Latest update January 18th, 2025 7:00 AM
Leon ‘Hurry Up’ Moore prepares for tough fight for prestigious accolades
By Michael Benjamin
When Leon ‘Hurry Up’ Moore squared off with Venezuelan, Teran Breilor, in October 2010, he never bargained for the ferocious opposition from the pint size Spanish native and he (Moore) had to dig deep to come up with a close points verdict though many felt that the Venezuelan was ‘done in.’
Leon Moore
Up to that bout, Moore’s had suffered two blemishes to an otherwise credible record; a controversial loss to Columbian Irene Pacheco in the latter fighter’s hometown and Timur Shailezov in Kyrgyzstan in March 2007.
Moore rebounded from those losses with 12 straight victories but his career suffered a glitch after he experienced problems with the Boxing 360, a promotional group in the USA to which he was contracted. The matter has since been addressed by the State Athletic Commission in New York, and resolved in Moore’s favour, paving the way for a resumption of his career. Notwithstanding, Moore had experienced a prolonged period of inactivity, between April 2007, when he fought Felipe Almanza and February 2013, when he fought Ramon Emilio Cedano. Five months after the Cedano bout, he fought Errol Trotman and stopped him in the 2nd round in what was his last bout.
Moore now prepares to fight Rafael ‘Dynamite’ Vasquez on September 21 next at the Resorts World Casino, Queens, New York, and a win will guarantee him the USA New York State and the WBA Fedelatin Super Bantamweight titles.
Vasquez is a Puerto Rican with a 9 fights record after commencing his professional career in September 2010. He won his first eight bouts but surrendered a close split decision to Jhovany Collado in September last year and has not fought since. He has stopped 6 of his opponents and sports a 66.67% knockout ratio.
Moore has fought most of his bouts as a Bantamweight while Vasquez has campaigned in the Featherweight division and will move down one division while Moore climbs up one division to accommodate each other.
Moore is currently working out at the Gleasons Gym, Front Street Brooklyn under the tutelage of former Olympian, Dillon Carew while his opponent has reportedly travelled from his Puerto Rico base to train in New York.
Meanwhile, two other Guyanese, Elton ‘The Bully’ Dharry and Jermine King are also scheduled to fight on the card. King opposes Valdrin Muriqi over 6 rounds while Dharry’s opponent is still to be named.
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