By Emmerson Campbell
The Thirst Park Ground will come alive tonight when Hurry Up Boxing Promotions in collaboration with the Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC) stages a five-fight boxing card which will see two WBC CABOFE champions, the reigning featherweight champion and a former European champion.
Welterweight Caribbean Boxing Federation (CABOFE) champion, Simeon ‘Candy Man’ Hardy will headline the card in a highly-anticipated, eight-round junior middleweight re-match with former European middleweight champion Howard ‘Battersea Bomber’ Eastman.
Reigning local and CABOFE middleweight champion, Edmond ‘Wonder Boy’ DeClou will take on Jermaine King in a six-round middleweight bout.
The card will also feature national featherweight title holder Clive ‘Wonder Kid’ Atwell, heavyweight Anthony Augustin and featherweight Charlton Skeete.
The undefeated Atwell will match gloves with 39-year-old journeyman Orlon ‘Pocket Rocket’ Rogers in a six-round rematch while Augustin will take on Mitchell Rogers in a six-round trilogy.
Skeete is scheduled to face undefeated Berbician, Richard Williamson in a four-round encounter.
During the pre fight press conference at the Banks DIH Sports Club yesterday, the customary verbal jabs were thrown, as each boxer tried to psyche out their respective opponent with a war of words. Hardy, the 24-year-old undefeated knockout specialist, who is renowned for his smash mouth attitude, bluntly stated that he will knockout the 41 year- old Eastman and put an end to his career.
“The same thing that happened to you the last time will happen again, but this time I’m going to knock you out. I have no respect for you as a boxer and this time I will treat you that way. Come tomorrow night I will end your career old man,” said Hardy.
Eastman, who has a record of 46 wins and 10 losses, stated that he was tired of Hardy’s talking and tonight he will do his talking in the ring.
King, who has a record of one win, one draw and five losses declared that DeClou (12 wins and two losses) ran from him as an amateur but highlighted that the ‘Wonder Boy’ will have no place to run tonight.
DeClou, who declared that he was currently the best fighter in Guyana, reiterated that King was not in his league and would be stopped. The CABOFE middleweight champion also stated that King should try to defeat boxers in his own division (welterweight) before jumping to the middleweight champion.
Augustin will have a chance to exact revenge on Rogers who defeated him unanimously on two occasions.
The six- round bout between CEO of Hurry Up Promotions, Leon ‘ Hurry Up’ Moore and undefeated American, Juan Carlos Pena which was scheduled to be on the under card has been postponed due to the unavailability of Pena.
Sponsors for the card include Banks DIH Limited, Liat and Delta Airlines and others.
Bell time is 20:00hrs while admission for the event will be $3000. Regular seating will cost half that amount.
