ALL roads should lead to the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) tonight, when the 23rd edition of the Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC), in collaboration with the Guyana Amateur Boxing Association (GABA)-organised ProAm card, punches off. Headlining this event, which has been a monthly feature and the brainchild of GBBC president Peter Abdool, is the encounter between World Boxing Council/Caribbean Boxing Federation (WBC/CABOFE) welterweight champion Simeon ‘Candyman’ Hardy and former European champion Harold ‘Battersea Bomber’ Eastman. The two pugilists will meet in a 10-round junior middleweight matchup.
Eastman, who lost his national middleweight title to the present WBC/CABOFE middleweight champion Edmond De Clou, said he is excited, taking into consideration Hardy’s unbeaten record to date.
When the card was announced early last month, national light heavyweight champion Kwesi ‘Lightning Struck Assassin’ Jones was scheduled to defend his title against Trinidad and Tobago-based Shawn Corbin, but the latter encountered problems with an unfinished project he undertook prior to the fight and was forced to pull out.
Faced with an alternate arrangement, the GBBC matchmakers thought of having Eastman and Hardy meet for the vacant light middleweight title, but Hardy refused to take the challenge, citing financial irregularities as his main reason.
“I appreciate the opportunity that is being given to me, to face a young unbeaten fighter as Hardy, as when you are unbeaten you have a lot of braveness, so I am excited to step into the ring against him,” said Eastman whose record reads 46-9 (36 KOs).
He added, “I am excited about this fight and I do hope it will be a dry night, in comparison to my last fight. Other than that, I am comfortable going into this bout, as this is a weight I fought at when I started boxing and I do intend to put on a great show on fight night.”
Asked if he will be looking to chalk up his ninth knockout victory, Hardy said he is always looking for a knockout, but at the same time, will be looking to get some rounds in, as he is fine-tuning his preparations for the WBC Cup Championships which is set for August.
“First of all, it will be an honour for me to be in the ring with Eastman. I can recall as a teenager after he fought William Joppy, I stood outside of ACME in the rain for over an hour, waiting to get a glimpse of him and later an autograph.
“Now look how things have changed as I am signing a contract to face him in the squared jungle. He is a very experienced fighter who has been there and done that and there is nothing new for him to learn and tomorrow (tonight), my record will remain unblemished,” said Hardy (8-0, 7 KOs).
According to Hardy, his pillow list that he made earlier this year is still there, even though fighters are being ticked off but he is still looking to have a ring date with Andrew ‘Sixhead’ Lewis and another former world champion in ‘Vicious’ Vivian Harris, as he feels there is much to gain from both pugilists.
Other fights on the professional segment of the night’s action will see a trilogy between Iwan Azore – who was scheduled to face WBC/CABOFE lightweight, champion Miguel Antoine – take on Troy Lewis in a six-round catchweight contest.
According to Abdool, Antoine who was eagerly looking forward to the matchup against Azore, suffered a cut to his knuckles which forced him to back out, hence Lewis opted to face Azore, saying the bout is a ‘vengeance’ one for him.
Cassius Matthews and Rudolph Fraser will kick-start the professional segment with their four-round junior lightweight contest, in which both fighters expressed confidence in winning, followed by the James Walcott/Kelsie George clash.
Both Walcott and George suffered losses to De Clou, but George, who had put up a sterling performance before suffering a shoulder injury, promises to knock Walcott out in such a way, that he would not be awake for his amateur promotion, which takes place at the Harpy Eagles gym tomorrow and Sunday.
On the amateur side of things, Shaka Moore takes on Tyron Lashley, Michael April meets Orin Bancroft, Anthony Branch opposes Matthew Allensworth and Damion Ross goes toe-to-toe with Travis Fraser.
Bell-time for tonight’s action, which is being sponsored by Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Digicel, Guyoil, Ansa McAl and National Communications Network, is 20:00hrs and an admission fee of $1 000 for adults and half-price for children will be charged.