By Marlon Munroe
Now that the former British, Commonwealth and European middleweight champion, Howard Eastman has been remanded to prison until April 30 following a trafficking in narcotics charge, the Eastman/Wayne Harris bout is in limbo.
Guyana’s middleweight champion ‘The Battersea Bomber’ was expected to defend his national title in June.
According to reports police were acting on information when they went to Eastman’s home at Canefield Settlement, East Canje, Berbice where they reportedly found a black plastic bag that contained leaves, seeds and stems of the prohibited plant cannabis sativa.
Following his arrest he appeared in court before Magistrate Adela Nagamootoo where he pleaded not guilty to the charges.
It is unclear at the moment what Eastman’s fate will be on April 30 when he makes his next court appearance, but promoter of the proposed card Herman Harris told Stabroek Sport that he already had an alternative plan in place in the event of unforeseen circumstances. He had, he said, trained his eyes on Barbadian Shaka Blair.
The veteran promoter said it was regrettable that such a situation had come about, especially since Guyanese were always eager to see high quality boxing.
The promoter said his son Wayne, the former WBC FECARBOX middleweight and WBA Fedelatin middleweight champion, had been eagerly anticipating the fight and the seasoned pugilists had been expected to sign their contracts later this week.
When Stabroek Sport spoke to Wayne, 44, he said that he had chosen Eastman because he felt that ‘The Battersea Bomber’ was the most eligible opponent to beat.
Wayne, who won 20 bouts from 42 fights, said that he was going to beat Eastman, 40, and then hopefully get another shot at a world title. On May 4, 1993, Harris lost to Reggie Johnson when the WBA world middleweight title was up for grabs.
Subsequently, he had one win against Ken Sharpe in July of 1999, 15 losses and a drawn encounter with Martin Desjardins in February 2006.
Wayne told Stabroek Sport that he had seen the light and had decided to take the sport more seriously “after years of indiscipline and doing [my] own thing.”
Stabroek Sport asked Harris whether the proposed match-up held any interest, especially if one took into consideration his track record, but he responded that people wanted to see the best fight.
He said that when he truly felt the wrath of another boxer that would be the time he would retire his gloves. Until then, he added, his heart was fully committed to the sport and he would beat ‘The Battersea Bomber.’
