By Edin Jardine
In my time of watching boxing there have been 21 Guyanese boxers who have fought for world titles.
I have seen 18 of those bouts. Patrick Ford versus Salvador Sanchez – September 13 1980; Lennox Blackmore versus Aaron Pryor – June 27 1981, Terrence Alli versus Harry Arroyo – January 12 1985, Wayne Harris versus Reggie Johnson – May 4 1993; Raul Frank versus Vernon Forrest – May 12 2001; wayne Braithwaite versus Vincenzo Cantatore – October 11 2002; Vivian Harris versus Diosbelys Hurtado October 19 2002; Howard Esatman versus William Joppy – November 17 2001; Gwendolyn O’ Neil versus Kathy Rivers – May 29 2004; Pamela London versus Kim Quashie -August 28 2005; Andrew Lewis versus James Page February 17, 2001
But the one that stands out for me and the best performance by a Guyanese boxer bying for a world title is none other than Gregory Lawson Andrews versus Jorge Castro.
This fight took place on May 27 1995, in Florida, USA for the WBA middleweight title.
Andrews was given no chance against Castro simply because Castro had fought 102 times as a professional boxer compared to just 33 fights for Andrews, an overwhelming plus in experience for the boxer from Argentina.
Nobody gave Andrews a prayer but he knocked his opponent down and was just a point behind on tow of the judges scorecards when the rampaging Argentine teed off with long lefts and rights and battered into defeat at 2:14s of the 12th and final round to retain his title in a wildly exciting encounter.
”It was a hard fight but he ran a lot,” Castro was to declare afterwards.
“I just got caught,” he said in trying to explain only his second knockdown in 103 fights. “The punch didn’t hurt.”
Others thought differently.
Andrews, a superbly muscled 11 stone, four and one half pounds boxer from Georgetown had been derided for being the WBA’s top 10 contender.
He had only gone 2-5-2 in seven fights in the USA previously.
But the WBA was right, the 30-year-old power puncher was world class.
Amount of times Guyanese have fought for world titles:
Joe Walcott 5
Patrick Ford 2
Lennox Blackmore 1
Dennis Andrews 3
Wayne Harris 1
Egerton Marcus 1
Andrew Murray 1
Steven Frank 1
Tony Marshall 2
Terrence Alli 3
Anthony Andrews 1
Adrian Dodson 1
Raul Frank 2
Andre Purlette 1
Andrew Lewis 2
Vivian Harris 2
Wayne Braithwaite 2
Howard Eastman 2
Gairy St. Clair 1
Gwendolyn O’ Neil 5
Pamela London 3
Stephaney George 2
Pamela Daniels 1
