GBBC Night of Contenders Boxing Card…Punches in bunches as Derick Richmond seeks revenge for countrymen

Sep 13, 2014 Sports

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He has defeated Winston Pompey in Jamaica, June 2011, before travelling to Guyana in

April last year to take care of Howard ‘The Battersea Bomber’ Eastman at the Princess Hotel Providence. Now, bristling with confidence, Jamaican Welterweight ‘Contender’ boxing champion, Sakima Mullings, returns to Guyana to continue his winning streak as he steps into the ring to battle Derick Richmond.
The latter boxer is not oblivious to Mullings victories over his countrymen and is aching to avenge those verdicts when they face off in the Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC) 34 rounds of fistic fury at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) tonight.
In all, barring knockouts, boxing buffs would be treated to 32 potentially fiery rounds of fistic fury including the 6 rounds middleweight scrap between Mullings’ countryman, Russell ‘The Muscle’ Kamal and local pugilist, Winston Pompey. Then there is the highly anticipated duel between local lightweight champion, Dexter Gonsalves and Mark Austin over 8 rounds that promises to be a scorcher. As if those bouts are not enough, GBBC organizers have matched Leon Moore against Mark Murray and the two will duke it out in a 6 rounds jnr/welterweight encounter while the curtain raiser pits the skill of Richard Williamson against Quincy Gomes in a 6 rounds bantamweight encounter.
The team of Jamaican pugilists touched down at the Cheddie Jagan International Airport, Thursday evening last and yesterday afternoon congregated at the Banks DIH Sports Club for the press conference and usual disclosure of fight strategies. At first, Richmond chose to be cagey and simply urged the fans to visit the fight venue to see what he has in store for them.
Mullings was less reticent and spelled out in no uncertain terms what he had planned for Richmond.

“I don’t normally make predictions but one thing is for certain and two things for sure, when the smoke is cleared tonight Sakima Mullings would have his hands raised in victory,” he stated.
Apparently, the remark touched deep and forced Richmond to reply, ‘So you honestly think you’re going to hit me and not get hit in return?” was his rhetorical response. Mullings averted the cold accompanying stare and explained that he had studied his man and has already devised a strategy to take the fight. “I’ve studied Richmond’s style and I’m not here to test his strength or to play tough; I am here to win by all means.”  Richmond, apparently in no mood for idle talk, simply fixed his man with a venomous stare while warning him to come prepared for a tough fistic encounter.
Indeed, Mullings, by dint of his vast experience, may start out as the favourite but he should be warned to look out for Richmond’s devastating left hook that left CABOFE middleweight champion, Edmond Declou, nursing a broken jaw. That venomous left hook also dumped James Walcott to the canvass where he chose to remain instead of risking a similar injury as Declou.
Interestingly, Mullings’ dominance in the just concluded ‘Contender Series’ was in the welterweight division, one weight shy of his present division and Richmond views this as an advantage. The Jamaican pugilist quickly dispelled any thought of an advantage nurtured by his Guyanese counterpart, “I have battled in several categories before including welterweight, jnr/middleweight and middleweight and am quite capable of making the requisite adjustments as you will find out tonight,” he warned.
The last time Kamal was in Guyana, he had muscled Romeo Norville into oblivion, earning a convincing TKO decision. He is now back and has rightfully claimed the sobriquet ‘Muscle.’ Pompey is hardly bothered by such vain boasts and said that his opponent needs more than muscles to get past him.  The Guyanese pugilist is confident that his stint in Suriname, where he several months honing his skills,will stand him in good stead. Both boxers are powerfully built and one thing is certain, regardless of who comes out on top, a brutal fight is on the cards.
Austin is a replacement for Iwan Azore, who incurred an injury during training sessions, and he faces local lightweight champion, Dexter Gonsalves. The latter boxer is brutal and adopts a no nonsense approach to his bouts as witnessed in his title fight with Revlon Lake.if Gonsalves returns tonight in that mood, Austin will need more than two hands to ward off those combinations.
Nevertheless, Austin has proven that he is no slouch and has engaged in several wars including a drawn decision against world rater, Clive Atwell. Noted for his determined streak, Austin could spring some surprises tonight and undoubtedly disturb any plans that Gonsalves might have.  Gonsalves will be required to reorganize his psyche for a boxer/fighter in Austin as against the brawler in Azore. This is a bout of contrasts and should be interesting to watch.
The bout between CABOFE bantamweight champion, Dexter Marques and Richard Williamson has been changed after the latter pugilist was unable to keep his ring date. Williamson now faces Quincy Gomes over 6 rounds while Leon ‘Hurry Up’ Moore resumes his career against Mark Murray in a 6 rounds catchweight affair.
Weeks of planning would have been wasted  were it not for the sponsors and the organizers are very grateful to Digicel, Diamond Paints of Jamaica, Fly Jamaica Airline, Courts, and Castrol, all corporate supporters of the card
Well, the weeks have boiled down to days, to hours, to minutes and finally the boxers will have to put up or shut up. Irrespective of which way the decisions go, local boxing pundits could be assured of a night of fistic fury. Bell time is 20:0hrs and price of admission for stands is $1000 while ringside seats are going at $2000.

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