GBBC Boxing Day card
'Big Truck' picks Dalton over 'Crusher'
By Steve Ninvalle
Stabroek News
December 20, 2003
`Deadly' Denny Dalton has received a boost for next week's main event against Keith `Crusher' Thomas.
Yesterday World Boxing Council (WBC) cruiserweight champion Wayne `Big Truck' Braithwaite gave his verdict on the upcoming contest giving the younger Dalton the edge over Thomas, when the two meet at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall on Boxing Day. "Dalton is young, strong and throws his hands all the time. I would have to pick him against Thomas," Braithwaite said from Brooklyn, New York.
Dalton, and Thomas the national junior welterweight champion meet to decide who will claim the vacant national junior middleweight belt.
Thomas will be flexing his new-found junior middleweight muscles for the first time at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
"Thomas has the edge on experience but Dalton is a hungrier fighter. Dalton throws bombs,' the undefeated Braithwaite said.
Last week Dalton, trained by Donald Allison, claimed that by signing to fight him Thomas had bitten off more than he can chew. While the 34-year-old Thomas has only fought once in the last eight months Dalton, five years his junior, has chalked up two victories in that same period.
In the first he took care of Barbadian Christopher `Shaka' Henry, then last month he defeated Barbadian Kevin Placide on a card promoted by his manager Carwyn Holland.
"Let me put it this way, `Crusher' is not in my class… mentally or physically," Dalton told Stabroek Sport. "I dropped this kid while we were sparring in the gym. I'm telling you that `Crusher' Thomas is just a lot of hot air. I'll prove it."
Yesterday Allison said that the fight should be easily won by Dalton once he sticks to plan. "Denny is always in condition. With this fight, it's no different. However, he sometimes gets carried away by the crowd. Once he stays focused it will be very easy for him," Allison said.
Allison explained that his charge had an extensive training period leading up to yesterday and will be sparring up to Tuesday then close off with pad work.
"We run on a track instead of the road. Running on the road puts too much pressure on the knees. This morning alone we did four miles," Allison said.
Dalton spars with bantamweight `Hurry Up' Leon Moore and Dexter Breedy, both trained by Allison.