Guyana’s Leon ‘Hurry-up’ Moore will take on Indonesian Marangin Marbun tomorrow evening for the vacant World Boxing Association (WBA) Pan Asian Boxing Association (PABA) super bantamweight title, promoter Carwyn Holland disclosed yesterday.
According to Holland, the fight is set to take place at Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre and will be the headline of a six-bout fight card promoted by Top Rated Boxing, a Bangkok and Singapore based Asian Promotions Company.
“A New Beginning” is the name of the card which Holland disclosed will be the biggest boxing event held in Singapore and which is expected to be sold out.
The 24-year-old Marbun, who is also the Indonesia Boxing Association (ATI/IBA) super bantamweight champion, has a ring record of 19 wins from 26 fights, seven of which he won by the technical knockout (TKO) route.
He also has six losses and was TKOed twice.
Moore holds the World Boxing Council’s (WBC) CABOFE and Continental Americas titles, along with the World Boxing Association (WBA) Intercontinental and North American Boxing Association (NABA) titles.
He is also the local bantamweight champion.
The 31-year-old Guyanese is the Caribbean’s highest rated fighter being ranked sixth in the world by the WBC and 10th by the WBA.
He has an impressive record, winning 25 fights; 22 via TKO but there are two controversial losses to his name.
“I believe this is more than a very important fight for Leon because when he wins he will control almost all of the international belts in his division and he certainly then can’t be ignored by any world champion,” Holland told Stabroek Sport yesterday.
“So, very soon, I think as soon as in April, we will be getting a shot at the WBA or WBC super bantamweight title and even though he is not yet rated by the WBO he will not be ignored also,” Holland added.
Panama’s Celestino Caballero is the holder of the WBA super bantamweight championship while Japanese Toshiaki Nishioka holds the WBC super bantamweight belt.
From Singapore, Moore said: “I’m looking forward to the fight and giving the people of Singapore something to remember. Marbun is a strong boxer and this will be one of the toughest challenges of my career, but I’m confident that I have the skills, speed and power to beat him inside the distance, so on January 16th, I expect to have another belt to add to my collection.
“I would like my President to know that I will win a world title and he must be at ringside. I want to be world champion so badly for my country, the Caribbean and especially the youths of Agricola,” Moore said.
Moore, promising not to let Guyana down said that he hoped that President Bharrat Jagdeo remembers his declaration of 2004 to reward boxers who win world titles.
He expressed appreciation to his manager, Holland, for helping him to his current world standing and sponsors GT&T, Banks DIH, Twins Manufacturing Chemists and Robert’s Jewellery for their assistance.
He made special mention of GT&T’s Wystan Robertson’s unwavering support and called on other sponsors and the government to support young and upcoming boxers as boxing was the most successful sport in Guyana.
