British Boxing: Fur Flies As Maloney vs. Fury Kicks Off

Frank Maloney has lashed out at rent-a-quote motormouth Tyson Fury.

FTM promoted John McDermott defends his English heavyweight title against the unbeaten pretender at the Brentwood Centre on Friday, September 11.

Fury, unbeaten in seven fights has criticised the quality of heavyweight boxing on Maloney bills, but the promoter reckons the mouthy Mancunian must be suffering from amnesia.

Maloney said: “Perhaps Fury had a hard spar that day when he made those comments, and I’ll forgive him if he did. I would say my track record with heavyweights is better than anybody in British boxing.

“My work with Lennox Lewis is there for all to see and I helped discover Nikolai Valuev and John Ruiz – one great world champion and two decent ones. They aren’t bad fighters to have on your bills. Let’s be honest, Fury wouldn’t have been allowed in the same city as Lennox, let alone ring!

“Domestically, I got Julius Francis paydays Fury can only dream of. I wonder if Tyson’s connections will do the same.”

And Maloney reckons Fury should be more worried about his own promoter, Mick Hennessy, than what quality he has served up.

“Fury should worry for the future, because it is rumoured Mick will lose his TV deal at the end of the year,” said Maloney. “And if Mick had such belief in him, why did he get blown out of the water by me in the purse bids for this fight?

“Fury and Mick are quick to tell the world he is the greatest heavyweight hope in the world, but he obviously can’t be that valued because he is the away fighter in his first title fight.

“Before Tyson starts telling everyone he is the best, he wants to prove he is the top heavyweight in the north-west. Didn’t David Price school him as an amateur or am I suffering from amnesia?”

McDermott (25-5) won the English crown with a sensational two round blast out of Pele Reid in April, 2008 and will be making his first defence

In the chief support bout, a battle of little big men sees St Helens slugger Gary Davies (9-2-1) risk his British bantamweight title against Ian Napa (18-7).

Tickets for the show priced £90 (ringside) and £35 (body of the hall) are available from www.frankmaloney.com and 0871 226 1508. There is a discount for those who buy from the website.