– promoter calls for gov’t support
The world-renowned Enter-tainment and Sports Programming Network (ESPN) is the latest in the list of companies to get involved with the much anticipated Caribbean Fury 2 boxing card slated for November 6 at the Princess International Hotel.
Promoter of the event, Carwyn Holland, head of Holland’s Entertainment Promotion, made the disclosure yesterday at the business premises of the fight card’s other recent sponsor, Cody’s Restaurant and Bar on East Street.
“We are so pleased to announce that ESPN will be carrying our event [Caribbean Fury 2]… ESPN communicated to me by their chief that they will be airing Caribbean Fury 2,” Holland announced to media operatives yesterday.
According to Holland, a number of other regional broadcasting companies are also scheduled to broadcast the card, including the Caribbean Media Corporation n (CMC), along with “other international television”.
Another international television network that has expressed interest in televising the event is the Showtime Network, through Showtime Sports, which is well known for their broadcast of international boxing cards.
Holland stated that this will promote Guyana on the international stage, but in order to make this a reality, his promotion group needs further support.
“Our promotion group is teaming up with some international promoters who are backing us, but it’s upon our government and the local companies to step up to the plate to bring Showtime to Guyana.”
“We are now calling on the government, pleading with the government, the Minister of Sport, the President of Guyana, to assist us in making this a reality… Showtime is aired in millions of homes across the world; we can’t want anything else out of boxing if we can have Showtime here,” Holland said.
Holland noted that the event is getting a lot of international attention and he is also soliciting sponsorship from local companies, urging them to make contact with the promotion group.
“We want to invite companies on board to seize this opportunity to advertise their products and services, because this is one way of selling Guyana… Get on board with Caribbean Fury 2 and market your products and services,” Holland urged.
So far seven fights on the upcoming card have been confirmed with the headline fight being the main event between Leon ‘Hurry Up’ Moore and Breilor Teran of Venezuela.
Raul Frank of the United States will slug it out with the ‘Deadly’ Denny Dalton, who Holland revealed is fit and has passed full medical tests, while Joel McRae out of Trinidad will clash with James Walcott.
Also on the card is the young Canadian star with Guyanese heritage, Richard Reittie, who will be trading punches with Mark Murray, while Clive Atwell of Dominica faces Errol Trotman.
The locals will bump heads when Mitchell Rogers will be making his way back into the ring against Leon ‘The Lion’ Gilkes, while the females are also scheduled to square off as Colombia’s Ulga ‘La Mona’ Julio will take on Shondell ‘Mystery Lady’ Alfred. According to Holland, the promotion group is also hoping to land a fight with Women’s International Boxing Association (WIBA) and Global Boxing Union champion, Gwendolyn O’Neil against her Guyanese counterpart Pamela London, but they have not signed off the fight as yet because they are negotiating the financial aspects.
