Kellie Maloney confident ‘female Barry McGuigan’ will top Belfast world title card within two years
Experienced fight manager Kellie Maloney claims ‘Belfast’s female Barry McGuigan’ will be bill topping world champion within two years.
Maloney revealed she was coming out of retirement to manage former kickboxing, karate and MMA practitioner turned boxer Cathy McAleer [3(1)-0] in December.
The journey together officially starts tomorrow night in the Aston Villa Football Club, Holte Suite and Maloney is confident it will be the start of something big.
A busy scheduled could potentially yield the Commonwealth and European titles before a world title shot in BELFAST.
Maloney, who guided Damaen Kelly to the British title and worked with Darren Sutherland has signed a deal with a Birmingham based promoter Tommy Owen, but does have big Belfast plans.
“I’ve done a three-fight deal with Tommy Owen and one with another promoter,” she explained.
“I said to Cathy, ‘you are going to be Belfast’s female Barry McGuigan’, and that’s exactly what we’ve got. I’ve worked with a number of Irish fighters and I like the fanbase here and I will bring Cathy back here for a title fight.
“I will look at the Commonwealth title first, then the European title and a couple of defences there and then a world title. That’s my plan and I guarantee she’ll be world champion within two years and she will top the bill of the first all-female boxing show here in Belfast.”
Maloney hasn’t been in boxing for sometime, but was persuaded back by the John Breen trained 41-year-old.
Indeed, the former manager of David Price seems to be inspired by the determination of the ticket seller who saw two Commonwealth title fights fall through last year – and is now determined to deliver world title success to the former K1 world title challenger.
“I spoke with my family and I made the decision to come back because I saw Cathy’s determination,” said Maloney.
“I’m a great believer in achieving things – against all the odds I became Britain’s number one boxing promoter and I took Lennox Lewis to the world title.
“To come back now in my second life as Kellie and to achieve something like this will be amazing – I’ll be the only person who’s managed a world champion in a male gender and a female gender. That’s my challenge and I’m really proud to be part of this team.
“I give my word that I will work 24 hours a day to deliver that world title for Cathy.”
