ON November 14, 1978 a Guyanese light heavyweight boxer named Dennis Andries won an eighth-round decision over Les McAteer at the Hamilton Club in Merseyside, United Kingdom. Andries was born in Guyana but moved to the UK to ply his trade. The McAteer fight was the sixth of a career that would see Andries win the British, European and the World Boxing Council titles. Andries won the WBC title in 1986 but lost it one year later to Thomas `Hitman’ Hearns aka `The Motor City Cobra’. He won back the title twice before moving up to cruiserweight division to secure the British crown.
On the same day in 2008, former IBF and IBO super featherweight champion Gairy St Clair dropped a 12-round decision to South African Mlungisi Dlamini while challenging for the latter’s World Boxing Federation lightweight title.
The fight was held at the Ride Hall in Free State, South Africa.