WITH six days remaining for the Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC)/NexGen Global Marketing (NGGM) six-fight `Bad Blood’ fight card, the local fighters appearing on the January 20 event is now winding down their training schedule for what is anticipated to be a night of fistic fury.
The local fighters – Dexter `De Kid’ Marques, Dexter `Cobra’ Gonsalves and Elton `The Bully’ Dharry – will oppose their counterparts from Venezuela, while Shawn Corbin (Guyana) faces Trinidad and Tobago’s Sheldon Lawrence.
Two Barbadian fighters – Anderson Emmanuel and Keithland King – will face off with Guyana’s James Moore and Anson Green, respectively.
As `D’ day draws closer, the local gyms reached fever pitch and almost `over-burnt’ during the past two weeks as the local boxers stepped up their training for the fight card.
Speaking with Chronicle Sport, Marques’ coach Lennox Daniels, said his fighter is ready for any challenge and his charge’s opponent – Dionis Martinez ArIas – for the lightweight 10-round contest does not have an impressive record, so he (Daniels) is not too worried.
He said Marques’ glove work preparation will conclude this afternoon and his charge is in fine condition physically and technically and is rearing to go.
Like Daniels, Joseph Murray who is charged with working on Gonsalves’ technique for his flyweight 10-round contest against Arias’ countryman, Felipe Barcelo, said Gonsalves has really worked himself into shape and cannot wait for January 20. Murray also said his charge will complete glove work session today.
Asked why they are concluding glove work today, both Murray and Daniels said they want to avoid any injuries that might result from glove work.
The two coaches are both using amateur champion Steeve Allicock and Orin Bancroft as sparring partners and they (Marques and Gonsalves) have both been doing eight to 10 rounds of glove work since that segment of their preparations began.
Neither coach made any prediction about the boxers’ respective clashes, but said “Once the opportunity for a knockout win presents itself, the boxers will take full advantage of it.”
The main supporting bout on the card will feature Corbin facing Lawrence in a 12-round contest for the World Boxing Council’s Fecabox light heavyweight title.
Corbin is making a return to the ring after losing to England’s Nathen Clevery in 2014 for the vacant WBA Inter-Continental cruiserweight title. He (Corbin) won 15 of his 22 professional fights and lost five.
Lawrence has won 10 fights (eight by K.O’s) and lost one. He won his last four bouts.
United States -based Guyanese, Elton Dharry, who is the current CABOFE and Inter-Continental bantamweight champion will take on Jesus Garcia of Venezuela in an eight round contest.
Heavyweight debutants Moore (Guyana) and Emmanuel (Barbados) will face-off in a four-round contest.
Guyana’s Anson Green and Barbados’ King will clash in a four-round junior middleweight contest also.
Fight fans are reminded to get their tickets early as the promoter, Aleem Hussain, has predicted a sold out arena come Saturday night.