Ian Napa, the diminutive but hugely talented Bantamweight is a little man with a big opportunity when he challenges Simone Maludrottu 24-1 (10 KOs) for the EBU (European) Bantamweight title. Napa 13-5 (0 KOs) has the chance to achieve the recognition he deserves and the Londoner is out to prove that his brains are more than a match for Maludrottu’s brawn. “Maludrottu is strong but he is crude,” said Brian Lawrence, Napa’s trainer, “Whereas Ian has the gift to outbox anyone.” ..
Napa, 28, is one of Britain’s most skilful fighters yet to win a title. He has narrowly failed to achieve the top spot in a career that has spanned almost nine years but has seen only 18 appearances in the ring.
The Hackney resident knows this may be the last roll of the dice following his points loss to Belfast’s Damaen Kelly in November 2005. Napa, who won the Southern Area Flyweight title in his fifth professional bout, is reported by his trainer to be in tip-top form and acting “like an assassin” in training.
Jamie Moore 25-3 (18KOs), a fighter clearly on the upswing, is another looking forward to 9 March.
Moore, the British Light-Middleweight title holder, has never been beaten at Dagenham’s Goresbrook Leisure Centre and will be looking to maintain his 100% record there.
Following his disqualification against Michael Jones in their initial meeting for the British title, Moore brutally stopped Jones in the sixth round of the rematch and remains unbeaten since then. His most recent victory was a tenth round stoppage of the talented Matthew Macklin in September 2006.
The action packed card consists of 13 bouts, one of which marks the reappearance of Scott Belshaw, the 21 year old heavyweight sensation. Belshaw, the 6’ 7” Lisburn resident returns to the location of his most
recent victory which saw him destroy Makhmud Otazhanov one minute and fifteen seconds into the second round.
Amazingly, the highly regarded Belshaw, 4-1-0 (4KOs) had dispatched all of his previous opponents faster than his victory over Otazhanov.
“I have won my fights to date in 10 and 58 seconds of the first round and then 28 seconds of the second,” said Belshaw. “My dream is to be heavyweight champion. I have something special and I’m going to go as far as I possibly can.”
Belshaw’s words and unique boxing style will be noted by aficionados who eagerly await the emergence of the next top British Heavyweight.
Tony Salem, who fought on the same card as Belshaw is yet another unbeaten fighter on the high class undercard.
Salem, described as “having the skill of Sugar Ray Leonard and the power of Thomas Hearns” is being brought along slowly by connections and will be watched with interest.
Frank Maloney Promotions presents ‘When Opportunity Knocks’ at Goresbrook Leisure Centre in Dagenham, London, England on March 9, 2007. Tickets are available by logging onto www.frankmaloney.com or by calling the Box Office at 0871 226 1508 or televised live on Sky TV. If you can’t make it to the fight watch it live on Sky TV! call