By Ras Wadada

OVER the last week I have been bombarded with the question – Why was Lennox ‘Too Sharp’ Allen excluded from my list of eleven Guyanese-born boxers to have won a World Boxing title?

The question aroused the interest of Guyanese, who were led to believe that Allen had won a World Boxing title over a year ago when he was received, presented and paraded around parts of the country by top Government officials and members of the media.

The Brooklyn-based Allen was even given a plot of land for his accomplishment that occurred in February of last year.

On February 15, 2019 Allen fought American Derrick Webster at the Grand Casino Hinckley, Minnesota for the World Boxing Association (WBA) Super Middleweight Gold Belt championship and won a unanimous decision over 10 rounds.

This will go down in history as the first World title boxing contest to go over ten rounds and not the mandated 12 rounds as is known and practised in the world of championship boxing for men.

A check with the listed Champion of the WBA Super Middleweight reveals Mexican Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez as the holder of the title and the undefeated Allen as the number one contender.

Consultations with heads of the two national Boxing associations in Guyana also confirmed that Allen is not the holder of the WBA Super Middleweight Championship belt.

Trinidadian Shivana Inalsingh, Msc and Bsc also dismissed the notion that Allen is the WBA’s world champion. Inalsingh is the Director of female Championship committee of the WBA and also a member of the Medical Advisory Committee of the WBA.

So what could have been the motive by the mastermind behind such misinformation? Reports have also unearthed that monetary donations were also being collected in NY by the said conveyor of the misinformation.

The 35-year-old Allen (22-0-1-14 KOs) is expected to fight for the Interim WBA Super Middleweight title later this year against the number 3 contender David Morrell Jr. (2-0). The fight versus the former Cuban amateur champion was originally scheduled for April 11, at the Minneapolis Armory but had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.

The last Guyanese-born boxer to fight for a World title is NY-based Elton Dharry who confronted Andrew Maloney in Melbourne, Australia last year, November 15. The Australian won by a TKO in round nine after the ringside doctor brought a halt to the bout.

The official list of 11 Guyanese-born boxers to have won World Boxing titles are: Men – Joe Walcott (Welter, 1901); Denis Andries (Light Heavy, 1986); Andrew ‘Six Heads’ Lewis (Welter, 2001); Adrian Dodson (Super Middle, 2002); Andre Purlette (Heavy, 2001); Vivian Harris (Light Welter, 2002); Wayne Braithwaite (Cruiser, 2001) and Gairy St Clair (Super Feather, 2006) and Female – Gwendolyn O’Neil (Light Heavy, 2004); Pamela London (Heavy, 2008) and Shondell Alfred (Bantam, 2009)