By Iva Wharton
With five title belts to her name, former world champion Gwendolyn O’Neil is going for her sixth title against Carlette Ewell.
The two will be fighting for the UBC Heavyweight World title in St. Maarten at the St. Maarten Sports Auditorium on April 7. This would be the third time that the two would be facing off.
O’Neil in an exclusive interview with Stabroek Sport said that she is confident that she will get the better of Ewell.
“The first time I fought Carlette Ewell I had defended one of my belts, the WIBA and I did beat her claiming a second title. The second time we fought I lost because of a one point difference, I believe that I had beaten her, but this time I told them to walk with a stretcher.”
According to O’Neil she does not view this fight as revenge, but said that she is looking forward to beating Ewell.
“Right now is four world title fights I’m preparing for, after I defeat Ewell, I have another fight against Ijeoma Egbunine in Nigeria for the WBC belt in April. Then I have another in St. Maarten.”
The mother of seven said that she believes that she will be in shape for each of her fights. She said that each fight helps to keep her in shape for the next one.
O’Neil who resides in the United States said that she returned home to do some training and also to deal with some personal matters.
“St. Maarten is usually hot so I decided to come home and get away from the cold to get my body accustomed to the heat.
The heat allows me to lose weight faster, because I don’t want to fight her with a lot of weight. I am returning to the US on the 2nd and then leave from there for St. Maarten on the 6th of April.”
According to O’Neil her current weight is 195 pounds, and she is hoping to lose 15 pounds which will take her to 180 pounds.
“I also want to go back to fighting in my weight division of 175 pounds. I don’t really fight above that.”
The boxing sensation said her goal is to attain ten belts before she leaves the sport. At the moment she has five with the possibility of adding to it.
Her trainer Lennox Daniels said that he is still to make an assessment of O’Neil’s condition, but once she sticks to the game plan she should not have any problems.
“I think it was her negligence too that cost her in the second fight. After using one technique in the first fight and another in the second, she also tends to do her own thing more or less.”
O’Neil who refused to disclose her age, said that most of the fighters she has faced in her career are older than her.
Taking about her children, O’Neil said that she is working on having her last child, four-year-old Denzel with her in the US.
According to O’Neil, Denzel was now walking when she left for the US and it is hard on her to be away from him for such long periods.
Denzel is O’Neil’s second adopted child, the other Joshua is with her in the US. He is in high school. Her two eldest daughters are in college studying medicine.
