'Stealth Bomber to be tested
-GBBC Boxing Day card
By Steve Ninvalle
Stabroek News
December 8, 2002
December 26, 2002, may mark the turning point for women's boxing in Guyana. It is the first time that women from North America will be engaged in professional boxing here.
Our undefeated and world-ranked light-heavyweight female boxer Gwendolyn `The Stealth Bomber' O'Neal steps into the ring for what many boxing buffs believe would be a career-defining moment.
Some are already labeling the bout as the fight of her life. O'Neal comes against 33-year old American `Vicious' Veronica Simmons on a card promoted by the Guyana Boxing Board of Control. Simmons is superior in calibre to the opponents that O'Neal has mashed on her way to securing the 9-0 record professional record. At 5'9" Simmons trains at the World Famous Gleason's gym in New York and also has an impressive record.
She has been boxing since 1995 and had a spectacular career as an amateur, winning every competition she entered and compiling a perfect 15-0 record, with 11 wins coming by knockout.
And if that is not enough to keep `The Stealth Bomber' awake at nights, add that Veronica works as a federal corrections officer and personal trainer.
The hard-hitting American, who has her eyes on world champion Laila Ali, won three USA Boxing National championships and four New York Golden Gloves titles.
Trina Ortegon, who Veronica defeated by a 4-1 score in the semifinals, became the IFBA Super Middleweight champion in February 2000.
Simmons turned professional and made her debut against Evelyn Holley on May 19, 2000 at the Blue Horizon in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She one that won via first round knockout.
On April 13, 2001 at Cobo Hall in Detroit, Michigan, Veronica weighed in at 165 lbs and again won in the first stanza over previously unbeaten Kronk gym product Kathleen Brauer.
Secretary of the GBBC Trevor Arno said that the contracting of Simmons is proof that his organisation is sparing no expense to bring top quality boxing to spectators.
"We cannot keep the standard of boxing one way. We have to move up.
I think that our annual Boxing Day card has improved much over the years. This is also expected to be a big hit with boxing lovers," Arno said.
Touching on matching O'Neal against Simmons ,Arno said: "We felt that we should test O'Neal. We were finding it difficult to get boxers from the Caribbean to fight her, but after speaking to Lennox Blackmoore we were able to secure Simmons," Arno told Stabroek Sport.
"This is proof that our aim is to bring boxing back to the level is was many years ago."
