Mark Austin to face sternest test at Pro/Am boxing card tonight

Feb 25, 2011 Sports

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Tonight, then is the night;
Stretched on the massage table
He breathes liniment and sweat;
And tries to close his ears to the roaring of the crowd, A murky sea of noise that bears upon its tide, The frail sound of the bell, and brings the cunning fear That he might not do well

By Michael Benjamin

These experiences are referred to as ‘butterflies in the stomach’ and all boxers would admit to having them, especially fight night. Tonight Mark Austin would be engaged in the biggest bout of his fledgling career when he squares off with Barbadian, Miguel Antoine for the vacant junior/welterweight Commonwealth Junior Title and as sure as night follows day, the local pugilist would be experiencing ‘butterflies’ in his tummy.
The ProAm boxing cards seem to be Austin hunting ground as he has dominated with stunning victories over the likes of Shawn Pyle and Errol Trotman, two veterans of extensive experience. Naturally, the local fighter would be nurturing ambitions of a similar result when he steps in the ring tonight.
Austin has recently received just reward for his efforts in the ProAm cards when he was voted the Most Improved Boxer at the recently held Guyana Boxing Board of Control’s (GBBC) award ceremony. Indeed with stunning victories over the likes of Shawn Pyle and Errol Trotman, two veterans of extensive experience, Austin would feel that his chances against the Barbadian tonight is far better than good. While a victory would place Austin on the precipice of international stardom, such a feat would hinge strongly on his ability to deal with the fluttering butterflies in his stomach. Little is known of Antoine except that he has defeated local boxer Shawn Pyle when the two fought in an earlier edition of the ProAm cards. Then, the Barbadian sported a chiseled physique and kept a tight guard. Austin should take note! Apart from that, Antoine is the more experienced, having fought past four rounds on several occasions. He is more accustomed to the big scenes since he has fought for, and won the CABOFE junior/welterweight title.
Further, The Barbadian pugilist has never been defeated and was forced to surrender the CABOFE belt by default, only after his manager, Sam Layne, failed to find a worthwhile opponent within the stipulated time allocated for a mandatory defence.  These two fighters are well matched but Austin will be going into the ring with the home advantage. Whether this will be sufficient to propel him to a win will only be known when the gong sounds tonight.
Mandessa Moses began her professional career with a loss in Barbados, to Bajan fighter, Wendy Allen. She returned home quite dejected and was virtually dormant until the ProAm cards came into existence. Ever since then the lanky fighter has been a frequent feature on these cards and has been able to retain an unbeaten streak. Further, most of her opponents were heavier and more experienced than she, yet Moses prevailed. Tonight’s battle against Veronica Blackman will be her toughest bout to date and she will have to pull off all stops if she is to preserve her winning streak. Blackman is a tough customer but she is yet to master the art of quartering the ring, a deficiency that was glaring in her bout against Gwendolyn ‘Stealth Bomber’ O’Neil when the two fought late last year. However, what Blackman lacked in technicality, she compensates for in courage. Moses is also a courageous fighter and has also demonstrated great ring generalship. Fans could, therefore, expect an all out war that could very well climax into a slugfest and a ‘who wants the prize the most’ scenario.
Three other bouts round off the professional segment of the card including the Simeon Hardy/Mark Murray shindig. The former fighter has been rewarded with a plaque for eclipsing Troy Lewis’ 2 minutes demolition of Rudolph Fraser, replacing it with a 20 seconds shutdown of Patrick Boston last October. Murray, on the other hand, has been the whipping boy for all and sundry. He will want to turn around his fortunes tonight, difficult as it may seem. Yet, he has warned Hardy to come prepared for a tough bout or face defeat.
The other two professional bouts will see Gardel Roberts taking on Rudolph Fraser, who had enjoyed a short training stint in Canada, face off, while Dexter Marques, also fresh from a similar training stint in Toronto Ontario Canada, will match gloves with Hewley Robertson. These bouts are scheduled for 4 rounds each.
Meanwhile, fans could also expect the usual excitement when the amateurs don gloves in four more action packed bouts. Benjamin Henry, an exiting bantamweight out of the Port Kaituma Boxing Gym will battle with Carlton LaFleur, while Shakka Moore travels all the way from Essequibo to oppose Elijah Inshanally in a bantamweight encounter. Flyweights, Imran Khan and Richard Williamson dukes it out while David Thomas tackles Republican, Delroy Nero.
As usual, the bouts will be broadcast live on National Communications Network (NCN), channel eleven, while the price of admission remains at $1,000. However, persons in possession of accredited cards can pass with a friend who will pay a reduced entrance fee of $500. Bell time is 20:00hrs.
Come by bus or car
Come from near or far
Come along one and all
All roads lead to the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall

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