By Carwyn Holland
Canada-based Guyanese Troy Ross (25-2) is getting ready for another shot at the World Cruiserweight title later this year.
This is, according to his father Charles Ross, who is home on holiday.
Ross, a two-time Olympian (1996, 2000) lost his first bid on June 5, 2010 at the Jahnsportforum in Mecklenburg, Germany to American Steve Cunninghan.
The fight between Ross and Cunningham was stopped in Round Five due to a cut and the result was that Ross lost a TKO decision.
Ross had earlier scored a knockdown in the fourth round and seemed well set to capture the International Boxing Federation (IBF) crown but a clash of heads followed by a thumb to the same spot opened a nasty gash just above the eye prompting the referee to stop the fight.
Cunninghan, however, lost the title after one successful defence to Cuban Juan Pablo Hernandez and later lost again in a rematch to pave the way for the former champion to get his second shot.
According to the elder Ross, his son is in great shape and has been training a while now for that special ring date.
“Troy has lots of experience and he is very confident of victory this time around. The last time he was leading the fight against Cunningham, but the ringside doctor stopped the contest in the fifth round after examining the cut above his eye,” he explained.
Charles Ross, who founded the ‘Bauxite Bombers Gym’ in the mining town of Linden before migrating to Canada in …. introduced his Olympian son to the sport a year after he settled in his new residence.
He was a coach at that time and enrolled Troy and his brother Shawn in a gym and supervised their development until Troy was selected for the Canadian national team for the 1996 Olympics.
Four years later he again qualified to represent his adopted homeland on the world’s biggest stage but failed to medal.
A year later he decided to turn professional and was unbeaten until his 13th pro fight when he suffered a split decision loss to Willie Herring in 2005.
Ross then regrouped and chalked up 11 more victories including one for the Canadian title and the 2009 Contender championship to earn his shot at the World Cruiserweight scrap.
The elder Ross is also responsible for getting Canada-based Guyanese Egerton Marcus into the fistic sport.
Marcus won the Olympic silver medal while Lennox Lewis won gold for Canada at the games.
Charles Ross is adamant that Guyana can produce Olympic champions if more emphasis is placed on amateur boxing.
He pointed out that inter gyms and inter districts or regional fights against various opponents of varying styles is best suited for amateur boxers’ development.
He is also planning to return to Guyana and open a boxing gym if land is made available in the mining town of Linden where he plans to spend his retirement years.
