‘Six Head’ promises great fight

Aug 14, 2008 Sports

By Edison Jefford
Andrew ‘Six Head’ Lewis did not pull any punches when he promised a great fight with Howard Eastman. In fact, he dealt a low–blow that had the propensity to cripple Eastman before he even steps in the ring.

The proposed date for the epic war between arguably Guyana’s foremost middleweights is September 27 but the battle has already begun. At least ‘Six Head’ has started throwing punches but whether they will connect is uncertain.

He said he is not counting any round or courting a referee or judge’s decision but when the fight is over, he will be the last man standing. Subtly, he was referring to knocking Eastman out on that ‘great’ night.

“I will not underestimate any fight but I am always confident in myself and nothing will hold me back…It will be a great fight!” Lewis, the man who has the distinction of being Guyana’s first world title holder, promised.

This year marks the boxer’s tenth year since he shot to international prominence with a win against Teddy Reid in 1998. Three years later he knocked down James Page to win the World Boxing Association welterweight title.

Lewis came back to Guyana a hero but relinquished his title to Ricardo Mayorga via the same route he got it in the 2001 fight against Page. After his Mayorga disappoint, Lewis vowed to return to the international ring.

“I’ll be back. I just lost,” he said six years ago. Will next month be the fulfilment of that promise to return? Will ‘Six Head’ ever regain to international stardom? What is next for him after the Eastman bout?

The questions abound. The answers are with Lewis. He said that he believes that he can reach the top of the world again. His reason was endemic: “if God decides that I should be a world champion then it has to be”.
“I know people are saying that I can’t make it but whatever God says has to happen.

All I want is the people to come out and support me,” the highly–rated local boxer told this newspaper at his namesake Gym Tuesday.

Lewis took Denny ‘Deadly’ Dalton to school at the National Park in a hyped and much–anticipated re–match to win a twelve round decision. Eastman had a similar result against the local prodigy, Dalton, in July.

So with both men posting victories over Guyana’s middleweight champion, Dalton, in recent times, the two now collide in a battle of real champions having ruled out the possibility of a ‘Deadly’ challenge.

Both Eastman and Lewis are not as rated as they were in the international community but at least they have both signalled an intention to return there. ‘Six Head’ appears desperate but that don’t win fights! Superiority does.

Will Lewis be the superior fighter on September 27? It’s more than a month away before all officials, enthusiasts, media and patrons descend on the venue to become live witnesses of what Lewis called a ‘great fight’.