The Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC) is ensuring that it pulls out all the stops to ensure that a local pugilist is crowned champion of Jamaica’s Wray and Nephew Contender Series next year.
According to Eon Jardine, a local match maker and an overseas official of the Series, the board has already started to plan a Guyanese invasion for next year’s edition of the tournament which will feature the top middleweights of the region.
Jardine recently told this publication that he has earmarked overseas and locally based boxers to compete in the lucrative 16-week tournament which starts next March.
“I have spoken to some fighters both in Guyana and overseas and a few of them have already confirmed their participation” said Jardine.
The boxers contacted by Jardine were: Denny Dalton, Jermaine King (confirmed), Joel McCrae (confirmed Trini based), Winston Pompey (Suriname based)
Leon Gilkes, Wayne Harris, Michael De Matos, Andrew ‘Sixhead’ Lewis, Mark Austin, Kelsie George, Kwesi Jones, Edmond DeClou, Shawn Garnett (Canada based) and James Walcott.
Jardine, revealed that the organizers have tweaked some of the traveling arrangements to ensure that next year’s edition is more advantageous for the overseas boxers.
“This year, a boxer went home only when they lost, but for next year’s Contender when you win your fight you return to your training base.
This will be an advantage for the boxers since they will get to return to their own coach/s and familiar surroundings, also they will have their own sparring partners so they will be better prepared.”
This year’s tournament featured welterweights and was won by Jamaica’s Sakima Mullings who took home J$2M ($GY4M). Guyana’s Howard Eastman was third and pocketed J$250,000.
Other boxers interested in competing in the Series can contact Jardine on telephone numbers, 668-0860, 223-0436 or call the GBBC’s office on 226-9094.
