'Deadly' Denny digs deep
-defeats `Shaka' Henry by majority decision
By Steve Ninvalle
Stabroek News
May 26, 2003
Denny Dalton's performance at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall on Saturday night would receive an A+ for courage, determination and grit and C for skills.
In front of an almost capacity crowd the man with the pseudonym `Deadly' dug deep to pull off a majority points victory over Bajan Christopher `Shaka' Henry after being punished in the first four rounds in the main bout of the Independence card organised by the Guyana Boxing Board of Control.
Wobbled on several occasions from thunderous punches from his taller opponent Dalton stayed close and rallied in the second half to win on two judges cards in the junior middleweight contest over 10-rounds.
From the opening round it was evident that Henry was intent of an early night in what turned out to be a battle of wills.
Stepping into the ring to Bob Marley's `Lively Up Yourself' the dreadlocked Henry caught Dalton with stunning combinations in the opening round and followed up in round two with a whip-like jab which kept the Guyanese at bay.
In the same round Dalton, who preferred to fight inside, unraveled Henry's neatly plaited dreadlocks with a vicious uppercut, his main weapon throughout the contest.
Tipping the scale at 152 pounds the night before, Henry continued the onslaught in the third and fourth rounds before Dalton suddenly awoke in the fifth to stage the comeback.
With the Barbadian showing signs of tiredness Dalton rocked him with a right uppercut trailed by a left cross. Obviously hurt, Henry employed evasive tactics and was retreating when he slipped to the canvas.
As referee Eion Jardine signalled to show that it was not ruled a knock down several over zealous fans stormed the ring to lift
Dalton in premature celebration.
The fight was halted four approximately three minutes as it took the efforts of ring announcer Ian Hercules and other members of the GBBC supported by an angry Maurice `Bizzy' Boyce (Dalton's trainer) to rid the unruly mob from the ring.
By the time the fight was restarted Henry had benefitted from the `breather' and was able to finish the round in style. Round seven was Dalton's best of the fight as during that stanza he rocked the lanky foreigner with ease.
In the end judges Trevor Arno saw in 97/95 and Ian Alves 97/74 in favour of Dalton. Judge Bernard De Santos had it 96/96.
"The more you hit me the more I keep coming, Dalton said after his eighth victory from 12 fights. He claimed that the actions of his fans in the fifth round may have robbed him of a more convincing win.
"I think that they prevented me from getting a knockout. I had him hurt.' Dalton confessed that Henry held the upper hand in the early rounds but declared that with Boyce in his corner he was able to fight much better in the latter rounds.
Samuel Layne, Henry's manager called the verdict a hometown decision. "The fight was close but Shaka won. It was a hometown decision," Layne stated.
However, he declared that despite the demise his charge was still seeking a fight with former WBA welterweight champion Andrew `Six Head' Lewis. "We still want Six Head."
In the main supporting bout Gwendolyn `The Stealth Bomber' O'Neil was crowned Guyana's first female light heavyweight champion when her fight with Margaret `Chico' Walcott was halted in the fourth round.
After both fighters were publicly warned not to bite each other before the start of the first round, O'Neil upped the tempo in round three as the first and second round was used for the feeling out process.
O'Neil's two-fisted attack in the third round forced Walcott to introduce track and field tactics as she turned her back and ran. O'Neil again cornered her opponent in the following round and let loose several unanswered punches which caused referee Jardine to halt it with one minute 14 seconds gone in the round.
Dexter Breedy looked a well-oiled machine as he won a unanimous decision against Holder in a lightweight contest over four rounds. Breedy hit the stubborn Holder with everything in the book to win on all the judges cards.
The Agricola `Massive' made their presence felt when Shelly `The Agricola Boom' Gibson won by TKO against Cherly Greaves in the first female heavyweight fight to be staged at the Sports Hall.
The large, placard-waving Agricola contingent jumped and screamed as the 24-year-old Gibson, trained by Donald Allison skillfully picked apart her 40-year-old opponent for three rounds of the scheduled four-rounder.
Greaves, weighing 260 pounds, seemed more prepared for an 18-round encounter as obviously conserving on henry, she threw only about four punches in the entire fight.
On the advise of the ring doctor the contest was stopped at the start of the fourth and final round after Greaves sustained a dislocated shoulder.
Featherweight Leon Moore flattened Linden Arthur in the first round to maintain his unbeaten record. With surgical precision Moore connected to the head of the bewildered Arthur with the knockout coming compliments of a left/right combination.
It was the fifth first round knock out for Moore. The night of exciting boxing started with Cecil `Koker Dog' Alfred pounding out a unanimous decision over Dennis Mackenzie. The 50-year-old Alfred turned back the hands of time to return to his early years.
Former Central American lightweight champion Michael Benjamin made referee debut in that fight.
