Heated words, verbal exchanges as ‘Firestorm’ encircles G/Town

Apr 19, 2013 Sports

---

By Michael Benjamin
It’s ‘Firestorm’ and the heat will be unbearable! The Princess Hotel, Providence EBD is the place; Guyanese, Clive Atwell and Howard Eastman, Venezuelan, Raphael Hernandez and Jamaican, Sakima Mullings are the main principals who will be required to take off their shirts, flex their muscles and unsheathe their weapons when the Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC) presents a 5 fight card, dubbed ‘Firestorm’ at the Princess Hotel, Providence EBD, tomorrow evening.

Mullings and Hernandez touched down at the Cheddie Jagan International Airport, Timerhi early yesterday morning and both spewed confidence of winning their respective bouts. Mullings is accompanied by Wayne Sharpe, the Coach that accompanied Rudolph Hedge when he fought Elton Dharry in February last and he has spouted similar confidence in his charge.
Mr. Sharpe labeled Eastman ‘an old man who should have retired ages ago’ and promised that his fighter will perform the last rites. Mullings was also in an upbeat mood and exuded confidence in winning the fight.
Should he come good on his boast, he is guaranteed the World Boxing Council Caribbean Boxing Federation (WBACABOFE)s and the World Boxing Association Fede Caribe (WBAFEDCAR) Welterweight belts.
Eastman is a veteran of the sport and despite an adverse prognosis by the naysayer he has always delivered action packed contests. Noted for his popular phrase, “Anything that pops up will be popped down,” Eastman enters the ring with a wealth of knowledge and experience against a much younger and inexperienced foe.
Mullings is also an academic with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance, an accolade he procured from the State University of New York. Yesterday morning, he confirmed that he has postponed his advancement in his academic life to concentrate on his boxing career. He said that he is ready to win the bout and has prepared thoroughly and cannot imagine losing the bout.
Earlier, in an exclusive interview with Jamaican, Denise Dennis, Career & Education Staff Reporter, Mullings described boxing as a business at the top level than a sport. He remains adamant that even though some fighters possess immense potential he could be the victim of circumstances where he would not get the lucrative bouts.
He is out to prove that his ability can finally see him clinching a top spot in the sport. “My coach always tells me, that a boxer can’t be denied if he continues to win; the top guys could only go around you for so long.” He believes that the Eastman might just epitomize this view.

Hernandez is a lanky fighter who appears to have a propensity to jab. He has shifted operations to the Gleason’s Boxing Gym, Brooklyn NY for what he termed an opportunity to improve on his repertoire. Interestingly, it was a peek at Atwell’s ability that convinced Hernandez that he needed to train among some of the best in the sport hence his decision to shift operations to the USA.
Yesterday morning, moments after he had deplaned, this reporter requested a prediction. “Yo voy a ganar esta pelea,” (I’ll win this fight) he said matter of factly. The Venezuelan is accompanied by a power team that includes trainer, Raphael Liando, Promoter, Robert Díaz, Cornerman, Chris Pinto and Director of Operations, Ray Cambell. Hernandez is not interested in outlandish predictions; he just knows that he will win. Naturally, Team Hernandez is confident that their man will win the titles at stake.
Hernandez stripped off his shirt in December 2003 during which time Atwell was still plying his trade as an amateur boxer. Hernandez had a good start to his professional career reeling off 3 victories before he fought his countryman Joel Romero in a fight that ended in a no contest.
He then lost to Jaider Parra but rebounded with 4 wins (3 by knockouts). Hernandez then surrendered a bout to Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym of Thailand but has registered knockout victories in his last two outings; he defeated Columbian fighters, Jose Zuniga (KO 1) and Jelier Pacheco (KO 1).
He is a reticent fellow and the only indication of his ability is his cool confident demeanor which seems to hide a turbulent fury. Hernandez, a native of Elorza, Apure Venezuela, has won 15 fights with 13 of them ending inside the distance. He has lost 3 bouts while 2 ended in drawn decisions. After boxing for 98 rounds, the Venezuelan boasts a knockout ratio of 61.9%.
Atwell is perhaps the most complete local boxer; he packs a punch, possesses extraordinary skill, knows what he wants and most importantly, is bent on getting it. He will best be remembered for his crunching knockout of Rudolph Fraser for the local Featherweight belt followed by a stunning replication of that feat over Revlon Lake. That fight had earned him the local Lightweight belt.
Atwell’s most significant victory was a brutal whipping of Trinidadian, Prince Lee Isadore which earned him the WBC CABOFE Junior Welterweight belt. The beating was so brutal that afterwards Isadore slumped to the canvass and emptied his bowels and had to be attended to by the medical team.
When asked for a prediction yesterday afternoon, Atwell simply retorted, “Atwell all the way.” A victory would net Atwell the WBC CABOFE Featherweight title but most importantly a lucrative spot in the World rankings and a possible title fight in the near future.
Atwell has a record of 9 fights and his only blemish is a drawn decision against his countryman, Mark Austin. He has boxed 38 rounds with a knockout ratio of 50%. Atwell has patrolled several divisions including Bantamweight, Featherweight and Lightweight and has defeated all comers. What is indeed meritorious is that Atwell had climbed to the lightweight division after campaigning in the featherweight division and brutally knocked out the more seasoned Revlon Lake.
Then there is the highly anticipated bout between Mark Austin and the undefeated Gladwin Dorway for the local the local Welterweight belt. The pundits are already saying that this bout is the unofficial main attraction. Dorway has had a dream start to his professional career knocking out all 5 of his opponents. Austin has had fluctuating fortunes losing out to Simeon Hardy, Barbadian Miguel Antoine and Revlon Lake before retracting for introspection. He has since resumed his career on a winning note but the real test to his much touted recuperation will lie in tomorrow night’s performance.
Elton ‘The Bully’ Dharry was scheduled to put his Bantamweight title on the line against Hewley Robinson in a 12 rounds scrap but the latter boxer sustained a serious shoulder injury which has since ruled him out. The dependable Orlan ‘Pocket Rocket’ Rogers has stepped up to the plate and will oppose ‘The Bully’ tonight.
Maybe the fight, or should that be the fighter, that has created the most interest is the Super/Middleweight bout between Syrian boxer, Mahmood ‘The Extractor’ Loul and Berbician, Derick Richmond.
The former pugilist, a former kick boxer, has had a dream start to his boxing career with a crushing first round knockout of Patrick Boston. He has since promised to replicate that feat and his training sessions certainly endorse his ambitions. On the other hand, Richmond has shrugged off Mahmood’s dreams as just that and promised to take the bout ‘by any means necessary.’
So there has been a lot of talking—as usual—as the boxers prime up for tomorrow night’s spectacle. Make no bones about it, this is a brutal card and the organizers will do well to have the medical practitioners and the ambulance at the ready. After all, its ‘firestorm’ and someone might just get burned.

---

---