Mauricio Pastrano arrives for ring date

Sep 24, 2009 Sports

Vows to knockout ‘Hurry Up’ Moore in the late rounds

Pastrano is all concentration as he pummels the heavy bag.

By Michael Benjamin
“Estamos aquí para ganar!” (We are here to win)
These were the words that emanated from the lips of former International Boxing Federation (IBF), World Boxing Organization (WBO) and International Boxing Association (IBA) bantamweight champion Mauricio Pastrano moments after he arrived in Guyana yesterday morning to keep his ring date with local boxing hero, Leon ‘Hurry Up’ Moore this Saturday night at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH).
Pressed for a prediction, Pastrano was very cagey at first but eventually blurted “I am in the pink of condition and am prepared for a very grueling battle. In the end I will knockout Moore. ”
Pastrano’s coach, Nelson Lopez was also outright in his prediction. “Mauricio is going to knock out Leon Moore in the later rounds,” he predicted.
Quizzed on whether he had been perusing tapes of the local fighter to enable him to make such a strong boast, Lopez answered in the negative. However, he did say that he viewed the Moore/Pacheco bout in Colombia where Moore lost controversially.
“As far as I know Moore is not as popular as he thinks. Only some people in Colombia know about him so he can shelve his pomposity,” an outspoken Lopez disclosed. The Colombian trainer was, however, not oblivious to the high level of popularity enjoyed by Moore in Guyana. “I know that he is very popular here so naturally I have instructed Mauricio (Pastrano) to go for the knockout because I believe that this may be the only way that my fighter can win this fight,” said Lopez.
Pastrano is a short stocky fighter who appears to love brawling while Moore is a rangy fighter who may well choose to employ his vast boxing skills. “Pastrano loves to fight tall opponents,” Lopez intimated. “Most of his opponents have been taller than he yet he came out victorious,” Lopez warned. Lopez said that his fighter only recently engaged a tall Russian in his homeland and managed to earn a draw.
Lopez also disclosed that that ever since Pastrano has agreed to fight Moore, he (Lopez) has been inundated with calls to inform him of Moore is an awesome fighting ability.
“He may be good but I am backing my fighter any day,” said Lopez. Further, he warned that if Moore fails to put away Pastrano before the half way mark he (Moore) risks suffering a humiliating knockout loss. “If Moore fails to knockout Pastrano by the sixth round I shudder to think of what will happen to him (Moore) afterwards,” Lopez ominously proclaimed.
Meanwhile, Pastrano was called into duty moments after arriving in Georgetown when he accompanied head of the S&S Promotions, Stanford Solomon to Singh Confectionary, North Road and Camp Street where the proprietor, Mr. Ganga Singh presented a sizeable check to Mr. Solomon to offset the expenses of the card.
Mr. Singh urged the Colombian to put up a good fight since Guyanese boxing buffs would be forking out hard earned cash to view the fight. He also promised future support for the boxing promoters.
The Moore/Pastrano bantamweight affair precedes the Shondell Alfred/ Corinne DeGroot bout where the former fighter attempts to emulate her countrywoman, Gwendolyn ‘Stealth Bomber’ O’Neil who defeated Kathy Rivers to take the Women’s International Boxing Association (WIBA) light/heavyweight title, a few years ago.
Alfred will also fight for the Women’s World International Boxing Association (WIBA) title but in the bantamweight division. A juicy contest is in the making. Corrine DeGroot arrived in Trinidad and Tobago yesterday morning but was forced to remain in that country until the departure of her connecting flight sometime yesterday evening. She opens camp sometime later today.

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