FORMER undisputed Commonwealth middleweight boxing champion Howard ‘Battersea Bomber’ Eastman yesterday told Chronicle Sport, he is training with intensity for his World Boxing Council/Caribbean Boxing Federation welterweight title clash with Jamaica’s Salima Mullings.

Eastman is set to face Mullings on April 20 for that title, following the forced withdrawal of Mullings’ original opponent in Barbados’ Miguel ‘Hands of Stone’ Antoine on a Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC) card called Firestorm at the Princess Hotel, Providence.
One fight on the card pits Syria’s Mahmoud ‘The Extractor’ Loul who made an impressive debut on last month’s ‘Night of Champions 11’ with a second-round TKO victory over Patrick Boston, against Derick Richmond of Berbice in a four-round super middleweight contest.
Elton ‘The Bully’ Dharry will also be back in action, after lacing up his gloves for a battle with Jamaica’s Rudolph Hedge last month, doing so this time for the vacant national bantamweight crown with Hewley Robertson over 12 rounds.
And in another title fight, Mark Austin meets Gladwin Dorway for the national junior middleweight crown, while there will be two amateur bouts involving two female fighters and the crowd-puller Nandkumar Singh who will face an opponent yet to be identified.
Clive ‘Wonder Kid’ Atwell, Guyana’s featherweight and lightweight and WBC/CABOFE super lightweight champion will also be in action when he goes up against Mexico’s Raphael Hernandez for the WBC/CABOFE featherweight title and a place in the WBC Championship Cup.
However, it was the 42-year-old Eastman who was bubbling over with confidence based on his record which reads 46-11 (37 KOs), that stole the spotlight at yesterday’s contract-signing ceremony held in the boardroom of Abdool and Abdool Insurance Company.
“I was always hoping for a shot at a title, in the back of my mind and now that it is gong to happen – and I am happy it is occurring in Guyana – it gives me an opportunity to showcase my talent and this is one that I will take seriously,” stated Eastman.
Eastman, a resident of Berbice who is coming off the back of two losses to former WBC/CABOFE welterweight champion Simeon ‘Candyman’ Hardy, who was pulled from the WBC Championship Cup by his manager, said he (Eastman) is training for the Mullings contest as if it was his first.
Looking at his opponent’s record which reads 11-1 (7kos), Eastman said, “I know he loves to finish his contests early, but that’s not news to me because it is just my trademark. He is a young fighter coming up but I have the experience and more knockouts than he and he will be seeing that when we meet.”
Quizzed on his preparations, especially his activities following his last fight against Hardy which took place last October, Eastman said he has been in the ring even though he was not fighting anyone.
“I really wish to thank the GBBC and its officials for giving me this opportunity and for that I will be looking to bring the belt to Guyana. My training has been intense and when I go into camp for this bout, my aim is not to shake off any ring rust for none is there, but work on an early finish.
“I will not be looking to go the distance with him at all, even though I will be training to fight 12 rounds, since my mind will be focused on an early knockout to show him who is the boss, while at the same time, this will be a good fight to show to the Guyanese public, who Howard Eastman really is.”
While most of the other fighters chose to keep a tight lip on their intentions for the card, Loul who scored an impressive second round TKO win over Patrick Boston in his first professional fight said he hoped Richmond is not an easy target, since he has been training hard and really wants to be tested.
GBBC’s Howard Cox said the lone contract which was not signed yesterday is for the Atwell/Hernandez contest, since the GBBC who has received the blessings of their growing list of sponsors including Digicel, Courts (Guyana) Limited and Ansa McAl, just to name a few, are awaiting Hernandez’ signature.