-Hedge to meet Marques for WBC/CABOFE title
THE LAST time Guyana’s World Boxing Council/Caribbean Boxing Federation (WBC/CABOFE) flyweight champions Dexter ‘The Kid’ Marques entered the squared jungle to do battle, it was against Richard Williamson last October at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH).He came away with a unanimous decision victory, the fifth consecutive win on his record which reads 13-2, following his brutal defeat at the hands of United States of America based Elton ‘Coolie Bully’ Dharry, who knocked him out in the 7th of 12 rounds and took the WBC/CABOFE Bantamweight title.
Following that loss, Marques chalked off victories over Selwyn Lett, Ricardo Blackman, Rudolph Fraser and Orland ‘Pocket Rocket’ Rogers at the CASH, with his win over Rogers earning him the WBC/CABOFE Flyweight belt.
Come this Saturday at the same venue, the Peter Abdool steward Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC) in collaboration with several sponsors including Air Jamaica, will punch off their first professional bout of the year dubbed ‘Jamaica Invasion’ from 20:00hrs sharp.
Five bouts is carded for the night’s event, with Marques defending his WBC/CABOFE Flyweight title against Jamaica’s Rudolph Hedge, one of four Jamaicans who will be making an appearance on the night’s card, hence the name given to it by the GBBC.
Many would recall Hedge (7-1-3), who fought and lost by unanimous decision to Dharry in his last bout that took place right at the CASH in February of last year, and in comparison to Marques who has been active during Hedge’s inactiveness, one can only wonder the level of performance the Jamaican will put out for the title.
The main supporting bout pits Mark Austin, who had an entertaining trilogy with Jermaine King, winning all of them, along with enthralling battles with Simeon ‘Candyman’ Hardy and Howard ‘Battersea Bomber’ Eastman, taking on Devon Moncrieffe, another Jamaican.
Time and time again, Austin has declared his intentions of being a champion and he realised that dream at the Princess Hotel on April 20 last year, with a majority decision win over Gladwin Dorway, earning for himself the WBC/CABOFE Light middleweight title.
Moncrieffe’s record reads 9-2 in comparison to Austin’s 9-6-1, with Austin’s drawn encounter coming against local triple champion Clive ‘Wonder Kid’ Atwell, in his fourth and Atwell’s second professional bout, which was a mouth watering affair from opening bell to the last.
Austin’s victory over Dorway was his last bout, while Moncrieffe last fought in June of last year where he won a 10 round encounter with Tsetsi Davis, by split decision making his upcoming Junior middleweight battle against Austin a must see.
Williamson and David Thomas will start the night’s proceedings with their four rounds Super lightweight contest, followed by Quincy Gomes taking on Jamaica’s Toriano Nicholas in their Lightweight contest that is also scheduled for four rounds.
Romeo Norville has not seen much action since he took off his vest last July to face Eversley Browne in his first professional bout that he won, having three fights to date with his record reading 1-1-1.
He will, however, look to improve that to 2-1-1, when he takes on Kemahl Russell out of Jamaica in a four rounds Super middleweight matchup, which will be followed by the Austin versus Moncrieffe and Marques versus Hedge affairs.
Admission to the venue is ringside $3,000 and stands $1,500, while some of the sponsors who are on board to date are Fly Jamaica, Digicel, Banks DIH Limited, Guyoil, Courts, Giftland Office Max, Guyana Tourism Authority andTop Brandz the local distributors of Corona Beer.
By Calvin Roberts