Frank Maloney on the British Fight of the Year.

British fight manager Frank Maloney’s stable of boxers added another title to their credit as Southend’s Danny Hunt defeated Salford’s Lee Meager in a closely contested battle for the English lightweight title last Friday night in London, England. In a seesaw battle that raged back in forth for ten heated rounds, both fighters had their moments but when the smoke cleared it was Hunt whose hand was raised by the referee. Controversy erupted instantaneously, with sharply divided opinions among both fans and media members in attendance, arguing amongst themselves as to who really won the fight. The debate was fuelled further by the fact that the two fighters were backed by competing promotional firms; Sports Network for Hunt and Hennessy Sports for Meager. Frank Maloney, who also currently manages WBO featherweight champion Scott Harrison and British lightweight king Graham Earl, agrees that the fight was close but feels that Hunt was justifiably declared the winner.

“Last Friday I believe that we witnessed one of the best fights in a British ring in recent memory between Danny Hunt and Lee Meager,” said Maloney. “I’ve seen on Internet forums the controversy that the decision has raised with some scoring for Meager and some scoring for Danny Hunt. I’ve also seen some of the comments related to myself, which I do find quite amusing.

“I believe that the referee got it right. After watching the fight on tape the day after it happened, I actually had Danny Hunt ahead by two points going into the ninth round. I scored that ninth round 10-8 for Meager, making it dead level going into the final frame. Hunt was on the verge of being stopped in the ninth round and showed bravery and courage to get through it. When he came back to the corner he was actually a dejected fighter sitting on his stool.

“But, he was told that his career and title all rested on the last round. It was made very clear that if he didn’t go out there and do what Meager did to him in the ninth round, that he could kiss everything goodbye, as he would fall right back down the pecking order of British boxing. Hunt responded well to the pep talk in the corner and produced a tenth round performance that was unquestionable. I scored that round 10-8, making Hunt the winner by two points.

“I know that people will argue with this, but the only person to blame for Lee Meager losing the bout obviously is Meager himself. He had the fight won but couldn’t put his foot on the pedal anymore and he couldn’t change his tactics. Meager just came forward and was the same throughout the fight. I must admit that he did look more impressive because he threw the bigger shots. But in boxing, one big shot doesn’t counteract a lot of close in work and scoring jabs.

“I believe that if Hunt and Meager were to meet again that Danny Hunt would win convincingly. He’s proven that he can box as well as stand in the trenches and fight. Unfortunately for Lee Meager, who is very brave and strong, he can only fight one way. He had no plan B when plan A wasn’t working. In the tenth round when the fight was there for the taking, he obviously had nothing left in the tank.

“I was also amused by the publicity before the fight. At the press conference, Meager’s people were handing around a package that introduced him as the new British Lightweight champion. Sometimes there’s no place for arrogance in our sport. The homework and preparation must be done in the gym. I said that before the fight that it would be a good 50-50 contest and it was. Some people are tipping it as the fight of the year in a British ring.

“I will sit down with Danny Hunt and we will discuss the way forward as we see what’s there for him. Unfortunately for Lee Meager, he and his team have to go back to the drawing board. He’s obviously another member of the Class of 2002 that has failed their final exam.

“I remember launching the ‘Graduate Class’ in the nineties. That consisted of: Lennox Lewis, who would go onto become the world heavyweight champion, Paul Ingle, who went on to become the featherweight champion of the world, Graham Earl, current British lightweight champion and on the verge of moving to world class, and Danny Hunt who is now the English champion. I believe Danny has passed his test and is ready to go in with some of the bigger names in the lightweight division.

“Previously, I have talked about good and bad fights, saying that there would be a lot more good fights than bad as the season went on and I think that the Hunt – Meager fight proved that. Also, on the same bill as Hunt – Meager, Sports Network’s young prospects Kevin Mitchell, Lee Beavis, and Matthew Marsh all came through successfully. I think that the fight card of last Friday basically illustrates that for a fighter to achieve his ultimate goals and get to the top of his profession, he does need a true professional team around him. There is no substitute for that and I believe that Danny Hunt had far more experience in his corner than did Lee Meager and I believe that made a substantial contribution towards Danny Hunt’s victory.”