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Boxing Board gets tough; ejects errant boxer from ‘Rosehall Town Showdown’
By Michael Benjamin
Up and coming Berbice pugilist, Kishawn Simon, initially scheduled to fight Mark Murray in the ‘Rosehall Town
Kishawn Simon
Showdown,’ slated for Saturday December 13, will now square off with Barbadian based Guyanese, former Lightweight champion, Revlon Lake, and that fight will now be an 8 rounds Jnr./Welterweight affair.
This follows an unexpected development where Simon’s original opponent, Mark Murray, has been unceremoniously ejected from the three fight professional card. Murray’s issue makes for interesting reading; just three days after injudiciously leaving the signing ceremony and citing another pressing engagement, Murray who had arrived at the signing ceremony with a sanctimonious air of confidence and ‘nuff chat’ may find himself on the sideline and might even be forced to hang up his gloves.
While the boxers awaited the official commencement of the signing ceremony Wednesday last , someone joshed that Murray was all mouth and even suggested that he was going to Berbice to ‘donate’ his usual two rounds before calling it quits. Murray vehemently protested claiming that he was well prepared and was out to spring a few surprises.
While all this was happening, a few journalists started to complain of the late start and eventually a senior journalist of another media outfit left the venue while citing the tardiness of the organizers.
Less than one minute later, Murray started to complain saying that he also had other engagements and was eager to sign his contract so as to address those engagements. He then abruptly left the venue claiming that his time was precious and he could stay no longer.
The promoters then went ahead with the ceremony and it was generally surmised that Murray would have returned to complete the signing rituals. Instead, one of the organizers confirmed yesterday the new developments.
Further investigations to ascertain the abruptness of the replacement revealed the real side of Murray’s decision to leave the forum. It seems as though the promoters had read out the riot act and informed him that they were not prepared to tolerate his lackluster performances.
They told him that should he employ similar tactics in the impending bout he would have been severely sanctioned and might even have his purse withheld. Apparently, the GBBC stance contrasted with Murray’s pre-conceived intentions and he chose the first opportunity to leave the signing ceremony under the pretext of ‘other commitments.’
Indeed, fans have been shortchanged after Murray would have either unjustifiably quitted on his stool or forced the referee to halt his bout way before the perspiration could have formed on his body.
Revlon Lake (right) throws a long right hand during recent sparring sessions with Clive Atwell.
Just a few months ago, when he fought Leon ‘Hurry Up’ Moore in what was supposed to be a 6 rounds Catchweight affair on the GBBC promoted ‘Night of the Contenders,’ Murray, without as much as breaking a sweat, decided that he had had enough and quitted on his stool at the end of round 2.
Even a surreptitious glance at his record would reveal a dismal story; he commenced his professional career in February 1993 and lost to Robin Lall on points. Fifteen fights later, Murray is still to register a win and was stopped 8 times, most of them inside 3 rounds.
It is therefore a miracle that officials have only now decided to pull the plug and Murray could count himself lucky that he has not been cited for collecting money under false pretense.
Otherwise, the card remains unchanged and local middleweight champion, Dereck Richmond, will step up one division to square off with Romeo Norville over 6 rounds in a Super/Middleweight fight while Richard Williamson and Dillon Allicock will clash over 12 rounds in a Super/Bantamweight title fight. Sponsors to date are Castle Hotel of Chapel Street, New Amsterdam and Maximum Sports. Admission to the venue is $2000 for the VIP section while general admission is $1000.
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