YESTERDAY, it was a done deal as local boxers who will appear on the Guyana Boxing Board of Control’s (GBBC) `Hostile Territory’ boxing card, scheduled for February 27 at the Giftland Mall, Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara, placed their signatures to their respective contracts. The signing took place at GBBC’s president Peter Abdool office on High Street.
The feature bout on the five-bout professional card will see United States-based Guyanese and Caribbean Boxing Federation (CABOFE) bantamweight champion Elton `The Coolie Bully’ Dharry square off with Panamanian Israel Hidrogo in a 10-round contest.
The main supporting bout brings together Guyana’s Dexter Marques and Venezuela’s Freddy Beleno in a flyweight fight over 10 rounds. The opening fight on the night’s card will be a four-round ladies’ bantamweight contest between Mandessa Moses and Ansilla Norville.
Imran Khan, who made his debut as a professional last year, will match gloves with Quincy Gomes in a six-round lightweight contest and Guyana’s Revlon Lake will face Barbados’ Miguel Antoine in a six-round welterweight contest.
Speaking at the contract-signing ceremony, Abdool said he is extremely happy to be associated with the Giftland Mall, citing that the venue has made a tremendous difference for the staging of professional cards. He informed that Giftland Mall wants to make the venue a home to professional boxing.
Abdool said while this card was in the making, the Commonwealth Board has made it mandatory for Dharry to fight for its bantamweight title in Guyana on May 21.
The GBC president also said that on that card (May 21), recently crowned FECARBOX junior welterweight champion Dexter Gonsalves will also be taking a shot at the Commonwealth junior welterweight title. These fights, along with a few others, will be aired on Sky Sports.
Giftland’s Marketing Manager Karen Agtarap said her company is happy to be associated with the GBBC’s card which in itself is an enhancement to the Giftland Mall.
Admission to the venue on fight night is $5 000 for ringside and $2 000 for outer ringside.