Smart Touch/Freeman June 26 card…
‘Hurricane’ Lewis storms in as a knockout specialist
By Isaiah Chappelle
Guyana Chronicle
June 24, 2004
IT’S been ten years since Hugo ‘Hurricane’ Lewis entered the professional boxing ring at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, where he established himself as a knockout specialist.
Lewis is back at the same venue to meet Shurwyne Marshall of Barbados in the co-main event of the Smart Touch/Freeman card on Saturday.
‘The Hurricane’ came out from a very successful amateur campaign with several medals for Guyana in Caribbean championships. He impressed many since his first clash with Colin Moore, a boxer of no small repute, at the GTU ground, Woolford Avenue, in the 80s, a fight which many thought he had won over the very much older and experienced pugilist.
On December 27, 1994, Lewis gained a points decision over Nigel Boston, a win that was followed by many more wins, interrupted by just one draw in 16 professional appearances. Eleven of his 15 victories came within the bout.
Lewis boasts two regional titles - the lightweight belts of the Caribbean Boxing Federation (CABOFE) and the Caribbean Boxing Association (CBA). He stopped John Trotman last April 24 in Bridgetown, Barbados, for the vacant CABOFE title, gaining a technical knockout in the first of the scheduled 12 rounds.
The CBA title was a much tougher encounter with compatriot Vincent Howard on December 26, 2002, at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall. He got the split decision. The scorecards read: 115-113, 117-111, 113-118.
Four months before on August 10, he fought and won a majority decision over Adan Hernandez in California, USA in an eight-rounder, flooring his opponent in the fifth round. The scorecard read: 76-76, 76-75, 76-75.
Lewis was active that year, meeting Sergio Olivas just three months earlier on May 11, for a unanimous decision over eight rounds, also, in the USA.
And a mere two weeks previously, he was in Oklahoma City, disposing of Jorge Disla with a TKO in the third round.
Lewis went on his overseas campaign after taking the National lightweight title, on December 26, 2001, dethroning Vincent Howard with a TKO in the tenth round at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
He had three quick bouts towards the end of that year, the first being a return clash with Boston on September 1, gaining a TKO in the third round, then putting away Wayne Coates within the first round with a TKO on November 24.
Lewis was out of action for four years, after stopping Percy Bailey with a third round TKO on October 11, 1997. He was proving to be a knockout specialist, disposing of Learie Bruce in round one on July 6, with Joseph Charles going a bit further earlier on March 16, reaching round eight before the knockout came.
But just six months earlier towards the end of 1996 Lewis was floored by Vincent Howard in the second round of their first battle on September 14. That was the only interruption to his winning streak, when he earned a draw.
The stoppages started in his second ring date on February 2, 1995, when he knocked out Trevor Davidson in the second round, then put away Winston Goodridge that December 3, knocking him out in the first round. The following year on March 3, he stopped Marcellus Gladstone with a round five TKO.