WITH four days before the Guyana Boxing Board of Control’s (GBBC) `Locked and Loaded’ fight card, local prizefighters are all eagerly awaiting the sound of the first bell to signal the start of the event and to showcase their talent and prove their point as to ‘who is better than who’.
The card, which will be staged at the Giftland Mall, Pattensen, East Coast Demerara, will be the GBBC’s first for the year and will be a test for the Board, whose president Peter Abdool said he wants to replace the `Friday Night Fights’ with once-monthly Sunday Night Fights.
The feature fight on the night’s card brings together Guyana’s Dexter `De Kid’ Marques (15-2-0) and Venezuela’s Luis Alberto Requena Zarraga in a 10-round flyweight contest and according to Abdool, this is a stepping stone for the Guyanese (Marques) as his management team is in the process of finalising a Commonwealth title fight which will be held here in Guyana.
The co-feature event is a six-round lightweight bout between Imran `The magic’ Khan and Keeve Allicock.
After a successful career as an amateur boxer, Khan turned Pro in 2015 and immediately stamped his authority as he recorded a second-round knockout victory against Dennis Thomas. Unfortunately, he lost his next two professional fights against Quincy Gomes during the months of February and August 2016.
GCCB president Abdool, at the signing of contracts for the card a few weeks ago, had said Sunday’s card is a small card in terms of the number of bouts, but the quality of fights should and would be a booster to professional fights and will serve as motivator, that can see fight fans and enthusiasts come out in their numbers to support boxers of their liking and the sport in general.
Abdool had said when there is no professional boxing, the sport is stymied and it is the intention of the GBBC to give local prizefighters exposure to reach heights.
Marques, Abdool said, is a bit ring-rusty having been out of the ring since February 2016 and signing him for Sunday’s fight is one way of getting rid of that rust and “moving him up the ladder”.
Sunday’s card will feature three professional fights, three amateur contests and five mixed martial arts bouts that will feature Trinidad and Tobago martial artists.