Knockouts and humiliation promised at CASH tonight
JUDGING from the heated exchange of words between the 10 pugilists who will be on show tonight at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) when the Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC) hosts its World Boxing Council Cup Caribbean Championships, boxing fans can expect fireworks.
In fact, with former WBC cruiserweight champion Wayne ‘Big Truck’ Braithwaite urging his opponent for tonight’s WBC/CABOFE heavyweight title Shawn ‘The Sniper’ Cox not to miss or run out of bullets, then the Guyana Fire Service should have a tender or two on standby at the venue.
Five CABOFE titles will be up for grabs tonight. In the other fights Edmond De Clou opposes Kevin Placide, Dexter Marques faces Orland Rogers, Elton Dharry goes up against Selwyn Lett and Miguel Antoine takes on Revlon Lake for the middleweight, flyweight, bantamweight and super lightweight titles respectively.
The 36-year-old Braithwaite, whose record reads 24-4 in comparison with the 37-year-old Cox’s 15-1, called his opponent garbage and added that no one-hand man can beat him, since his losses in the ring came at the hands of former world champions.
“I am not ring-rusty as some persons tend to think. I have fought all over the world and lost to world champions. He has not done that before. Who is this Shawn Cox that says he will beat me and become the champion?
He is garbage and I will dispose of him with ease tomorrow night (tonight), while at the same time keep the Golden Arrowhead flying proudly in the boxing world as I have always done in times past,” said Braithwaite.
Not to be outdone Cox said that while he sees it a privilege to be facing Braithwaite, he has been preparing to fight the best in the world at all times, irrespective of his opponent and this fight against Braithwaite is no different, even predicting a knockout.
“I was going to let him last the distance, but for his mouth which he opened one too many times and called me a girl, I will knock him out. Such a statement has aggravated me; I don’t like that at all.
“I can manage with all the other taunts he has thrown my way but he has overstepped his mark and he will pay for it. I am here to win and even though I have never seen him fight before, I am prepared to fight, and fight I will, as he will get knocked out,” stated Braithwaite.
The Barbadian is no stranger to this country, having fought here several times over the past two years, knocking out such boxers as Anthony ‘Big Six’ Augustine and national heavyweight and cruiserweight champion Kurt Bess.
But Braithwaite, who has not fought in his homeland since 1998 when he recorded a seventh round TKO win over Wayne Harris, said the local fighters Cox defeated are a different kettle of fish in comparison to him, since he is world class material.
As if on cue, some of the other boxers who will be on show tonight, promised to knock-out their opponents, with Placide mockingly presenting president of the GBBC and CABOFE Peter Abdool with a certificate for De Clou, whom he promised to teach a boxing lesson.
“I will beat you to the ground and then knock you out cold. I want to annihilate you so I will box your head off while I defeat you clinically and surgically as well … cause when I am through with you, you will be finished,” said the 37-year-old Placide whose record reads 12-5-1.
De Clou defeated former European middleweight champion Howard ‘Battersea Bomber’ Eastman to take the national middleweight title and according to Placide who was knocked out by Eastman, De Clou beat up a washed-up Eastman while he lost to him when he was well primed.
De Clou was simple in his response, saying “I am not fazed by your threats. You need to ask questions of what happened to the persons who threatened me, since that same fate will befall you when I meet you.
Our clash is a mere hours away and I heard you had problems getting a flight to come here to keep your ring date. I think you should have considered not coming anymore and while it is not too late, you can leave before fight time.”
Both Rogers and Lake promised to avenge their earlier losses to Marques and Antoine respectively, who both said it is not going to be that way, while Lett said his aim is to take Dharry’s bantamweight belt from around his waist.
Admission to the venue is $3 000 for ringside, $1 500 for stands and children under 12 years old $500 while the GBBC wishes to inform the boxing public that there will be no live broadcast of the action on NCN Channel 11.
And when the bell sounds at 20:00hrs to signal the start of tonight’s action, for many it will be put up or shut up, while boxing fans can expect their money’s worth of action, with five titles up for grabs, as the pugilists seek to join Simeon ‘Candyman’ Hardy on the CABOFE team.