Howard 2-1 favourite over 'Hurricane' Hugo Lewis
- 'Canchie' Oprecht
-By Steve Ninvalle
Stabroek News
December 18, 2002
Boxing coach George `Canchie' Oprecht is usually a man of few words. Most of the time he would prefer the boxer to talk. "It's not me who will be in the ring," he once told Stabroek Sport.
So it was quite unusual when Oprecht readily consented to an interview. On the apron of the ring at the Forgotten Youth Foundation Gym in Albouystown, Oprecht shouted instructions to Vincent Howard as he went through a sparring session.
"Vincent is a good fighter and we are going to surprise Hugo Lewis. We are going to surprise him by knocking him out," Oprecht said. Howard and Lewis meet on Boxing Day in the main event of a card promoted by the Guyana Boxing Board of Control.
At stake is the vacant Caribbean Boxing Association junior lightweight and the usual bragging rights. "You must remember that I was not in Vincent's corner when he lost to Lewis last year. I'm now back and this is a very different Vincent Howard," Oprecht said.
Howard and Lewis first met on September 14 1996 at the world-famous GCC ground. It was only the sixth fight of Lewis' pro career and the first time that the fighter, then coached by Oprecht, went 10 rounds.
The elder Howard dropped his opponent with a right cross late in round two but the courageous Lewis came back to pull off an exciting draw.
Last Boxing Day, in front of a near capacity crowd at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, Lewis took revenge in a blistering encounter and gained the national junior lightweight title when Howard failed to come out for the start of the 10th round.
"I was not in his corner then," Oprecht explained. "This time it would be different. We will be forceful and effective. We will hunt him down and break him."
The coach disclosed that his charge has finished over 75 rounds of sparring and is in the pink of condition. Sparring-partners included Dwayne Crandon, Devon Luke, Dexter Breedy, Leon Moore and Errol Trotman.
"He has been responding well to the training and has improved very much. He runs six to eight miles per day, and mark my words, he will give Hugo a run for his money," Oprecht said.
Lewis, who campaigns in the United States, is expected back home on Saturday. "I'm sure that this will be one of the better fights seen in Guyana.
I have already given Vincent a 2-1 odds to win this fight. By the time I'm finished with my training the odds might increase," Oprecht concluded.
