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Gairy St. Clair to fight this weekend in Australia
– guaranteed another world title fight with a win
By Michael Benjamin
He goes as ‘Superman’ and on June 29 2006, he endorsed the sobriquet with a points victory over Cassius Baloyi in South Africa and won the International Boxing Federation (IBF) Featherweight title.
Gairy St. Clair (right) holds a high guard during a hectic sparring session in preparation for this weekend’s clash.
Four months later, Gairy St. Clair surrendered the title to Baloyi’s countryman, Malcolm Klassen, shortly before taking up residence in Australia. St. Clair endured fluctuating fortunes but kept on toiling in the hope that he would once again earn the opportunity to fight for another world title.
It seems fortune has finally shone on him and the man who calls himself the ‘Superman’ is on the brink of securing another world title shot but he must first get past Joebert Delos Reyes when they clash in a Welterweight fight at the Richmond Club, Richmond, New South Wales, Australia, Saturday, June 29 next.
Kaieteur Sport caught up with St. Clair yesterday morning and he said that he was just back from a stiff training session in Hawkesbury Gym and is in the best shape of his life. He had earlier entered into a three fight deal with the assurance that once he wins he would fight for the World Boxing Organization (WBO) title.
He has since defeated Roberto Oyan on May 17 last and is confident of winning this weekend’s fight. Now an Australian citizen St. Clair, at 38 year-old admits that he is defying conventional wisdom but feels that he has matured immensely since his last world title feat.
“I am enjoying support from my family and that gives me the strength and courage to carry on,” said St. Clair.
The former Guyanese world champion trains under the tutelage of Mark Hardman and that coach said that his man is in the best of shape. “Gairy is ready to put on his best show for his Hawkesbury fans and is sparring with tough guys the likes of Billy Dib, Daniel Lewis and Joel Brunker,” said Hardman.
Quizzed of his training sessions StClair proclaimed, “It’s awesome, I’ve been working hard at the gym for four times a week plus I’ve engaged in several sessions of roadwork.”
The card will assume the format of the local Friday Night Fights and several amateur pugilists, some who are providing glove work for St. Clair, will be on show. These include Brunker and Lewis; the latter pugilist has a 94-14 record and has won 3 Australian titles as well as a similar number of golden Gloves championships. He also won a gold medal in the last Commonwealth Youth Games in the Isle of Mann.
St. Clair started fighting professionally in October 1994 and won on points over Nigel Boston. He managed to notch up a 14-0 record before fighting to a draw against American, Bernard Harris in the USA. Two fights later, he conceded a point’s decision to Diego Corrales and thereafter lost several other bouts including a unanimous verdict to his countryman, ‘Vicious’ Vivian Harris. Shortly after, he left the USA and took up residence in Australia where he resumed his career.
He has 57 professional bouts with 45 wins, 12 losses and 2 draws. Eighteen of his opponents failed to make it to the final bell and St. Clair boasts a 30.51% knockout ratio after boxing 457 rounds. He plans to improve on these statistics at his imminent clash this weekend even as he aspires to clinch a second world title.
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