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Stabroek News
June 1, 2004
International Women's Boxing Association (IWBA) light-heavyweight champion Gwendolyn O'Neil said she placed her trust in God before and during her title fight with American Kathy Rivers.
Speaking to Stabroek Sport yesterday, O'Neil said she is a firm believer in God and attends the Jesus Deliverance Mission (Guyana) International twice a week.
"We have to find time for God because he is the answer to all our problems. I'm serious with my God," O'Neil stated.
O'Neil who is a mother of three daughters and two sons said she wants her two sons - Elijah and Joshua - to become priests. "That's why I give them those names. I believe in God and want them to become pastors and preach the word of God," the `Stealth Bomber' said.
Her daughters' names are Tiffany, Sophia and Debrah. The children's ages range between 12 years and five years.
O'Neil said she feels good about winning Guyana's fourth world title and even better about becoming the first Guyanese female boxer to win a world title. O'Neil secured a unanimous points' decision victory over Rivers at the National Park on Saturday Night.
Asked who she wanted to fight next, O'Neil said, anyone, anytime and anywhere. "I'm not afraid of anyone, I want Laila Ali, Ann Wolf or Santo Domingo's Marian Garcia, anyone of them, I will beat all of them," O'Neil declared.
The new world champion said she really wants to fight Ali but if she has to tackle Wolf before getting a crack at Ali she does not mind.
She will rest for a week, before going back into gym. She said she had wanted to get back into gym immediately, but Rivers' head collided with her left cheek causing it to swell and so she would rest for a week.
After being announced the winner, O'Neil had declared she wanted a house and a car and received massive support from the crowd.
She said yesterday that she was confident the President will assist her.
President Bharrat Jagdeo was among the more than 5,000 spectators who attended the fight on Saturday night and he and O'Neil chatted for a while after the bout. She said she will meet the President officially very soon.
O'Neil started boxing five years ago when she moved to the city from Mabaruma in Region One.
She said she did farming in Mabaruma and plans to return to her childhood village very soon to show off her championship belt.
She said there were a lot of supporters from Mabaruma at the National Park on Saturday night.
She was loud in praise for her coach Lennox Daniels "He is the best coach in Guyana."
She also expressed gratitude to Maurice `Busy' Boyce, who, according to her, gave her some sound advice before the fight. And she thanked `Vicious' Vivian Harris and Wayne `Big Truck' Braithwaite for their support leading up to the fight.