pulled). Anybody he was unable to control in his promotional career, such as Jim Wicks, Eddie Thomas and Warren, he slags off.
That's exactly what Warren and Maloney are doing here.

DG. · Post by **DG.** » 08 May 2004, 09:21

bennie wrote:Warren and Maloney can't stand the fact Audley Harrison is not in their pocket. As Ian McNeilly said a while back, they have become the Mickey Duff and Terry Lawless of the 21st century - two men they despised.
It was quite comical reading Duff's autobiography "Twenty and Out" (which has recently been pulled). Anybody he was unable to control in his promotional career, such as Jim Wicks, Eddie Thomas and Warren, he slags off.
That's exactly what Warren and Maloney are doing here.

Warren and Maloney are the 2 biggest 'beeps' in British Boxing !

Gwann AH !!

Twinkle Toes · Post by **Twinkle Toes** » 08 May 2004, 09:59

Frank Maloney = hypocrite

Either that or he is going senile.

MightyWarrior · Post by **MightyWarrior** » 08 May 2004, 10:33

I thought Maloney was refering to Skelton's next fight.

It'd be great to see Harrison keep winning, if only to see the pissed off looks on the two Frank's faces.
They'll start to look like two kids with their faces pressed up against a sweet shop window. :( :(

neil r · Post by **neil r** » 08 May 2004, 10:47

hopefully i can provide frank with some consolation....

Dear Mr Maloney
RE your comments about the Harrison Francis bout. I agree 100% with your sentiment and as the fight is on the BBC and I dont have a TV license and havent had one for over ten years then please take some pleasure in the fact its costing me nothing to watch it. in fact if you couple iot with the fact i can watch other tv programmes for free too, not to mention the radio, then in effect you could say i am being paid )in sort) to watch this fight.

rest assured that ill use the money i save by not buying a license to buy some ringside briefs for the next sports network bout in edinburgh, where of course we are always garunteed a full card of bouts which are evenly balanced, with no mismatches and boxers in their prime.

yours...

shakermaker · Post by **shakermaker** » 08 May 2004, 10:49

you know if AH turned to the two Franks tonight and said I wanna sign with you.......they'd snap his hand off and proclaim him to be the best heavyweight out there.

Like a scorned lover the pair of em

KOJOE90 · Post by **KOJOE90** » 08 May 2004, 10:49

bennie wrote:Warren and Maloney can't stand the fact Audley Harrison is not in their pocket.

I couldn't agree more.

If Harrison was under Warren/Maloney they would be saying "Audley Harrison is the most promising Heavyweight since a young Lennox Lewis and will be Heavyweight Champion of the World within 2 years"