by James Slater – British promoter Frank Maloney, now thankfully recovered from his recent heart attack, has been working extremely tirelessly in trying to get his fighter, the crowd pleasing Jamie Moore, a crack at the WBC light-middleweight title. European champion Moore, who faces a tough test in Ryan Rhodes later this month, very much wants a crack at the belt currently held by Sergio Martinez, but his promoter has told Sky Sports how he may wind up facing Julio Cesar Chavez first – possibly in a final eliminator for the WBC title or maybe in a fight that will contest the interim version of the green belt..
Of course, all this is reliant on southpaw Moore, 32-3(23) getting past Rhodes, 42-4(28) on the 23rd of this month, but Maloney says he will suggest to U.S promoter Bob Arum that Moore and Chavez Jr. meet in an elimination or interim title fight.
Maloney first explained to Sky Sports how hard he’s been working to get Martinez to face 30-year-old Moore; to no avail.
“I was very close to getting Martinez over here,” Maloney said. “A couple of months ago talks were held with his promoter Lou DiBella, but after good signs early on, they didn’t want to come to England and face Jamie. The offer was fantastic and Jamie was willing to take the fight for chump change. I can’t see how Martinez had ever earned the money that was on the table.
The WBC belt is the most prestigious and the one Jamie wants to get his hands on more than anything.”
So, having hit an apparent road block with Martinez, Maloney will now try and get the Moore-Chavez Junior fight made in the meantime. Definitely a great action fight on paper, Moore going against the son of a boxing legend would surely do good business T.V-wise. However, Maloney understands how there would be little chance of the fight taking place in the U.K.
“I’m going to Las Vegas where I am going to suggest to Bob Arum that Jamie fights Chavez Junior in a final eliminator, or even for an interim title,” Maloney explained. “It will be hard to bring Chavez Junior to England because of the T.V business he does in the United States and in Mexico, but I am so confident “Mooresy” has his measure we would travel.
“If he doesn’t beat Rhodes though that will all become no more than a dream.”
Maloney says no way is Moore looking past the accomplished Rhodes, and nor should he be. But providing he gets the job done on October 23rd, that fight with Chavez Junior would be one step closer to being made. But would the Mexican star take the fight?
The unbeaten Chavez Junior, by the way, is next set to fight against Troy Rowland on the under-card of the huge Cotto-Pacquiao bill on November 14th.