This week I will focus on the performances of two female boxers who are being honoured because of the role they played in the development of female boxing in Guyana.
I have already looked at female boxer Shondell Alfred, daughter of a former prominent boxer and her journey into the sport.
This week I will look at two other female boxers who helped to put this country on the map.
Stephanie `Razor’ George is a former featherweight boxer who had an 18-fight professional career between 1998 and 2012 when she retired.
George, Alfred and Ann Howard are among the first set of female professional boxers in Guyana.
In fact, George and Alfred fought each other on three occasions, the last occasion being a bloody encounter.
George and Howard, though, were the first female Guyanese boxers to receive boxing licenses from the then Guyana Boxing Board of Control in 1980.
George born July 2 1980, had her first professional bout over four rounds against Ann Howard.
That fight, a super-flyweight bout, took place December 4, 1998 at the Banks DIH Thirst Park Venue and George won by a unanimous decision.
Her next fight, the first of the trilogy with Alfred, saw her losing on points over four rounds in the super flyweight clash.
George rebounded with wins over Wilma Skeete, Howard in their rematch and Malissa Assoon at the Sir Garfield Sobers Stadium, Wildey, Barbados, to get her career back on track.
Her confidence back, George took on Alfred again but lost the eight rounder by a majority decision that fight was for the national title.
She rebounded with a unanimous decision win over Vicki Boodram in Trinidad in their super flyweight contest but thereafter, her career nosedived and she lost her last seven fights including a world title fight to Trinidad’s Ria Ramnarine.
It all fell apart when she lost to the tough Leona Brown of the USA a fight where she was knocked down but not out.
The fight against Brown was a bantamweight affair and took place November 20, 2004
Following the loss to Brown, George later took on Ramnarine in Chaguanas, Trinidad on July14, 2006 for the Women’s International Boxing Association World Minimum Title, losing by a unanimous decision.
She was to fight Alfred a third time for the national title but lost by a unanimous decision. That fight took place on April 25, 2009 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
On the 31st October 2009 George became the first and only Guyanese female boxer to fight for the WBC world bantamweight title but lost to Ann Maria Torres by a TKO in round three. The bout took place in Mexico.
She retired on 2011 with a record of five wins and nine losses.
Manela Daniels is a bit of an enigma as she only had three professional fights. Her main claim to fame is that she is the first and only female Guyanese boxer to fight for a world title in her first professional fight.
Born November 15 1985, Daniels started as an amateur in 2003. She developed into a good boxer and in 2004 she travelled to Trinidad and won all her bouts and the best boxer award at the tournament.
The next year, 2005 she decided to turn professional
That bout took place September 25, 2005 in Trinidad and she lost to seven-time world champion Giselle Salandy over eight rounds for the WIBC world lightweight title.
Eight months later she again lost to Salandy by a TKO in three rounds.
Manela Daniels had her last bout December 26, 2006 losing to Iva Weston on points.
Weston is a four time world title challenger.
Daniels retired in 2007 with a record of three fights and three losses.
