'Sixhead' must be a victory for Guyana's sport Orin Davidson's Eye on Sports Stabroek News February 25, 2001 The popular expression "Good comes to those who wait" could not have been better justified by Andrew `Sixhead' Lewis' demolition of James Page for the World Boxing Association welterweight title last Saturday night. Guyana has been trying for 11 years to win that elusive belt and `Sixhead' has endured one of those 11 since attaining the number one ranking in the WBA. Among the culprits has been Page who avoided the Guyanese for the entire latter half of 2000 by way of one no-show after the fight was postponed three months before. Page however, was made to pay dearly for Lewis' frustration in the most clinical manner which astounded even the most patriotic of Lewis fans. Indeed it has been some time since a non-American has gone to the mecca of boxing and disposed of a native world champion in such conclusive a manner the way the Guyanese wreaked havoc in Las Vegas. In the division considered the most prestigious outside of the heavyweight category, Americans have not seen anything like `Sixhead' since Julio Cesar Chavez took over the welterweight ranks in as dominating a manner as his Aztec ancestors did while building their famous empire in the Americas. Tito Trinidad stamped his authority in similar manner after Chavez but being Puerto Rican he could not be considered a foreigner as his country is a commonwealth of the United States. The same would go for Edwin Rosario and Hector `Macho' Camacho but they cannot be placed in the class of the real stalwarts of the welterweight division America has produced since the early days of Sugar Ray Robinson. Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas `Hitman' Hearns and Marvelous Marvin Hagler can also be considered all-time greats of the welterweights and the great American tradition has continued with Oscar De La Hoya, of late Shane Mosley and before him Trinidad. They have all made the 147-pound division a haven of American dominance but in Lewis they have a contender who is threatening to dent that domination. James Page, was not in the class of De La Hoya or Mosley, but according to former heavyweight champ George Foreman, he was pound for pound one of the best fighters around. And in destroying Page in seven rounds Lewis has signalled his intention of making a big name for himself even if it means taking on any of the big name fighters in a jiffy. So impressive was his victory, promoter Bob Arum has already gobbled Lewis up as his latest valuable signee. The glee on Arum's face while congratulating the Guyanese in the ring, was indicative of his feelings at acquiring a suitable replacement for de La Hoya in no time, after a bitter court battle ended in the latter going his separate way. Not only was IBF lightweight champion Zab Judah impressed by Lewis, even the skeptical HBO team of commentators were singing `Sixhead's praises. Suddenly Raul Frank who fights next month for the IBF version of the welterweight belt, is being talked about as having a common connection with Brooklyn through Guyana. The tiny nation on the north eastern tip of the south American continent as our country was described as by Jim Lampley, is beginning to become big in the eyes of the boxing world. Apart from Frank, there are Wayne `Big Truck' Braithwaite who many local pundits feel stood an even bigger chance than Lewis of winning a world title before last weekend, and Andre Purlette another capable cruiserweight ready to add to Lewis' accomplishment for Guyana. The Andrew Sixhead Lewis experience has proved to all and sundry that sport is important to this country's development and it could take the name Guyana to global heights few other national endeavors can reach. And as such, sport should not be treated as a distant stepchild when it comes to funding and other forms of support from government and the private sector. The experience should hammer home the importance of ensuring that all the young Sixhead Lewises and Carl Hoopers have adequate modern facilities to learn their game. The practice of young sportspersons having to engage in begging campaigns to finance participation in overseas competitions must end. The many business houses flooding the print media with congratulatory advertisements to Lewis, must in the future prove that they were not merely jumping on the bandwagon at an opportune time, by supporting young sportspersons when approached. The fuss made by President Jagdeo of having a government representative in Las Vegas, taking the time off to view the fight in Albouystown and making big promises, before during and after Sixhead's success, must not be seen as superficial. Efforts must be made with the same alacrity in the future to have sports requirements met, including the establishment of the long denied national stadium, among other needs. 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