People should be paid to watch the fight -Maloney
Posted: 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.
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.