MALONEY EXPECTING CLASSIC

sportinglife.com, UK
June 16 2004

Frank Maloney claims Scott Harrison’s WBO featherweight title defence
against William ‘The Conqueror’ Abelyan could be a Scottish boxing
spectacle – but admits he is not certain the Cambuslang fighter can
hold on to his belt.

Harrison takes on the American-based Armenian at Braehead Arena on
Saturday night in a mandatory defence of his title.

And a nervous Maloney, Harrison’s manager, is expecting fireworks in
front of up to 6,000 frenzied Scots fans.

He said: “This will be one of the best fights the Scottish public
will ever see. I really believe that.

“It will be as exciting as the England versus France game although I
hope the result goes the other way.

“But I’m very concerned. It’s not a fight that I would have taken if
it had not been mandatory.

“And if Scott loses then there’s no rematch clause, no matter what we
try to do – and anything can happen on the night.

“Scott knows there’s lots of big names out there and big pay days
ahead but Abelyan hasn’t come over here just to pick up the pay
cheque – he fancies it big time.

“Scott Harrison is fighting for his career but it shows you the
difference between him and every other fighter in this country. I’ve
worked with him and Lennox Lewis and neither of them avoided anyone.

“But Scott needs to rip the heart out of Abelyan like a lion. He
can’t take a backward step during the fight and he has to wear him
down.”

Abelyan, who had to pull out of the first proposed meeting with
Harrison in March when he injured a shoulder, has now not seen any
ring action in over a year but the confident 25-year-old insists his
inactivity will not hamper his chances.

He said: “I didn’t want to take the fight when I was injured but my
shoulder is feeling good now and I feel a lot stronger.

“It’s not a problem that I’ve been out for so long. I couldn’t get a
fight.

“Boxers didn’t want to fight me because I knock people out.”

Abelyan’s trainer Don House was also confident that his man would be
more than a match for Harrison.

He said: “I like Scott, he’s a decent fighter and I respect all
fighters and respect all world champions. But I’d like to thank him
for holding on to the belt that we came here to get.

“This won’t be Williams’ toughest fight. He has fought small-name
Mexicans who are better so there’s nothing there that we’re worried
about.”
From: Baghdasarian