FRANK MALONEY has beaten his rivals to sign FOUR of Britain’s leading amateurs including ABA light-welterweight champion Joe Hughes and ABA finalist Glenn Foot. The promoter has also inked Telford light-heavyweight Shane Enright who will be trained by former pro Brian Robb. Hughes, 19, beat Liam Taylor to become national champion and will make his professional debut in London on Saturday October 16. “Frank Maloney put together what looked the best package,” said Joe.
“Not only is he famous for guiding the career of Lennox Lewis, he represents Olympic boxers like David Price, Tony Jeffries and Rendall Munroe..
“He has even talked to me about the possibility of going out to the States to train and fight at some time in the future.
“Not much is going to change about my routine at the moment, though. I will still live in Malmesbury and continue to train with Andy O’Kane in Bristol. “
Sunderland’s Foot was edged out by Dudley O’Shaughnessy in this year’s welterweight final, with many ringsiders rating the fight one of the best ABA finals ever.
Foot, 19, will be managed by Phil Jeffries, trained by Dave Binns and make his pro debut at Houghton-le-Spring’s Rainton Meadows Arena on September 11.
Foot said: “I want to make some money while I can. I have got a new trainer and I am already learning new things.
“The amateur judges didn’t like my style, they like the tippy-tappy style.”
Enright, 21, who will also make his debut on October 16 won and English schoolboy title, three junior ABA championships and a hat-trick of Four Nations gold medals.
He said: “I had lost my spark a bit but signing the deal with Frank has got that back.”
MUNROE WEIGHS UP BIG FIGHT RIVAL
RENDALL MUNROE met big fight rival Toshiaki Nishioka this weekend and said: “I’m even more confident of beating him now.”
The Leicester bin man faces the daunting task when he challenges for the Japanese star’s WBC world super-bantamweight title at Tokyo’s Sumo Stadium on Sunday October 24.
Munroe (21-1) and Nishioka (36-4-3) met at the WBC Night of Champions in Cardiff this weekend.
And southpaw Munroe said: “We got on well and he seems a nice man, but I grew in confidence after seeing him. I’m convinced that world title is mine.
“It is always tough fighting away, but once I get in a rhythm my size and strength will cause him non-stop problems.”
Manager Frank Maloney broke off from his Algarve holiday to meet Nishioka and his representatives.
He added: “They were very humble and pleasant people and this is one fight that will not be overshadowed by trash talk.
“I have to say they are very professional people and I am sure there will be fair play when we travel.
“Going to Japan doesn’t faze Rendall at all and he is the most laid back fighter I have worked with since Lennox Lewis.”
Maloney is dreaming of Munroe facing his great friend Jason Booth in a world title unification match early next year.
Nottingham’s Booth (35-5) also faces a hard night when he challenges Steve Molitor (32-1) for the IBF world super-bantamweight title at Houghton-le-Spring’s Rainton Meadows Arena on Saturday September 11.
Tickets for Molitor v Booth which is being televised live by Sky Sports are available from 0871 226 1508 or www.frankmaloney.com. VIP Ringside are £90 with the rest a bargain £35. Get yours in advance for a show that looks certain to sell out.
Irish Lightening to strike in Dublin ‘Homecoming’ bill
Exciting unbeaten Irish fighter Dean Byrne 12-0 (KO 5) reunites with his former Crumlin Boxing Club coach and mentor Phil Sutcliffe as he is added to DolPhil Promotions already loaded ‘The Homecoming’ bill which takes place at the CityWest Hotel, Dublin on Saturday, August 7.
It certainly will be a ‘Homecoming’ for Byrne, nicknamed ‘Irish Lightening’, as the fighter who based in Los Angeles, USA where he trains at Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Gym has yet to fight on home soil during his unblemished twelve fight career.
The former Irish amateur champion turned professional in 2006 in Australia and enjoy a successful six fight stint Down Under, picking and retaining their national Light welterweight title before flying to America to join up with one of the world’s most illustrious boxing trainers, Freddie Roach.
Since his debut Stateside, Dean has improved his power and technique earning a spot as one of the main sparring partners for the World Pound-For-Pound number one Manny Pacquiao and British star Amir Khan.
Despite this high profile activity, Byrne, 25, has an eye toward the Irish scene and is keen to follow in the footsteps of his hero, fellow Dubliner, Bernard Dunne.
“Maybe I could emulate Bernard Dunne, like me, he spent a few years in America learning his trade and building his record. Then came back home, smashed it and become world champion. So I just say to myself, ‘if Bernard can do it, why can I?’. It’s time to grab to bull by the horns as they say” said a determined Byrne.
Coming off a fifth round stoppage Byrne intends to use Dolphil Promotion’s heavily laidened bill as the springboard to the world title shot that he craves.
“The plan is to keep busy, I need to keep improving my record. I don’t want to be sitting around waiting – I need fights to achieve my goals. I had a year out of the ring sorting out of the ring and in my return bout I felt the year off in my performance and I don’t want to repeat that.” Byrne confessed openly.
“I don’t plan on the fight going the full six rounds. I am going to show the crowd the best of me and then I plan of getting whoever is in front of me out of there.”
“It’s more important to put on a show in front of my home crowd than in any fight I have had before. I approach every fight like it is a world title fight but this is something different and I will be looking to impress me home fans.” added ‘Irish Lightening’.
Also on the 11 fight bill is Limerick’s Willie ‘Bang Bang’ Casey who returns to Ireland following his victory in the SKY Sports ‘Prizefighter’ series, the All-Ireland of Dublin’s Anthony Fitzgerald and Belfast’s Phillip Townley and the debut of Ireland’s first ever female professional boxer, Christina McMahon.
Tickets are available from of €40 at www.ticketgroup.ie