Reputations at stake on Boxing Day card
By Steve Ninvalle
Stabroek News
December 25, 2003
The Cliff Anderson Sports Hall is expected to shake tomorrow night when the Guyana Boxing Board of Control stages its annual Boxing Night card.
National welterweight champion Keith `Crusher' Thomas battles `Deadly' Denny Dalton for the junior middleweight title of Guyana in the main bout of the card. In the main supporting fight, Shondell Alfred takes on Stephanie `Stepping Razor' George in one of two fights involving females.
Dalton is a seasoned junior middleweight campaigner while Thomas has now entered the division.
In an earlier interview with Stabroek Sport, Dalton declared that Thomas was stepping out of his class. He promised to take the vacant crown in convincing fashion to prove that he is the best junior middleweight in the country.
Thomas's trainer George `Canchie' Oprecht, who guided Dalton earlier in his career, acknowledged that it wouldn't be an easy fight but was convinced that his charge would be the winner.
Oprecht pointed out that Dalton does not posses the power he once had and should be taken out somewhere in the late rounds.
Alfred, a 22-year-old puncher, has promised to knockout her opponent. The two meet over eight rounds with the bantamweight title of Guyana at stake. The first time the two female gladiators met Alfred was adjudged the winner.
In the preliminary bouts Pamela `The Grenade' London matches gloves with Shelly `The Agricola Boom' Gibson in heavyweight contest over four rounds. Both fighters have two professional bouts under their belts.
While London is yet to win a fight (one draw and a defeat) `The Boom' defeated the much bigger Cheryl Greaves in her first pro fight, but went under to Linden's `bigger don' `Dynamite' Shondell Parks.
In an expected scorching encounter, undefeated bantamweight `Hurry Up' Leon Moore takes on Orlan Rogers in a return fight. Undefeated in nine fights, Moore took care of Rogers in the final round in the first encounter.
Reports out of Linden state that Rogers has made changes to his style of fighting which should pose problems for Moore.
The night will begin with a four-rounder between Wayne Briggs and Ovid Jack.
The weighing-in of fighters will take place this evening at the Water Chris Hotel beginning at 7 pm.