– Eastman steps in following Frank’s withdrawal
Judgment Day is definitely on for Guyana’s Middleweight boxing champion “Deadly” Denny Dalton as another former world championship contender has stepped up to face him following the withdrawal of United States-based Raul Frank who pulled out of their National middleweight title fight owing to an injury.
The Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC) yesterday disclosed that Frank’s replacement is former world contender Howard Eastman who up to recently was campaigning in the United Kingdom.
GBBC official Trevor Arno told Stabroek Sport that the Berbice-born Eastman, who is currently in Guyana, has already signed his contract for the 12-round national middleweight title and is likely to switch his training to Georgetown shortly.
The Dalton/Eastman fight will be the main bout on the GBBC’s 34-round card dubbed “Judgment Day” which will also involve several of Guyana’s top female pugilists.
The 37-year-old Eastman, who last fought in September 2007 against John Duddy in Ireland, has had several big bouts including losses against William Joppy and former world middleweight king Bernard Hopkins in world title fights.
Eastman holds a record of 48 fights with 35 ending within the distance as against six losses.
Dalton, who fought earlier this year, has a record of 24 fights, 16 wins, (11 by knockout) and seven losses.
He is well known for his three epic battles against former World welterweight champion Andrew “Sixhead” Lewis in which he scored a win and suffered a loss while the other bout ended in a draw. Fight fans who were hoping to see Frank in action will be disappointed once again after the former Lodge resident pulled out of two previous clashes with former world champion Lewis.
Frank is reported to have suffered a back injury and will be unable to keep the ring date. The “Judgment Day” Card will have as its main supporting bout Pamela London doing battle with Veronica Blackman for the women’s national heavyweight championship over 10 rounds.
Shelly “The Agricola Boom” squares off with Andrea Duncan in a four-round heavyweight contest while Charlton Skeete will battle with Cecil Smith in a super bantamweight four-rounder to round off the card.
Fight time is 20:00 hours.
