Says Eion Jardine
The recent defeat by Gwendolyn O’Neil to Carlette Ewell which resulted in O’Neil losing her WIBA and WIBC light heavyweight titles should be placed squarely at the feet of O’Neil’s manager Eon Peters.
Simply put, O’Neil’s manager should not have allowed her to defend her titles as, according to sources, there was no rematch clause.
O’Neil lost her titles in St. Maarten on November 1 and though sources close to her told Stabroek Sport that she was robbed, the writing was on the wall ever since she agreed to defend her titles which she had only just won on June 6 through a split decision over the same Ewell.
Boxing regulations are clear on the time frame a boxer has before defending a title.
Six months.
That’s just how much time O’Neil had.
So, between those six months what a champion would normally do is to fight a non-title fight until such time as the governing body calls upon you to defend your title.
At that time you would still have the title.
Another thing. O’Neil’s manager could have asked for Ewell to defend her UBC America’s cruiserweight title which she won in April of last year by defeating Alexandra Maloy in a unanimous decision.
To the best of my knowledge Ewell has never defended that title.
A bad trend
This seems to be a bad trend by Guyanese boxers many of whom rush to defend their title almost as soon as they win it unlike other boxers.
Argentine great Carlos Monzon won the World WBC and WBA middleweight titles by scoring a TKO over Nino Benvenuti on November 7, 1970.
Monzon was to fight three non-title bouts against Cherley Austin, Domingo Guerrero and Roy Lee.
He decimated all three of his opponents in the second round of their scheduled 10 round bouts before defending his title against Benvenuti on May 5, 1971. This time Benvenuti was knocked out in the third round of their scheduled 15 round title match.
On the other hand Guyana-born Joe Walcott, won the welterweight championship of the World on December 18, 1901 by knocking out James Rube Ferns in five rounds.
Unlike most Guyanese Walcott had seven non title fights before his first title defence on June 23, 1902 against Tommy West.
But Guyana-born Dennis Andries, who won the WBC World light heavyweight title on April 30 1986, by defeating JB Williamson on points made one defence of the title before losing it.
Andries won the world light heavyweight title on three occasions and he never had a non title fight while he was champion.
Guyana’s Andrew Lewis won the vacant WBA world welterweight title on February 17, 2001 by stopping James Page.
Here again. Lewis had no non title fights.
His first fight after winning the title was a world title defence against Larry Marks on April 28, 2001.
He then fought Ricardo Mayorga twice losing the title on the second occasion. The first fight between the two on July 28 2007, was ruled a no contest after the bout was stopped in the second round of the scheduled 12 round contest.
Wayne ‘Big Truck’ Braithwaite won the vacant World cruiserweight title on October 11, 2002 in Italy by knocking out Italian Vincento Cannatore in 10 rounds.
Braithwaite was to have three successful title defences before losing his title in his fourth defence.
He too had no non title fight.
Vivian Harris won the WBA World light welterweight title on October 19, 2002 by knocking out Diosbelys Hurtado in the second round. He defended it three times before losing in his fourth defence.
Gairy St Clair won the world IBF super featherweight title July 3 2006 defeating Cassius Baloi over 12 rounds lost in his first defence. He too had no non title bouts.
Editor’s note: Eion Jardine is an International Boxing Federation international referee/judge and has refereed in over 228 fights.
