… Richard `Frogy’ Holmes replaces Michael Gardner

THE Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC) over the past few days made a change to its `Bad Intentions’ boxing card which is scheduled for the Giftland Office Max Mall on August 27.According to the Board’s match-maker and referee, Eion Jardine, because the Board wants to give boxing fans and enthusiasts their money’s worth come fight night, they have decided to replace

Jamaican Michael Gardner with his countryman Richard `Frogy’ Holmes for the main supporting bout which will see the Jamaican come up against Guyana’s Mark Austin in an eight-round middleweight contest.
According to Jardine, he recently returned from Jamaica where he officiated in the Annual Contenders Series and was impressed with Holmes who he thinks can give Austin a true `run for his money’.
Meanwhile, the card will feature Guyana’s Dexter Gonsalves in a 12-round contest against former World Boxing Association’s super lightweight champion, American DeMarcus `Chop Chop’ Corley for the World Boxing Council’s FECABOX) lightweight title.
Gonsalves, last fought in October 2015 when he earned a 10-round technical knockout (TKO) victory over fellow Guyanese Clive ‘The Punisher Atwell’ thereby winning the Caribbean Boxing Federation (CABOFE) lightweight title He has since been stripped of that title since he failed to make a mandatory defence of the title and will now be seeking to win the FECABOX title to restore some pride not only for himself but also for all Guyana.
Despite not fighting since the Atwell encounter, Gonsalves has been intensifying his preparations for his fight against a seasoned fighter in Corley.
To date, Gonsalves has compiled a record of 8-12 with a lone loss to Michel Agard who also drew with him (Gonsalves) on another occasion. He also drew with Jamaica’s Mohammed Dawes in 2007.
Corley is a veteran with a 47-27-1 record, winning 28 of his bouts via knock-out and will surely be a handful for Gonsalves who has not fought the quality of fighters that Corley has engaged.
Corley earlier this year participated in Jamaica `The Contender’ series and won three fights with knock-out victories against Richard Holmes and Guyana’s Revlon Lake while recording a points win against Michael Gardner.
The American who was born in the Unites States Virgin Islands (USVI) during his career fought world renowned Zab Judah in a WBO super lightweight title which he lost.
He also faced Guyana’s Olympian Dillon Carew twice and was held to a draw in the other.
Corley, who was a world champion from 2001 to 2003 also went the distance with former world champions Devon Alexander and Marcos Maidana but lost his title to Judah in 2003.
However, yesterday at the signing of the contract at the office of GBBC’s president Peter Abdool, Gonsalves said he is not worried by Corley’s record and experience.
He admitted that for his last fight last year (versus Atwell), he was not really prepared and after viewing footage of that fight, he realised that he was lacking in movement of his feet and has since started to work on it.
He said he is much more focused now and is working on his lifelong dream of becoming a world champion, and to this end, his mother is very supportive, always making sure that he attends gym and eats properly.
The opening bout on the August 27 card brings together Kelsey George and Charwin Estwick in a four-round super middleweight affair, while Anthony Narine will make his debut as a professional in a four-round lightweight contest against Keeve Allicock.
The next bout on the night’s card will see Imran Khan and Quincy Gomes battle for a third time in a six-round lightweight contest.
In the previous two fights the boxers met, the first was drawn and Gomes won the second encounter.