‘Sixhead’ by six
- Nelson Fernandez
By Steve Ninvalle
Stabroek News
February 6, 2003
Andrew `Sixhead’ Lewis will be fighting a hard-hitting opponent seven years his junior at the Mandalay Bay hotel in Las Vegas on Saturday night but manager Nelson Fernandez is confident that the Guyanese will snatch the World Boxing Organisation welterweight title within the distance.
“Andrew is the old `Six’ again. He had a great camp. We brought in sparring partners from Mexico. He did about 119 rounds of sparring. I’m confident of `Six’ winning and would go on record as stating that Margarito would not get past round six,” declared Fernandez in an exclusive with Stabroek Sport. Lewis fights WBO welterweight champion Antonio Margarito in the main supporting bout on Saturday.
“Margarito is a very tough fighter who throws a lot of punches. He has a very good straight right. He defeated Antonio Dias for the title,” Fernandez said.
Lewis AKA `The Albouystown Cyclone’ is rated fifth by the WBO for Margarito’s title. Saturday’s bout will mark the first time that Sagittarius-born Lewis will do battle against a reigning champion.
“I think that preparing for his second fight against Mayorga `Six’ gave us 80 percent. He has improved on that now. Lewis is going to knock out Margarito,” Fernandez promised.
According to Fernandez, the former WBA welterweight champion has had a smooth camp at the Fernwood Resort in Pennsylvania where there were a minimum of distractions.
“He did not suffer the distractions of a number of persons calling the camp to speak to him. As I said we had a closed camp. It was not like the last time when everyone was allowed to call or drop in. We wanted him to remain focused. I was even a little disturbed when I learnt that he had spoken to you,” the manager said.
He added: “Now I have people calling me, upset that they are not getting to speak to `Six’. I say that after Saturday everyone will get a chance to speak to the new champion. `Six’ will not be taking calls,” Fernandez declared pledging that the Guyanese hero will remain incommunicado until after the title fight.
The 32-year-old southpaw Lewis will be seeking to win his second world title on Saturday night. With only a single defeat in 24 fights, Lewis will attempt to add Margarito’s title to his collection.
A Mexican, Margarito has lost thrice in 30 fights. “Six is right on at the moment. He weighed in at 149 pounds last evening. We have the right plan. He just has to follow it.”
Fedrnandez said that he was not the only one predicting a win for Lewis since former WBC welterweight champion ‘Sugar’ Shane Mosley who fights Raul Marquez in the main bout on Saturday, is placing his bet in the Lewis corner.
“We met Mosley in the lobby and he (Mosley) said that `Six’ would win the fight.”
Lewis, off of a first round knockout of Oscar Delgado in November, arrived in Las Vegas with his entourage on Tuesday. Today he is expected to attend a press conference while the weigh-in will be held tomorrow at the Coral Reef Lounge in the Mandalay Bay Hotel.
The power-puncher became the first boxer to represent Guyana to win a world title when he knocked out James Page in February of 2001.
He lost the title to Ricardo Mayorga in March of the following year. Saturday’s fight will be televised live by HBO.
