O’Neil keeps her word
- rains “licks like peas” on Geraldine Cox
By Steve Ninvalle
Stabroek News
November 25, 2002
Gwendolyn `The Stealth Bomber’ O’Neil became a lady of her word when she came through on a promise to win her bout against Geraldine Cox inside two rounds when boxing returned to the MSC ground Saturday night.
The hard-hitting O’Neil forced referee Eion Jardine to call a halt to the scheduled four-round light catchweight tournament midway into the second round after Cox had turned her back when “licks like peas” rained.
Weighing in at 182 pounds 21 more that her opponent, O’Neil aptly entered the ring to the sounds of Bob Marley’s `War’ and from the opening bell took the fight to her less skilled opponent.
“I said it before that Cox was scared of me and everyone was able to see that.
She ran for almost the entire fight,” the undefeated O’Neil said after the fight. Cox was rocked with a left-right combination early in the first round and both fighters almost went through the ultra-slack ropes twice in the fight.
“This was just a warm up fight for me. I knew that I could hurt her any time I wanted. Now it’s on to December and bigger things,” O’Neil, who had promised to rain “Licks like peas” on Cox said. A good-sized crowd turned up to watch home boy `Classy’ Cassius Matthews earn an uninspiring majority decision over Shawn Holder in the feature event of the evening.
For the entire six-round junior welterweight contest Matthews, whose skills were evidently buried under ring rust, remained the hunted.
Holder threw and landed more punches but in the end the judges gave the Lindener the nod. Matthews later told Stabroek Sport that he has much work to do to regain his `Classy’ skills.
In what could be considered the fight of the night Linden Arthur twice knocked down Errol Trotman to earn a majority decision in the six-round featherweight contest.
Both fighters put up gritty performances with Arthur proving superior on absorbing punishment. Trotman went down in the first round from a body attack but got up to out hustle the shorter Arthur with a body attack in the second round.
A right from Arthur dislodged Trotman’s mouth guard midway into the next stanza while the fourth round saw almost equal exchange. A right hook dropped Trotman early in round six but he got up to rally to the end.
Leon Moore dropped veteran and journeyman Wayne Coates with the first punch of their four-round featherweight fight. Coates was floored two more times in the round forcing referee Harold Duncan to stop the carnage with a minute 35 seconds remaining.
The undefeated Moore has won all four of his professional fights by knockout. Laurex Benn and Devon Luke fought to a technical draw after the latter injured his hand in the first round of the scheduled 4-round junior middleweight contest and ringside doctor Arturo Laxa advised that Luke not continue.
In the amateur segment of the evening’s events James Walcott all but knocked Eustace Felix silly before the towel was thrown in the first round. Felix had earlier taken protection in the sport to another level when he entered the entered the ring wearing safety (steel toe) boots.
And John Henry softened Romel Joseph until the referee stopped the contest with one minute 35 seconds gone in the first round of the lightweight bout.
Joseph caused many questionable stares when he attempted to kick his opponent whenever he received a blow to the body. Other winners in the amateur category were: Orett Harris (3-1) decision over Ernis Alexander and Rudy Fraser who won when Shawn Harris retired at starting of the second round.
The card was promoted by former national junior welterweight champion Dillon Carew in collaboration with Smart Touch Promotion and Comfort Zone Taxi Service.
Carew, who represented Guyana at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, is on a crusade to revive the sport in Guyana.
