The best chance of 8 challengers
Orin Davidson's Eye on Sports
Eight compatriots have tried before him, but none would have had a better chance of winning for Guyana any of the three recognised world boxing titles, than Andrew `Sixhead' Lewis. By the time this edition of Stabroek News is circulated, Guyanese would be celebrating its biggest sports accomplishment since Clive Lloyd led West Indies to the top of world cricket after eight years, in 1984, or lamenting another boxing failure at the highest level. Lewis, who challenged James Page of the United States last night for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight belt may not have the most impressive record of the eight Guyanese before him, but he would have been the best prepared of the lot. Having campaigned in the United States for four years, Lewis would have acquired the mental toughness and ring techniques necessary for success at the highest level. Most importantly he has been under the guidance of an experienced management team of advisors and trainers, well versed in finer knowledge of the sport in a modern era. Trainers Angel De Jesus and Quinto Soto have been around for a long time and handled a number of contemporary champions and know how best to implement strategies in whatever circumstances their fighters find themselves . Manager Nelson Fernandez may not be a Don King or Bob Arum, but he has been good enough to expertly guide Lewis to the number-one ranking and the eventual world title crack despite the hurdles put up by Page in the recent past. Patrick Ford is arguably the most accomplished of our world title challengers but because he came up against two of the best ever featherweight champions since World War 11, he couldn't pull off the historic win because his cornermen were not of the highest calibre. In losing a narrow points decision to legendary Mexican Salvador Sanchez, Ford would have discovered afterwards that he blundered by not pacing himself better in the middle of the fight to enable a strong finish to impress the judges before a hugely partisan San Antonio Texas crowd of Mexican fans. Ford had done well enough in the first half of the encounter but he needed a better corner to take from there to victory. Accepting a crack at Eusebio Pedroza's WBA title a few months afterwards was never a wise move for the inexperienced Guyanese who was just off a very tough and heart breaking loss to Sanchez. As a result Ford was left with the tag of enduring the Valentine Day's beating of 1981. Terrence Ali, the best rated of all the Guyanese challengers did the opposite in his first of three attempts and paid the penalty. Well ahead on points against Harry Arroyo, Ali needn't have gone for a knockout in the latter half of the bout and expose his defence which caused his knockout instead. Being rated number three at the time, Ali who was well known in the United States, having campaigned there for more than a decade prior, did not require a spectacular win to get the judges favour for any points decision. In his other two challenges, Ali, the undisputed WBC, WBA and IBF number one at the time, needed more than his mere natural ability to overcome Mexican greats Julio Cesar Chavez and Jose Luis Ramirez. He would have desired a corner as astute as they come but his chief trainer Jimmy Glen was no Angelo Dundee. Anthony `The Pearl;' Andrews, Andrew Murray and the other unsuccessful challengers were more or less home-based fighters who needed much greater exposure to overcome outstanding champions for the elusive belt. In Lewis' case, though, he is a battle hardened American-based fighter coming up against a less than great opponent who never rocked the boxing world the way, Sanchez, Pedroza or Chavez did. He is a former champion with three losses to his resume who never did anything spectacular enough to earn even high six figure purses during his reign. Page's biggest credit must be a mention of being among the best pound for pound boxers around now from former heavyweight champion turned analyst George Foreman. That though, was only once uttered by Foreman and no one else. Thus, Lewis' deceptive power and difficult southpaw style should have done the trick, eventually last night. Over to you celebrating fans and the drinks...hopefully.
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