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JUDGING from the words of confidence emanating from the eight fighters who will be doing battle for various titles in tomorrow night’s Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC) card, dubbed Firestorm, fistic fury can be anticipated by those expected to grace the Princess Hotel for the night’s action. Venezuela’s Raphael Hernandez will be taking on Guyana’s featherweight and lightweight and World Boxing Council’s/Caribbean Boxing Federation (WBC/CABOFE) super lightweight champion Clive ‘Wonder Kid’ Atwell for the WBC/CABOFE featherweight title in the main bout.
Former European and Commonwealth middleweight champion Howard ‘Battersea Bomber’ Eastman will be lacing up his gloves to take on Jamaica’s Sakima Mullings for the welterweight version of the WBC/CABOFE title, which was once held by Guyana’s Simeon ‘Candyman’ Hardy.
There will be two other title bouts on the card – Mark Austin and Gladwin Dorway finally getting the chance to face each other for the national junior middleweight title, followed by Elton ‘The Bully’ Dharry going up against local journeyman Orland ‘Pocket Rocket’ Rogers in a trilogy, this time with the national bantamweight title at stake.
Originally, Dharry was scheduled to face Berbice’s Hewley Robertson for the said title, but the Ancient County pugilist suffered a dislocated shoulder and according to GBBC president Peter Abdool, X-ray and the doctor’s report indicated his inability to use the arm for the next six weeks.
With that in mind, the GBBC was forced to find a replacement for Dharry and with Rogers being one of the lone opponents never to have touched the canvas on his back within their first two encounters, what better way than to place them in a third, this time for a title!
Mahmoud ‘The Extractor’ Loul will start the professional side of things rolling with his four-round super middleweight encounter against Deryck Richmond and except for these two pugilists, all of the other principals were present in the boardroom of the Princess Hotel yesterday afternoon for the press conference.
“I’m a man on a mission. I love lots of money and anybody who is trying to stop me from achieving that goal is a threat and right now, Hernandez is a threat to me and I will have to deal with it in the way I know how to do so,” stated Atwell whose record reads 9-0-1 to Hernandez’ 15-3-2.
He added, “If it got to get bloody, it will for at the end of the day I am going to win this belt. I like money and when I demolish Hernandez, I have a chance to make plenty money and I have no intentions of having anyone stop me from achieving my dreams.”
Atwell was referring to the WBC Championship Cup, which has a lucrative payday and which will also see the winner of his bout along with the Mullins/Eastman affair, guaranteed a place as the WBC/CABOFE representative.
In response, Hernandez, through his interpreter, said he came to Guyana to win and take the belt back home and won’t allow Atwell to stand in his way of doing such, even though he is facing him in his own backyard.
“I’m used to fighting people in their own backyard, so this bout is no different. He likes money and I love money. In fact, who doesn’t like money and with that in mind, I am prepared to fight and win this belt and take it back to Venezuela.
“I have gone to the extreme to prepare for this fight. It is a big fight for me, I came a long way to do battle with Atwell who is a professional and knows what to do in the ring like me and while I know little of him, I know that I am prepared to win. I came for a war, since I know what I can do in order to achieve the win.”
When quizzed for his reactions to Atwell, who from last June has been in the squared jungle five times, disposing of all five of his opponents with ease, Hernandez said, “This is boxing and we all knocked out somebody at some point and time in our career. Knockouts happen so that’s nothing to me, what matters most is winning this title Saturday night.”
Mullings is known as a knockout artist, having disposed of seven of his 11 opponents on his record which reads 11-1 and while he expressed respect to Eastman, like Hernandez, promises to leave the ring as the victor tomorrow night.
“When it comes to boxing, everyone knows about Eastman and he is no secret since we know what he has done and what he is capable of, based on his track record. With that in mind, everything would be in his favour, except for age, which is in my favour.
“Added to that, I don’t think he has the will to win, while I posses that will and I am looking to win this encounter Saturday night, even though Eastman has the ability to win fights based on his experience, I will be coming into his backyard to defeat him and take the title,” expressed a confident Mullings.
A composed Eastman, who said he has never seen the Jamaican live before, but saw him in action demolishing Guyana’s Winston Pompey, promises to show the local boxing fraternity the reason he earned the nickname ‘Battersea Bomber’ tomorrow night.
“I am looking forward to this bout. I have been preparing for this fight a lot and he is in my backyard looking to take a title away from me. I don’t wish to say much, but come fight night I will be showcasing the reason I earned the name ‘Battersea Bomber’ to the boxing public.”
The 46-year-old Eastman has been encamped at the Andrew ‘Six Head’ Lewis gym in Albouystown, hours after he inked his contract to face Mullings and according to GBBC matchmaker and veteran referee Eion Jardine, is in tip top condition for this encounter.
“I have never seen Howard in the shape he is presently in right now. He locked himself in at the ‘Six Head’ gym and was working out morning and afternoon for this fight and for me, I think Mullings is in for a rigid time when he faces Howard Saturday night,” posited Jardine.
Both Dharry and Rogers did not say much even though they both promised a good showing for the bantamweight title, with Dharry reminding the public of the stern test he faced from Rogers twice, even though he came out victorious.
“Rogers always shows up to give me a good fight and even though he got this one on a late notice, I am sure it will be no different. I am here to fight and put up a good show and even though I have defeated him twice before, I don’t see this upcoming bout as a walk in the park,” stated Dharry.
Rogers himself admitted to getting a late notice for the encounter, one he always wanted to have since he lost to Dexter Marques when they fought for a WBC/CABOFE title and even though he has not been doing any heavy training, promises to put on a good show with the aim of being victorious.
When Austin was scheduled to meet Dorway earlier this year, the GBBC medical staff found the latter to be having an irregular heartbeat, one the Caribbean Heart Institute later described as ‘Super Athletes Heart’.
Dorway whose record reads 4-0 got a clean bill of health to prolong his already impressive boxing career and with that in mind, the GBBC decided to pit him against Austin tomorrow night – a chance Austin said he waited for earnestly.
“When we were scheduled to fight the last time, I ran from the Stabroek Market to the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall and no one knew how angry I was when I was told the fight cannot happen. The very next day, I hit the gym with the aim of meeting him and now that it is happening, I will beat him and take that belt.”
Austin used as a reference, his encounter wit Hardy whom he stood up to until he was put away late in the contest and promised to let Dorway taste his own blood when the bell sounds.
In response, a smiling Dorway said he was scared.
“I am scared of what I will be doing to him because if it was me receiving the punishment I have in store for him, I would be scared and with that I am very nervous. He has a lot of talks and come Saturday night, my hands will be doing all the talking for me, so he better watch out because I am very sacred for him and what is about to happen to him.”
The night’s action which is being sponsored by Guyana Oil Company, Courts (Guyana) Incorporated, Assuria Insurance Company, Digicel, Banks DIH and several other business entities in corporate Guyana, punches off at 20:00hrs.
Meanwhile, GUYOIL on Tuesday last made a tangible donation to the GBBC, with the aim of offsetting its expenses for the card.
GUYOIL’s Castrol Brand Manager Leonard Khan at the presentation said, “Guyoil is once again very pleased to support the Guyana Boxing Board of Control with their effort to promote boxing in Guyana. The effort of the GBBC over the years is indeed commendable and we are just happy to be a part of the effort in building this sport by creating opportunities for boxers.”
Abdool expressed his gratitude for GUYOIL’s sterling support for not just ‘Firestorm’ but indeed the entire Guyana Fight Night programme and reiterated that the successes of the programme have been largely due to companies like Guyoil, promising that Firestorm will live up to its name and urged fans not to miss it.
Former European and Commonwealth middleweight champion Howard ‘Battersea Bomber’ Eastman will be lacing up his gloves to take on Jamaica’s Sakima Mullings for the welterweight version of the WBC/CABOFE title, which was once held by Guyana’s Simeon ‘Candyman’ Hardy.
There will be two other title bouts on the card – Mark Austin and Gladwin Dorway finally getting the chance to face each other for the national junior middleweight title, followed by Elton ‘The Bully’ Dharry going up against local journeyman Orland ‘Pocket Rocket’ Rogers in a trilogy, this time with the national bantamweight title at stake.
Originally, Dharry was scheduled to face Berbice’s Hewley Robertson for the said title, but the Ancient County pugilist suffered a dislocated shoulder and according to GBBC president Peter Abdool, X-ray and the doctor’s report indicated his inability to use the arm for the next six weeks.
With that in mind, the GBBC was forced to find a replacement for Dharry and with Rogers being one of the lone opponents never to have touched the canvas on his back within their first two encounters, what better way than to place them in a third, this time for a title!
Mahmoud ‘The Extractor’ Loul will start the professional side of things rolling with his four-round super middleweight encounter against Deryck Richmond and except for these two pugilists, all of the other principals were present in the boardroom of the Princess Hotel yesterday afternoon for the press conference.
“I’m a man on a mission. I love lots of money and anybody who is trying to stop me from achieving that goal is a threat and right now, Hernandez is a threat to me and I will have to deal with it in the way I know how to do so,” stated Atwell whose record reads 9-0-1 to Hernandez’ 15-3-2.
He added, “If it got to get bloody, it will for at the end of the day I am going to win this belt. I like money and when I demolish Hernandez, I have a chance to make plenty money and I have no intentions of having anyone stop me from achieving my dreams.”
Atwell was referring to the WBC Championship Cup, which has a lucrative payday and which will also see the winner of his bout along with the Mullins/Eastman affair, guaranteed a place as the WBC/CABOFE representative.
In response, Hernandez, through his interpreter, said he came to Guyana to win and take the belt back home and won’t allow Atwell to stand in his way of doing such, even though he is facing him in his own backyard.
“I’m used to fighting people in their own backyard, so this bout is no different. He likes money and I love money. In fact, who doesn’t like money and with that in mind, I am prepared to fight and win this belt and take it back to Venezuela.
“I have gone to the extreme to prepare for this fight. It is a big fight for me, I came a long way to do battle with Atwell who is a professional and knows what to do in the ring like me and while I know little of him, I know that I am prepared to win. I came for a war, since I know what I can do in order to achieve the win.”
When quizzed for his reactions to Atwell, who from last June has been in the squared jungle five times, disposing of all five of his opponents with ease, Hernandez said, “This is boxing and we all knocked out somebody at some point and time in our career. Knockouts happen so that’s nothing to me, what matters most is winning this title Saturday night.”
Mullings is known as a knockout artist, having disposed of seven of his 11 opponents on his record which reads 11-1 and while he expressed respect to Eastman, like Hernandez, promises to leave the ring as the victor tomorrow night.
“When it comes to boxing, everyone knows about Eastman and he is no secret since we know what he has done and what he is capable of, based on his track record. With that in mind, everything would be in his favour, except for age, which is in my favour.
“Added to that, I don’t think he has the will to win, while I posses that will and I am looking to win this encounter Saturday night, even though Eastman has the ability to win fights based on his experience, I will be coming into his backyard to defeat him and take the title,” expressed a confident Mullings.
A composed Eastman, who said he has never seen the Jamaican live before, but saw him in action demolishing Guyana’s Winston Pompey, promises to show the local boxing fraternity the reason he earned the nickname ‘Battersea Bomber’ tomorrow night.
“I am looking forward to this bout. I have been preparing for this fight a lot and he is in my backyard looking to take a title away from me. I don’t wish to say much, but come fight night I will be showcasing the reason I earned the name ‘Battersea Bomber’ to the boxing public.”
The 46-year-old Eastman has been encamped at the Andrew ‘Six Head’ Lewis gym in Albouystown, hours after he inked his contract to face Mullings and according to GBBC matchmaker and veteran referee Eion Jardine, is in tip top condition for this encounter.
“I have never seen Howard in the shape he is presently in right now. He locked himself in at the ‘Six Head’ gym and was working out morning and afternoon for this fight and for me, I think Mullings is in for a rigid time when he faces Howard Saturday night,” posited Jardine.
Both Dharry and Rogers did not say much even though they both promised a good showing for the bantamweight title, with Dharry reminding the public of the stern test he faced from Rogers twice, even though he came out victorious.
“Rogers always shows up to give me a good fight and even though he got this one on a late notice, I am sure it will be no different. I am here to fight and put up a good show and even though I have defeated him twice before, I don’t see this upcoming bout as a walk in the park,” stated Dharry.
Rogers himself admitted to getting a late notice for the encounter, one he always wanted to have since he lost to Dexter Marques when they fought for a WBC/CABOFE title and even though he has not been doing any heavy training, promises to put on a good show with the aim of being victorious.
When Austin was scheduled to meet Dorway earlier this year, the GBBC medical staff found the latter to be having an irregular heartbeat, one the Caribbean Heart Institute later described as ‘Super Athletes Heart’.
Dorway whose record reads 4-0 got a clean bill of health to prolong his already impressive boxing career and with that in mind, the GBBC decided to pit him against Austin tomorrow night – a chance Austin said he waited for earnestly.
“When we were scheduled to fight the last time, I ran from the Stabroek Market to the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall and no one knew how angry I was when I was told the fight cannot happen. The very next day, I hit the gym with the aim of meeting him and now that it is happening, I will beat him and take that belt.”
Austin used as a reference, his encounter wit Hardy whom he stood up to until he was put away late in the contest and promised to let Dorway taste his own blood when the bell sounds.
In response, a smiling Dorway said he was scared.
“I am scared of what I will be doing to him because if it was me receiving the punishment I have in store for him, I would be scared and with that I am very nervous. He has a lot of talks and come Saturday night, my hands will be doing all the talking for me, so he better watch out because I am very sacred for him and what is about to happen to him.”
The night’s action which is being sponsored by Guyana Oil Company, Courts (Guyana) Incorporated, Assuria Insurance Company, Digicel, Banks DIH and several other business entities in corporate Guyana, punches off at 20:00hrs.
Meanwhile, GUYOIL on Tuesday last made a tangible donation to the GBBC, with the aim of offsetting its expenses for the card.
GUYOIL’s Castrol Brand Manager Leonard Khan at the presentation said, “Guyoil is once again very pleased to support the Guyana Boxing Board of Control with their effort to promote boxing in Guyana. The effort of the GBBC over the years is indeed commendable and we are just happy to be a part of the effort in building this sport by creating opportunities for boxers.”
Abdool expressed his gratitude for GUYOIL’s sterling support for not just ‘Firestorm’ but indeed the entire Guyana Fight Night programme and reiterated that the successes of the programme have been largely due to companies like Guyoil, promising that Firestorm will live up to its name and urged fans not to miss it.
