‘Battersea Bomber’ spouts confidence as pugilists ink their signatures for ‘Firestorm’

Mar 27, 2013 Sports

Boxing pundits will remember that night of September 2001 when Howard ‘Battersea Bomber’ Eastman faced off with William Joppy for the vacant WBA middleweight title and after 12 hectic rounds in which Eastman decked his man in the 9th, Joppy was adjudged winner and new champion.

The boxers square off moments after signing their contracts (from left) Dorway and Austin

Since then Eastman has fought many other great fights, the most notable being Bernard ‘The Executioner’ Hopkins in a losing effort, again for the WBA middleweight title. The ‘Battersea Bomber’ has since returned to Guyana where he had engaged in several hectic affairs among the country’s best pugilists.
His last encounter against Simeon ‘Candyman’ Hardy was epic and despite losing the bout, Eastman left the ring a hero as many felt that he had been ‘done in.’ The former European champion has thrown all this behind him and promises to be a new being when he tackles Jamaican, Sakima Mullings, in a 12 rounds welterweight bout that nets the winner the World Boxing Council Caribbean Boxing Federation (WBACABOFE) and the World Boxing Association Fede Caribe (WBAFEDCAR) welterweight belts.
This 5 fight card, dubbed ‘Firestorm’ will be the main attraction of a boxing card at the Princess Hotel International, Providence EBD, dubbed ‘Fire Storm,’ and promoted by the Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC). In the main supporting bout, Clive Atwell will match gloves with Venezuelan, Raphael Hernandez for the vacant WBCCABOFE featherweight title, while Mark Austin and Gladwin Dorway will finally face off after their initial clash was aborted when Dorway was diagnosed with a heart ailment. He has since been given an all clear by heart specialists and the two will clash for the local welterweight belt. Elton ‘The Bully’ Dharry will also be in action and puts his local bantamweight title on the line against Hewley Robinson in a 12 rounds scrap, while Syrian boxer, Mahmood ‘The Extractor’ Loul will face off with Berbician, Derick Richmond in a 4 round super/middleweight bout.
The boxers convened at Abdool and Abdools yesterday afternoon for the contract signing ceremony and Eastman assured his fans that he is ready turn in a top performance. “I’m ready and if I have to lace up the gloves right now I can go 12 hectic rounds,” boasted Eastman. He said that he has been in training for quite some time and is at his fittest.

Loul and Richmond

Eastman may be spouting confidence but he will do good to remember that Mullings had registered a crushing knockout victory over local pugilist, Winston Pompey when they fought in Jamaica in ‘The Contender’ series, the Jamaican version of the Guyana Fight night card, last year. The Jamaican will be bristling with confidence and provided he comes to the fight with the tools of the Pompey bout one could just envisage the ensuing hectic battle.
There will also be two amateur bouts between featuring the exciting Republican lightweight, Nankumar Singh against an opponent to be named later and a bout between two female amateur boxers. Admission price and other pertinent details will follow.