Orin Davidson's Eye on Sports
Stabroek News
May 6, 2001

There is no better booster than confidence in any sphere of human endeavour.

Long before Andrew Sixhead Lewis entered the ring for the biggest undertaking of his life 69 days ago, his manner suggested that the eventual world title victory was a foregone conclusion.

Such was his confidence of defeating James Page for the World Boxing Council Association belt, Lewis took the ring unhindered by nerves and blasted the American out of his path to win for Guyana its first ever world title in any sport.

This country has produced great cricketers in the past who could justifiable be classed as world beaters in their specialist roles, but cricket being a predominant Commonwealth sport, such accomplishments cannot be viewed as prestigious as Lewis' even though he has not yet fought the man touted as the number one welterweight in the world, IBF champ Shane Mosley.

Lewis has never been found wanting for confidence in the run-up to last night's title defence. As a matter of fact he was dripping with it.

He had every right to be as Marks' credentials are several notches below those of Page who Lewis knocked out in seven rounds.

Over the last few days, Sixhead has said he will not be over confident, but there is always the possibility of a boxer getting carried away by attention and Lewis has had lots to deal with.

Having his mother and sister at his side for one week prior to fight date and the overwhelming interest by the huge Guyanese population New York population since February 17, could made heavy demands on a competitor's focus.

But the experience of Lewis' management should have been capable of averting any lapses, even though boxing could rival cricket as the game of glorious uncertainties.

No one except Hasim Rahman himself, would have given the American any chance of defeating Lennox Lewis for the heavyweight crown last week.

Yet the world saw a 15-1 underdog create one of the biggest upsets in the sport and everyone was reminded that it would be folly to underestimate an American in competition of any sort.

Sixhead Lewis though, was not expected to suffer the same fate as his compatriot Lennox Blackmore experienced 20 years at the hands of an unknown Aaron Pryor.

A convincing victory of which Sixhead should have been a 15-1 favourite to execute last night, would be the platform to catapult the Guyanese into the elite company of the big name American fighters.

Despite the loss of Felix Trinidad, the welterweight division remains the hottest division in world boxing and Lewis' arrival has maintained high interest among the 147- pounders. Thus another emphatic victory last night should make a Lewis/Shane Mosley showdown the juiciest prospect for the near future.

Lennox Lewis' abject defence of his two heavyweight titles last weekend destroyed any hopes of the most lucrative match on record between himself and Mike Tyson.

That was touted as the clash of the year but once Rahman dissolved the Briton's dream for a 20-odd million dollar purse, Sixhead was given an opportunity to put himself among the elites in the boxing world.

The fact that Mosley took time out to be at ring side last night speaks volumes for the Guyanese's growing reputation.

Thus Sixhead had more than the aspirations of mom Yvonne, sister Laren and 50,000 fresh Guyanese New York fans at stake to produce his most devastating performance to date.

He had a chance to have the boxing world at his feet.