HUEY Malone showed on Saturday night why he has entered the pro ranks with big expectations on his shoulders.
At Bowlers Exhibition Centre, Manchester, the former amateur sensation despatched Karl Sampson with sickening body shots in two rounds. That was his second professional outing.
On the Black Flash promotion, Sheffield’s Sampson was pulled out by his team at the end of the second. Karl has lost more than he has won in a 64 bout career – very few have prevented him hearing the final bell.
But then, 22-year-old Huey, a product of dad Brendan’s Christ the King amateur club in Coventry, looks something special.
His glittering unpaid CV shows that. Huey captured three English titles, three Tri-Nations titles, made nine appearances for England and was part of the Team GB squad.
No wonder his pro journey is being guided by top names. Malone is trained by champion-maker Joe Gallagher at his Manchester gym, managed by Birmingham’s former world title contender Matt Macklin and promoted by Frank Warren’s mighty Queensberry outfit.
Those really are big guns.
He took the Sampson fight at less than a week’s notice, scaled 10st 7lbs, but stresses his title future lies at lightweight.
Of the brief contest, Huey said: “In the first round, he rushed in and was holding and smothering me – he roughed me up, in a way. I landed uppercuts as he came in.
“In the corner, Joe (Gallagher) said, ‘step out of range when he tries to hold on’. I don’t think me or Joe wanted heads to clash.
“He (Sampson) turned southpaw and became a bit more square-on. I hit him to the body with right hands and heard him wince, I knew I was hurting him.”
Sampson had seen – and felt – enough. His corner signalled surrender at the end of the session.
Malone is seen as a future force. He isn’t fazed by the build-up or buzz.
“I see it from a different perspective,” he said. “It brings confidence and comfort. Matt (Macklin) and Joe know what they’re doing, they all help.
“I would definitely like an English title within 10 fights, but I’m young and want to be as active as possible, I want to be out as much as possible. I’m injury free, I want to be out as soon as possible.”
Huey admits he is still learning the professional code.
“It’s a lot different to the amateurs,” he said. “The weigh-in, the fight itself – six rounds is double what you do as an amateur, the ‘no vest’, the smaller gloves mean you have to tuck-up a bit more. I think I’m hitting harder – it comes with technique, learning how to throw the shots with more power.”
Having felt Malone’s body shots, that is something Sampson will probably agree with.
