Frank Maloney Interview – Talks Heavyweights, Audley Harrison, ‘Bums on Seats’ and more

JohnMcDermottFrankMaloneyMattSkelto342WEBREADYBy Gianluca (Rio) Di Caro – This coming Friday, March 15th, promoter Frank Maloney returns to the York Hall in Bethnal Green for his latest offering ‘Loaded and Dangerous In London’, which is headlined by Matt Skelton versus John McDermott for the vacant English Heavyweight title.

This event is a sort of homecoming for Peckham London born Frank, having not promoted at the Capital’s home of boxing since his huge show in June 2009, which was headlined by Jason Booth’s successful British Super Bantamweight title defense against Rocky Dean.

This classic Frank Maloney Promotions event featured the cream of his stable, including sadly missed former Beijing Olympic Bronze medalist Darren Sutherland, Akaash Bhatia, Ashley Sexton, Martin Power plus a host of local prospects and debutants. Of course being a FMP event it had to include a Heavyweight bout, in this case Tom Dallas versus Stas Bilokon.

Before I get carried away and start talking too much about that excellent event, I’ll change tack and move on to Frank’s greatest passion within the sport and of course his interview.

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Barker stops Rotolo; Groves defeats Balmaceda

By Jeff Sorby: Super middleweight contender George Groves (17-0, 13 KO’s) made easy work of Dario Balmaceda (11-7-2, 7 KO’s) in stopping him in the 3rd round in a two knockdown performance on Saturday night in the 24-year-old Groves’ first fight with Matchroom Sport at the Wembley Arena in London, UK. Grove put the lanky Balmaceda down with a short right hand to the body in the 2nd.

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Khan vs Diaz: Analysis and Thoughts

Amir Khanby Matthew Rhodes

So, the next opponent for Amir Khan has been announced.

Let me start out by saying that Julio Diaz is a clear improvement on the limited Carlos Molina who Khan comprehensively defeated in his return to action after his brutal loss to Danny Garcia. Yet he, on paper, shouldn’t be a threat to Khan in his British return.

So who is Julio Diaz?

The headlines are he’s a 33 year old Mexican boxer based in California with a record of 40 wins, seven losses and one draw, 29 of those wins coming by stoppage. The highlight of his career so far was probably a period between 2004 and 2007 when he held the IBF version of the World Lightweight title two times. On paper that’s a solid enough record… but it’s worth looking behind it.

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Lucas Browne vs Masataka Takehara This Friday

LUCAS “BIG DADDY” BROWNE has fast earned a reputation as one of the heavyweight division’s hard hitters, but he won’t necessarily be looking for an early finish this Friday night.

The unbeaten Australian banger faces Masataka Takehara at Lions in Richlands, Queensland and knows he’s likely to have a tough bout on his hands.

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David Price – Typical British Heavyweight?

price#2By Barry Freeman

So it’s happened.

David Price (15-1-0), arguably the most exciting British Heavyweight prospect since Audley Harrison, has suffered his first defeat. Like so many British Heavyweights before him Price was saved by the referee from punishment at the hands of an American.

Tony Thompson’s (36-3-0) crunching right hand put the first blemish on Price’s ledger as referee Steve Gray had no choice but to stop the fight after Price bravely managed to beat the count but couldn’t regain control of his legs to satisfy the referee that he wouldn’t suffer further punishment. So is he to join the long list of British Heavyweights who couldn’t quite make the step and at one point prevented us from having a Heavyweight Champion for nearly 100 years?

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Price to discuss with his promoter whether to face Thompson again

By Michael Collins: Getting knocked out was no doubt a horrible experience for the previously unbeaten heavyweight contender from Britain David Price (15-1, 13 KO’s), and he’s not ready to say whether he’ll attempt to avenge his 2nd round knockout loss at the hands of Tony Thompson (37-3, 25 KO’s) or not as this time.

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Fury wants Thompson after Cunningham bout

fury67By Jeff Sorby: Heavyweight Tyson Fury (20-0, 14 KO’s) has a fight coming up on April 20th against American Steve Cunningham (25-5, 12 KO’s) at Madison Square Garden in New York, but once that fight is out of the way, Fury is targeting the 6’5” heavyweight contender Tony Thompson (37-3, 25 KO’s) for a fight this year.

Fury wasn’t happy at learning that Thompson had knocked out David Price in the 2nd round last Saturday night, and Fury wants to KO Thompson to avenge Price’s loss, as both Price and Fury are from Britain.

Fury said on his twitter “I’m gonna spank this little b*** Tony Thompson all around the ring! Granddaddy is getting it for KOing Price!! I’ll get him for u @davidprice. Thompson is old as s*** & been KO’d two times! Ill KO him after Cunningham. Tony Thompson where are you? You’re getting it after your mate Cunningham along with any other American heavyweight.”

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Video: Tony Thompson post fight press conference after beating David Price, Calls Out Tyson Fury

By Kevin Chittenden: Tony Thompson had a feeling that David Price and his management were underestimating his power going into their fight last Saturday night in Liverpool, England. Thompson felt that Price and his team saw him as an old man, and were thinking of just using him to look good in front of Price’s fans.

Thompson realized he had a good opportunity to pull a surprise on the 6’8” Price, and that’s exactly what he did by clipping him with a hard shot in the 2nd round that effectively stopped Price by knocking him down. Price got up but the fight was stopped without the action resuming.

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Audley Harrison stops Rossy, Wins Prizefighter Heavyweights tourney

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By Jeff Sorby: Former 2000 Olympic gold medalist Audley Harrison (31-6, 22 KO’s) found the fountain of youth tonight in winning the heavyweight Prizefighter tournament by stopping American Derric Rossy (27-6, 14 KO’s) in the 2nd round at the York Hall, Bethnal Green, in London, United Kingdom.

Harrison stopped Rossy in the 2nd round after drilling him with a left hand that put him down in a delayed reaction. Rossy was also dropped in the 1st round by a left hand from Harrison. Before making it to the finals, Rossy had beaten Ian Lewison and Travis Walker by close three round decisions by landing shots and then smothering them so that they couldn’t get their own shots off. But against Harrison, Rossy was out of his element due to Harrison’s accurate left hand punching.

He wasn’t bothered by Rossy’s head movement, crouching style or his attempts to come forward to clinch and throw punches. Harrison was able to catch Rossy over and over again with lefts when he would try to initiate.

In Harrison’s other two fights in the tourney, he stopped Claus Bertino in the 1st with a hard left hand, and he beat Martin Rogan by a lopsided three round decision.

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David Price vs Tony Thompson Weigh-in Video; Price Keen To Outdo The Klitschkos

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By Phil Barnett, Press Association Sport (@barnettoPA) – David Price wants to send a message to the Klitschko brothers by hammering former world title challenger Tony Thompson in style tomorrow.

The 6ft 8in Liverpool heavyweight has his long-term sights set on a clash with either WBC champion Vitali or his brother Wladimir, who holds the WBA, IBF and WBO belts.

First however, the unbeaten Price faces a step up in class against American veteran Thompson, who has lost twice to Wladimir in the past.

The British champion knows he can make a statement to the world by beating Thompson even more impressively than Klitschko, who needed 11 rounds to stop the Washington man in 2008 and six in July last year.

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