ANTHONY ‘The Pearl’ Andrews was 34 years old and well past his prime when he collided with Scott Pemberton on April 9, 1999 at the Fox Resort in Connecicut. The Pearl’ had racked up 40 bouts, with 27 victories in a career that spanned 17 years.
Pemberton added another defeat to Andrews’ record by winning the 10-round super middleweight contest via a unanimous decision. Andrews fought one more time (in March 2000) before waving goodbye to the sport.
In his early days Andrews was called `The Pearl’ for good reason. Many who witnessed his early exploits would agree that his name must be called when the ceremony to award the best fighters from Guyana is held, as he was a `gem’ of a boxer.
`The Pearl’ made a dynamic entrance to professional boxing in November 1982 and won his first three fights through stoppages. His winning formula ran out in the fourth bout. Coming up against Olympic bronze medallist Michael Parris, Andrews lost on points while the bantamweight title of Guyana was at stake.
However, two fights later he gained revenge and the bantamweight title, as Parris was TKOed in the eleventh round. In May 1995 Andrews challenged WBA middleweight champion Jorge Castro but was unsuccessful.