North Yorkshire warrior Paul Ingle will be the big hit of this month's Madison Square Garden fight-night of the year.

EYES ON THE PRIZE: Paul Ingle goes through his paces in

training in Scarborough

That is the opinion of Ingle's manager Frank Maloney, who believes the pocket rocket from Scarborough will steal the whole show - and endear himself to the American public and the US box office kings.

Ingle defends his International Boxing Federation featherweight belt against American Junior Jones on April 29, and Maloney reckons that dust-up will eclipse even the world heavyweight showdown between Lennox Lewis and Michael Grant, which takes place one hour later.

Speaking at the Scarborough Sports and Leisure Centre yesterday, where Ingle's training regime is nearing a crescendo, Maloney said the Yorkshireman's no-holds-barred fighting style was perfect for the New York crowd.

"Paul Ingle's style will suit the American public," he said. "They will take to him so much we will have a job getting him back to England.

"I would say Ingle will be the darling of the show. I think it will be the fight of the night and Ingle will steal the show."

Maloney said that the list of judges, which had not yet been announced, would be scrutinised to make sure the controversy which surrounded the "drawn" Lewis-Holyfield fight last year would not recur.

"Not that I think he will need the judges," Maloney added. "I believe Paul Ingle will control the fight, and it would not surprise me if he wins inside the distance. I'm very confident the title will be coming back to Scarborough."

Maloney - who also manages heavyweight champion Lewis - said fighting at the Garden would make Ingle more accessible to the world audience, and prove worldwide that he is something special.

"I think he (Ingle) will become the superstar of 2000. He will make a bigger hit in America than Naz (Naseem Hamed) - not for his entrances but for his boxing in the ring."

He said Ingle was already in the big world boxing league, but an appearance at the Garden raises him onto another level.

"The Naz fight (Ingle v Hamed, last year in Manchester) was pretty big, but the week in New York will draw more attention.

"It does not get bigger than this for the little man from Scarborough. He's in boxing's equivalent of football's Premiership."

This fight will be Ingle's first-ever professional bout outside home shores, but Maloney is confident that that - nor the fact he is fighting a native New Yorker in his back yard - will faze his man.

"Paul has matured with age and he's handling being a world champion very well. It has not gone to his head like it does with some boxers.

"I've always had great faith in him and I believe my faith has been repaid. He's in the big time and he's holding his own."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.