THE Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC) is in the process of staging a boxing card on February 20 at the Giftland OfficeMax Mall, East Coast Demerara that will involve a number of foreign fighters matching gloves with their Guyanese counterparts.At the moment, GBBC is in contact with the management teams of the foreign pugilists and is hopeful that they will accept the offer to fight against the locals on February 20.
According to information received, the main bout is expected to see recently crowned FECARBOX junior welterweight champion Dexter Gonsalves put his title at stake against Barbados’ Miguel Antoine in a 12-round affair.
Antoine has dominated the local (Guyana) scene since he started his professional career at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall a few years ago.
Among his victims to date are: Revlon Lake, Mark Austin, Jermaine King, Cassius Matthews, Shawn Pyle and Paul Lewis.
Gonsalves, on the other hand, upset the world-rated Clive Atwell to secure the FECARBOX junior welterweight title which will be at stake, come February 20.
Three Brazilian boxers including a female are also expected to grace the card and negotiations are underway.
The locals identified by GBBC’s match-maker Eion Jardine are: Guyana’s former bantamweight champion Dexter Marques, United States-based Caribbean Boxing Federation (CABOFE) bantamweight champion Elton `The Coolie Bully’ Dharry and female boxer Mandessa Moses.
According to the GBBC, Commonwealth title fights have also been lined up for Gonsalves and Dharry in the very near future.
On the February 20 card, Imran Khan who made an impressive debut to the professional rank late last year is also listed and will face Barbados’ Ezra Lord.
Also on the proposed card, Guyana’s Kwesi Jones and Puerto Rico’s Samuel Clarkson will battle for the World Boxing Council’s light heavyweight title.
Jones was knocked out by Barbadian Shawn Cox at 55 minutes of the fourth round in an eight-round non-title contest on February 23 three years ago.
Since then, he has not entered a boxing ring, but the hiatus will come to an end next month.
Jones joined the professional ranks seven years ago and to date has chalked up a 10-3-0 record.
Jones’ most notable win was against former World-rater and European champion Howard `The Battersea Bomber’ Eastman for the local light heavyweight title.
He subsequently registered wins against Anthony Augustin, a Guyanese currently residing in Barbados; Cleveland Fraser and Kelso George, before losing on points to Lennox Allen and Cox.