Upcoming fight is warm-up for 'Deadly' Dalton
- manager
By Steve Ninvalle
Stabroek News
March 21, 2004
Guyana and Caribbean Boxing Federation (CBF) junior middleweight champion `Deadly' Denny Dalton will use his upcoming fight against Canada-based Leon Gilkes as a warm-up for the defence of his CBF title in May.
Carwyn Holland, Dalton's manager, promised yesterday that there is no way Gilkes would be going the full distance when the two boxers clash at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall on Saturday.
"Gilkes is all talk. Nothing more. He went to Denny's gym to challenge him. Our camp takes such behaviour as disrespect. We will do our disrespecting in the ring," Holland said.
The fight will be Dalton's second for the year following his defeat of Edward Meertens at the MSC ground to win the CBF title.
Holland added that Dalton, as usual, has been hard at work even though he is aware that Gilkes would not be able to go half the distance.
"By now it is known that Denny Dalton is as mean as they come. Keith `Crusher' Thomas and Meertens can attest to this. And just in case the beating they received messed with their memory, just ask Christopher `Shaka' Henry. He knows how ruthless Denny is in the ring," Holland added.
"After we demolish Gilkes we want to avenge all of Denny's defeats. We also want to take on Shawn Garnett who seems to be ducking us at the moment.
"Denny is about the best boxer in Guyana right now. He is moving on to better things and Gilkes is just a stepping stone. We will step on him and crush him."
The Dalton/Gilkes clash is the main supporting bout over ten rounds on card promoted by Gary Stephens and Mike Carryl. In the main bout, International Female Boxing Federation super bantamweight champion Alicia Ashley squares off with local bantamweight champion Shondell Alfred.
Ashley is expected in Guyana on Thursday. In one of the preliminary fights, Dillon Carew takes on `Classy' Cassius Matthews in an eight-round welterweight contest. Lisma De Silva faces Sharon `The Stone' Ward in the other professional card of the night.
To date organisers have confirmed two amateur fights.