`Sixhead’ Lewis puts on classic display to dethrone Dalton
… challenge thrown out to Raul Frank
By Isaiah Chappelle
Guyana Chronicle
April 9, 2007
FORMER World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight champion Andrew ‘Sixhead’ Lewis put in a classic boxing display for an easy unanimous decision over challenger ‘Deadly’ Denny Dalton to add the National junior middleweight title to his illustrious collection.
In the wee hours of yesterday morning at the National Park, judge Andrew Thorne scored the fight 11-7-111, Ian Alves 118-110 and Rawle Aaron 120-108, all in favour of the National welterweight champion. Chronicle Sport scored the fight 120-108 for Lewis.
Guyana's first world champion who gained the title with a seventh round knockout over American James Page in February 2001, appeared in the pink of condition, dancing and stitching in jabs and motorised combinations at will, leaving Dalton clueless in The Conclusion staged by McNeal Enterprise and I Care Promotions.
Under trainer Lennox Daniels, Lewis, whose corner included former Commonwealth champion Winfield Braithwaite and Dr Joseph Haynes, set the tone of the fight from the first round.
Dalton got in one and two in the early rounds, but from the third round, Lewis began the classic boxing lessons, for which Dalton had no answer. The former world champion landed consistent jabs to head and combinations to body.
The challenger was more active in the fourth round, but could not find Lewis who danced away and landed intermittent lefts to head. In the following round, Dalton hunted Lewis who seemed relaxed and came back to end the round strong, getting solid straight shots to head and body digs.
Lewis remained elusive in the sixth round and punched Dalton in mid-section, while landing some left/right combinations to head. Dalton stalked Lewis in the next round, but it was Lewis who got in some body shots and left/rights to head.
In round eight, Lewis scored and danced away, got in some body shots in the mix, but Dalton did land some shots to head. In the next round, Lewis punished Dalton with solid mid-section shots and tagged him with a straight right to head.
Leading in points, Lewis was less active in the tenth round, but scored and danced away, and Dalton could not find him. Dalton now could only win with a knockout and he looked for his man but could not find him as Lewis landed some solid straight lefts to head and body digs with the right.
Lewis simply danced out the final round, scoring at will and clinched as Dalton got in close, making The Conclusion a reality.
Manager Odinga Lumumba immediately sent a challenge to Raul Frank for a ring date in July.
Earlier, Commonwealth Games boxer and four-time Caribbean gold medallist Dexter Marques entered the professional arena with a knockout over Carlton Skeete - who also made his debut - within two minutes of the super flyweight bout.
Marques landed a powerful right uppercut in close quarters and sent Skeete tumbling to the canvas with a solid left hook. Skeete injured his ankle in the fall.
In the co-main event, a junior middleweight scrap, Australia-based Lennox Allen improved to seven wins with a unanimous decision over Winston Pompey who suffered his first loss in four fights.
The fitter looking Allen dropped Pompey in the third round with a right uppercut, and again in the fourth with a right hook. Pompey was up in a flash on both occasions but the referee counted him on the second knockdown.
In the women’s light heavyweight encounter, Sharon ‘The Stone’ Warde was not solid enough and conceded a split decision to Veronica Blackman in the four-round clash.
The night began with Mitchell Rogers improving to three wins, one loss and added another knockout to his name, stopping the Barbadian Curtis Murray who dropped to six wins, three losses one draw.
In the heavyweight scrap, Rogers pummelled Murray with solid left-rights to head and body, the visitor just standing close to the ropes and soaking in the shots. Murray did not answer the bell for the fourth round.
Ireland cricketers, in company of captain Trent Johnston, witnessed the card with a ringside view.