'Dalton will be easy'
-Thomas camp
By Steve Ninvalle
Stabroek News
December 22, 2003
The handlers of Keith `Crusher' Thomas are not expecting an easy fight against Denny Dalton. In fact Thomas and company anticipate a contest that will go into what is now popularly referred to as championship rounds.
Although confident of victory, they believe that Dalton is a tough customer and may be a hard stone from Thomas to crush. So, with that in mind the main aim of Thomas' training team, headed by the experienced George `Canchie' Oprecht is preparing a well-rounded fighter.
Much emphasis is being put on stamina training and on legs, or so Oprecht revealed in an interview yesterday morning.
"I'm making sure that his legs are alright. So when we get to late down in the fight the legs will still be there like normal. You have to remember that we are going up in weight," Oprecht said.
"When you are carrying a heavier weight than you are accustomed to it can tell on you legs in the late rounds," the veteran trainer explained.
Thomas and Dalton clash on Friday in the main bout of a card at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall promoted by the Guyana Boxing Board of Control.
At stake is the vacant junior middleweight title of Guyana and, the usual bragging rights. For Thomas it will be the first time that he will be flexing his junior middlweight muscles in Guyana.
Earlier in the year he defeated Cassius to win the national welterweight title but is now ready to move one division south.
"This is not an easy fight for any of them. These are two fighters who know each other. They have sparred a lot over the years. It is being said that Dalton has no respect for Thomas. However, when the fight starts Thomas will demand that respect. That I can promise you," Oprecht declared.
"Denny Dalton is a tough guy. I know him well. I brought him into boxing. I taught him to box from amateur to professional but right now he does not have the hitting power that he once had," Oprecht revealed.
"He does not do the type of exercise to produce that power but still has stamina. He is a strong fighter and has a lot of stamina coming on to the latter part of the fight. Dalton can tire an opponent with his style of fighting. He does a lot of holding and romping but we are prepared for whatever he has to bring to the table," Thomas' trainer added.
"We plan on confusing him. We plan on showing Denny Dalton things he has not seen before," Oprecht said adding that the five year difference between the two fighters would not be a determining factor. Dalton is 29 while Thomas is 34.
"Thomas is at his peak right now. He has sparred more than 60 rounds and is now on light training. He is still a young guy and will prove that on Friday. The record shows that fighters like Jersey Joe Walcott, George Foreman, Frankie Randall, Archie Moore and many more won title when they were way into their 30s. Thomas is now in his prime."
"I know that Thomas is a better fighter. He is a more skillful boxer and has more experience.
"We don't cater for a knockout. We would go in there saying that we are going to knock out dalton. But mind you, Thomas has the ability and potential to do that."