FOUR top local professional boxers will travel to Jamaica this month end to participate the Jamaican Boxing Federation’s Annual `The Contender’ Tournament.

According to a source close to the Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC), former European light middleweight champion Howard Eastman, national Super Middleweight champion Derick Richmond, Ian Azore and Gladwin Dorway will leave Guyana this month end to journey to Jamaica for the opening of the 16-week tournament which will involve welterweight fighters.
While Eastman, Richmond and Dorway are over the welterweight limits, the GBBC source told Chronicle Sport that all three have been hard at training and are expected to make the welterweight limit.
Eastman who is currently in Berbice training is expected to travel to Georgetown this weekend and will join the others before moving on to Jamaica.
Richmond who broke Edmond DeClou’s jaw just three months ago is in top shape the source said.
According to the source, the event used to be an all-Jamaican affair but this year the organisers have decided to open it to the rest of the Caribbean Region.
The opening is set for March 4 and will run for 16 weeks.
The winner will receive US$20 000, while the runner-up, third- and fourth-place fighters will earn US$5 000, US$2 500 and US$1 500.
According to information received, the tournament will be conducted on an eight by eight basis, where after the first set of bouts the eight losers will pull their net opponents’ name from a bag and they will contest six-round and eight-round contest and the final will be over 10 rounds.
The GBBC Boxing Board of Control would like to thank Leroy Brown and Mark Kelly for their input in making the trip to Jamaica possible for the four Guyanese.