Frank Maloney Liverpool 27/04/2011 Press Conference Transcript

On the 27th of April, The Olympia Arena in Liverpool, Frank Maloney will present his first boxing card in Liverpool.

The fighters on the card will all be from Liverpool and will feature Olympic Bronze Medallist heavyweight David Price, British title holder Paul Edwards and Commonwealth title holder and British title challenger Stephen Smith.

Frank Maloney stated that the main reason why he has brought this event to Liverpool is that, David Price has been in a promotional contract with Frank Maloney for just over a year and has not fought in Liverpool under his promotional banner.

“Coming from Liverpool is where he should fight” stated Maloney about his 6’8 Heavyweight prospect.

“I needed a top of the bill (local boxer Stephen Smith), and also on the card I have young fighter Paul Edwards in a tune up fight before defending his British title.”

Stephen Smith was on hand to tell the media why he will put this result beyond doubt. In the previous fight with Simpson, Smith won via split decision.

“I need to go out now and prove a point. I need to put a dogged display where I beat him in every department.”

“If Simpson goes into the fight and thinks that it will be a similar fight to last time he will be in for the shock of his life.”

“I’ll go out at the Olympia with great local support behind me and beat him well”

David Price talked about his previous opponents and his next opponent Raphael Butler.

“So far I have had criticism, but I cannot help who is put in front of me. I think this next opponent is a step up he has won thirty five fights with twenty nine knockouts and lost nine.”

“He comes to fight he is going to come over here to come and knock my head off. It’s going to be a good fight for all my fans and I am sure it will be a dominant victory for me.”

Price is also scheduled to fight John McDermott later in the year which will be a final eliminator for the British title and Price believes this could be a tougher opponent than McDermott.

“This is my tenth fight and I am ready to step it up a gear. My last fight on paper was a step up. We had to show ambition by taking on an opponent, at that stage of my career, who had a win over a former world champion.”

“This is another step up against a live opponent who is only 27. Am ready for whoever is put in front of me.”

At this point Frank Maloney starts to talk about the selection of Price’s opponents and the success he has had in the past with numerous heavyweights.

“I do not agree with the criticism of his (Price’s) opponents, but I am the one who picks his opponents and guides his career. His trainer Franny agrees with them and David gets in the ring and does what he has to do.”

“People may say they where ‘Latvian lemons’, but when they get in front of this guy and see the size of him they freeze. I have seen good American heavyweights freeze in front of Lennox Lewis when they seen the size of him.”

“If there are any criticisms of the fighters they need to come to me, not the fighter and I will continue to build my heavyweight the way I want.”

“In Britain I feel as if I have the best record at building heavyweights, and if it ain't broken don’t fix it. It worked with Lennox Lewis and Julius Francis, who won the Lonsdale belt out right and fought Mike Tyson.”

“We saw what happened to Larry Olubamiwo when he moved to ‘greener fields’. He was sparked so you need to listen to people who know what they are doing.”

“David listens and his trainer listens and we work together as a team. It’s all about the finished product, producing this man to world heavyweight champion.”

“If people want to criticise let them criticise, but not what he does in the ring.”

“He has taken them out the way he should be taking them out, that’s the difference. If he was struggling with them I would have a problem, but he is taking them out and annihilating them.”

David Price re-entered the conversation at this point stating you will see the best of him in this fight and how far he can go in the professional ranks.

“You will see the best of me in this fight. If you see any of his fights he comes to knock people out. He will leave himself wide open for me to do damage.”

“I definitely think I can go to a world title and I want to fight for a world title by the time I have had twenty fights.”

“It was unheard of years ago for a fighter to challenge for a world title, now look at Olandier Solis, he only had seventeen fights and fought for a world title.”

“He was the mandatory to fight Vitali Klitschko, he got himself in a position to challenge and he had the pedigree to go quicker and I think I have the pedigree as well.”

Finally Paul Edward was asked if he is looking towards a European Flyweight title shot.

“I would like a shot down the line but I would like to get a few more British title defences under my belt, get a bit more experience. I have only done six rounds contests and I would like to get the full twelve round distance under my belt before pushing on to European level.”

Frank Maloney also stated that the next show he does in Liverpool he would like to see Paul Edwards defend his British Flyweight and he was in early negotiations with John McDermott’s manager to fight David Price in the North West.