-Lumumba
When former World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight champion Andrew ‘Six Head’ Lewis steps into the ring to engage Howard ‘Battersea Bomber’ Eastman next Saturday at the Guyana National Stadium, Pro-vidence, it will be the ‘Perfect Storm’, promoter Odinga Lumumba has promised.
“I have always been known as the promoter who gives the boxing public here in Guyana a card that leaves appetites wet and tongues wagging for years, and this one that is upcoming next Saturday at the National Stadium will be no different from the rest.”
The head of Mc Neal Enterprise who, in partnership with Stanford Solomon will be the team responsible for the successful organizing of the six bouts on the card, indicated that he got back into the promoting of boxing locally for his charge Lewis.
“I am a supporter of Lewis, apart from being his promoter and manager and it is only natural for me to do what is best for him, as he told me he is interested in making a comeback. I think he has a lot of potential and a lot more fights in him.”
“As you may have noticed, fighters are going even at an old age now. Before, fighters would be retiring in the late 20s and early 30s, but now they are doing so between 40 to 45 and he is not yet 40 and he still has his craftiness and the level of discipline that is required in the ring, apart from being fit,” said Lumumba.
“On that basis, I decided to support him, thus this fight with Eastman. This fight is a good fight for Andrew. A stepping stone for his return, and if he dreams of ever fighting for a world title again, he must get past Eastman. Not only get past him, but dispose of him easily and convincingly,” stated Lumumba who also managed boxers of the calibre of Michael Benjamin, Joseph Murray, Anthony ‘The Pearl’ Andrews and the late Andrew Murray, just to name a few.
“This is an ultimate test for him, as Eastman is a very experienced and strong fighter that is very bright and skillful. He is also very competitive and like Lewis, he also wants to reach back to the pinnacle of boxing so this is fundamental for both fighters, with a view of having the winner take on Rawle Frank in the not too distant future,” said Lumumba.
Lumumba further boasted of having the most spectator viewership at a local boxing card, referring to the Terrence Alli/Steve Larimore clash at the Georgetown Cricket Club ground where over 15,000 boxing fans turned out, and he plans to surpass it for this card.
“I am looking to surpass that number for this card. Thus fighters of the calibre of Lewis, Eastman and Frank are being featured. Frank should have fought Lewis before, but there were some complications, but this time around we are looking to have Frank match gloves with the winner and that is one of the reasons we have brought Rawle here to fight. Another reason is to let people see what all three fighters have to offer.”
Frank will be matching gloves with Winston Pompey, while USA-based Guyanese Elton Dharry, who is of Indian descent, and Orlan ‘Pocket Rocket’ Rogers are set to go head to head in another bout.
“Dharry is a very skillful boxer of Indian descent out of New York. He has been having some difficult times in the USA, but he is a very good fighter. We believe that boxing is multi-ethnic and this can open a whole different world for ethnicity in Guyana. We tend to look at boxing and football as a negro sport, but they have other races who have excelled at these and other sports,” stated Lumumba.
While highlighting the fact that he steps up his promotional activities about one week before a bout is scheduled to take place, Lumumba did inform Stabroek Sport that he expected more support from corporate Guyana.
“We believe that from 10 weeks to two weeks is good enough for boxing. Things are a bit soft for now, but it is a small society. But with roughly about 10 days to go before the card is slated to take place, it is just a question of raising the promotion to another level. Boxing fans out there already know that the fight is on.”
Persons interested in viewing the ‘Perfect Storm’ live can pay as small as $1,000 (stands) or $12,000 (VIP all inclusive) for admission to the Stadium.
According to Lumumba, tickets will go on sale shortly for this event, and judging from the list of pugilists slated to match gloves with each other, it could definitely be a ‘Perfect Storm’ at the National Stadium next Saturday.