LOCAL boxing pundits are all behind Guyana’s Clive `The Punisher’ Atwell when he faces Jamaica’s Sakima Mullings in a 12-round contest tonight at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall for the World Boxing Council’s (WBC) CABOFE junior welterweight title.Already, veteran boxing coaches Maurice `Busy’ Boyce and Lennox Daniels have expressed their confidence in Atwell to win. However, Daniels said it would not be a walk-in-the-park for Atwell, as he will have to really out-box the hard-hitting Jamaican and not trade punches with him.
Daniels said the bout will be an interesting one and once Atwell stays clear of Mullings’ power punches and out-box him, there is no reason why he cannot win.
Former amateur boxer and coach Jeff Roberts also feels that Atwell is the better boxer of the two but warned that should Atwell try to `mix’ with Mullings, there is a possibility that he can be knocked out by the powerful Mullings who defeated former European welterweight champion Guyana’s Howard Eastman.
Guyana’s former WBA welterweight champion Andrew `Six Head’ Lewis is also of the view that Atwell can come out on top tonight but, like Roberts, warned against the Guyanese trading punches with the Jamaican.
“I think it will be a good fight and once Atwell stays out of range and box, there is no reason why he cannot win, so I’m behind Atwell,’ Lewis told Chronicle Sport.
The 12-round fight between Atwell and Mullings is the feature bout on the GBBC’s five-fight card. The other four fights will see Dexter Gonsalves face Mark Austin in an eight-round junior welterweight contest, while Edmond DeClou will tacvkle Derick Richmond in another eight-round bout, but in the middleweight category.
Keeve Allicock will make his professional debut against Quincy Gomes in a four-round lightweight contest and Travis Fraser and Charwin Estwick will both make their debut in a four-round junior middleweight bout.
Atwell took the fight on short notice after Lewis, the original contender for the title, was ruled unfit due to a shoulder injury sustained while preparing for the fight.
There are two grudge matches on the night’s card. One is between Austin and Gonsalves while the other is between DeClou and Richmond.
When DeClou and Richmond last met (2013), DeClou, the reigning CABOFE middleweight champion, received a vicious left hook that broke his jaw and the fight was stopped by the referee,
DeClou said he has fully recovered and is 100 percent fit. “I’m really anxious to get back into the ring and especially against Richmond, since I want to prove that it was a lucky shot that caught me the last time we met,” DeClou stated, adding “I will correct my mistake which was underestimating my opponent, so fighting Derick will not be a walk in the park, but it will definitely be a nightmare for him.”
Richmond, the national super middleweight champion however said he is very confident of defeating DeClou again. “It will be the same as before. I have been training very hard under the guidance of Howard Eastman.
In the other grudge match, Gonsalves said Austin’s victory over him was a fluke and he is confident of reversing that decision.
Gonsalves said he has been training daily with `Six Head’ Lewis and has learnt a lot from the former world champion.
Austin said he is fully fit and will do his best on fight night. “Dexter knows that I’m a very good fighter, I’m not a walkover and the difference is I’m in better shape now,” Austin declared.
