By Marlon Munroe
The world title rematch fight between Shondell Alfred and Corinne Van Ryck De Groot has hit another snag after Stabroek Sport learnt that it was postponed for the third time to June 5.
The fight had eventually been billed for May 22 at a venue that had not been officially named by promoter and owner of Mc Neal Enterprise Odinga Lumumba. However, yesterday Lumumba confirmed that the fight will take place on the BrisO Promotions card that will feature ‘Deadly’ Denny Dalton against Hector Camacho Jr. of Puerto Rico at the Princess Hotel.
The embattled Lumumba claimed that there were some “engineering problems” that will prevent the fight from taking place on May 22. The fight was expected to take place at the hotel’s poolside but problems arose when time came to cover the pool to place the ring over that area.
Lumumba also revealed to Stabroek Sport that he and Seon Bristol, owner of BrisO Promotions, have made verbal commitments to collate on the promotion of the Alfred/De Groot contest with Lumumba covering the training expenses for the fighters. Further, he stated that talks are still in the embryonic stage.
Lumumba declared that he will be disbursing funds to further facilitate the boxers’ training.
When Stabroek Sport contacted Bristol in New York yesterday he said that there have been talks of that nature but there have been no specifics and he and Lumumba have not arrived at a deal as yet. But he did point out that he wants the bantamweight rematch to materialise and he is willing to work with Lumumba and anyone to promote quality cards.
Sequence of Events
On the night of September 26 Alfred gained a unanimous decision victory over Canadian De Groot to claim the Women’s International Boxing Association (WIBA) world bantamweight title. Moments after the decision De Groot and her camp protested the decision claiming that she had sent Alfred to the canvas four times in the fight with legitimate punches but referee Eion Jardine ruled them slips.
WIBA President Ryan Wissow intervened and ordered a rematch in 120 days from September 28, 2009 when the formal protest was taken to the governing body. Wissow, in an email to this newspaper said that Jardine had done a good job and even if he had ruled one of the knockouts in round 10 legitimate, Alfred would have won the fight since she was ahead on points on the judges’ cards.
In the months following, the two sides could not reach a consensus until an unprecedented purse bid was decided upon for the rematch. Both fighters could have refused the purse bid but the champion could have lost her title and the challenger would have lost her mandatory challenge.
That was the first time that WIBA would see one of its title rematches taking this course since the establishment of the association in 2000. It was also an unprecedented course of action in Guyana. Wissow then informed this publication that the purse should start at US$7000 with 60 per cent of the final agreed figure going to the champion and 40 per cent to the challenger.
Lumumba agreed to have the purse bid but Carwyn Holland stated that he was not interested in it and Stanford Solomon could not have been reached for comment. Afterwards, a tentative March 27 date was set for the rematch, which depended on the approval of the GBBC; this did not materialise.
Eventually, the contracts were signed on March 25 when Lumumba announced that the bout would have taken place on May 2 at the Princess Hotel, pending investigations with the hotel’s management. On April 22 Stabroek Sport reported that the bout was postponed to either May 22 or 29 with Lumumba citing that De Groot did not sign her contract in a timely manner.
Lumumba also claimed it would not have been wise to hold the fight at that time since Guyana would have been hosting the opening round of the ICC World Twenty20 tournament from April 30-May 4. Alfred, at this time had threatened to pull out of the fight for money she was promised by Lumumba and was not given.
Shortly after, she received $100,000 from Lumumba to offset her training expenses. In yesterday’s edition of the Stabroek News it was reported that it was unclear whether the bout would have been held at the Princess Hotel or at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall; Lumumba had also promised this newspaper that he was going to name the venue.
Yesterday, it was learnt that the fight was postponed for a third time even when it was reported that the ladies are eager and waiting for the show to go on May 22.
