The Gary St Clair Superhero fight night Promotions

May 02, 2021 Sports

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Laured ‘the Lion’ Stewart aiming to devour opponent

By Sean Devers

The Gary St Clair Superhero fight night Promotions is planning to stage a pulsating International Boxing card in Guyana which could be shown on a Pay-per-view channel and 27-year-old San Diego based Guyanese pugilist Laured ‘the Lion’ Stewart plans to devour his opponent when the Card which will include two World Title bouts, set tentatively for September, is held.
Laured, who fights in the Super Welterweight division, disclosed that he jumped at the opportunity and without hesitation accepted to be part of the Card which will see US based Guyanese Elton Dharry and Dexter Marques (who resides in Guyana), fighting for world titles.
Dharry is scheduled to battle a Brazilian, while Marques will match gloves with a Venezuelan opponent.
“I’m looking to leave a performance and a half in memory of my late friends who lost their lives to the system; Mark Wilson who was one of Guyana’s best amateur boxers, Mark Anthony another boxer, Kevon Payne and Kerwayne Benjamin who were great Footballers all died young without having a chance to do anything we spoke of doing while growing up. So I’ll be dedicating this fight to them…. when I win we all win. We all were supposed to take off in our careers but they passed so since I’m still here I’ll do it for them,” promised Laured, one of the Boxers expected the do battle on the proposed card, which includes five Pro and five Amateur bouts.

“I believe Boxing in Guyana will benefit greatly from this fight Card in that many will turn their attention back the sport once Dexter and Elton put the work in and be crowned Guyana’s newest World champions.
Guyanese will be reminded that Boxing was and still is the only sport which has ever brought home a World Championship to Guyana,” posited Laured, who left Guyana just after turning pro in 2013.
Laured, who lived for eight months in the Continent of Australia, migrated in search of opportunities.
“While I was an amateur boxer I looked around me and noticed a ceiling for Boxers in Guyana and I wanted to escape that box.
Denny Dalton … Mitchell Rogers and the like are all great Guyanese boxers, but because they were unable to escape the box, meaning Guyana, when they reached the ceiling they couldn’t grow any further.
I looked at boxers like Gairy St Clair…Six Head, Vivian Harris and Lennox Allen just to mention a few, all whose careers took off after leaving Guyana,” explained Laured, who has fought in Guyana, Barbados, Trinidad, and the United States.
Laured, also a Track Athlete who represented Guyana in the shotput and discuss, has a professional career of just four fights between 2013 and 2020 when he lost a close fight against Jalen Renaud at the Palladium, Worcester in the US on February 28 last year just before Covid-19 became a global pandemic, resulting in sports, like most other things, being shut down.
That was his only loss which he still feels that he won, while two of his victories came by way of knock-outs; against Daniel Flores and Eversley Browne, which was his last fight in Guyana in 2013.

The 5′ 9½″ Boxer explained that presently the pandemic is under control in San Diego and training is allowed. The Guyanese also explained several issues prevented him from having the number of fights that he would have liked.
Laured feels the difference with boxing in the USA when compared to boxing in Guyana, is that there is more exposure in the USA.
“There’s much more competition not only in America but with neighbouring countries on a more consistent level, so the boxers are way more experienced and exposed and when they have opportunities, they don’t get cold feet like most of Guyanese fighters at home.
I believe if Guyanese boxers get opportunities to fight overseas more, then when we do have the chance at a big fight we won’t get cold feet.
Also the support they receive from the sporting community here…. the National boxers can afford to just Box knowing that the community will take care of them,” continued Laured who is married to Tiwana Stewart.
“Also a good diet is a big part of any athletes’ performance……. Americans food intake by sportspersons is way better than what I ate as a boxer in Guyana. We ate what we had and didn’t have a choice,” added Laured, whose favourite punch is his left hook.
Laured believes the sport of Boxing needs support from the Government, Corporate Guyana and the Boxing Board.
“Let’s look at cricket for example; many cricketers go on to play for millions while living in Guyana. For instance, Hetmyer, Barnwell, Sarwan and even Chanderpaul … why? Because cricket is consistently played in Guyana at a local level. Then there’s two Regional competitions; 50 overs and the Regional Four-day….to add to that there’s also the franchise cricket in CPL…the guys have a chance to express themselves and when they are called upon to play internationally, they earn big money… because they are seen and exposed.
Please tell me, apart from Kev, (Allicock) recently… which other Guyanese Amateur boxer is known or seen?
Prior to him was (Clive) Atwell when he was an amateur, who else?” asked Laured, a member of the Forgotten Youths Foundation in Albouystown.
Laured grew up in Alberttown in Georgetown and attended St Gabriel’s Primary and Queenstown secondary schools.
“While at school I captained our school’s cricket team, kept goal for our football team and took part in shotput and discuss, while I later went on to represent Guyana in the shotput and discuss.
I was raised in an extended family….we never had a gold spoon but we also never had a wooden spoon (laughs), so I guess you can say I grew up as an average young man… I don’t know what it was like to be hungry but I sure did wish I had a better life, which was my biggest motivation to keep fighting,” Laured revealed.
“As a child whenever my mother sent me over to my father (Laurex Benn Stewart) …. I would see him either coming home from gym or leaving for the gym…. on Saturday nights the TV was always on HBO boxing and on special days he would bring down the gloves and have his kids and our cousins box each other. Through those many activities my love for the sport began,” remembered Laured.
“I started training at age 11 after I wrote the Common Entrance exams and my mother finally agreed that it was okay for me to fight… my coach …Sebert Blake… however never let me fight until I was 12. I trained one year straight,” informed Laured with a big laugh.
He said his most memorable fight was his first International amateur bout in Barbados against Cobe Breedy.
“He had just come back from the Commonwealth Youth games with a Bronze medal and I beat him in his own country.
Although I’ve fought many good amateur fighters, a guy from Trinidad and Tobago named Prince, was the best … I lost the fight… he was very good.
My most memorable Professional fight was my first fight on American soil in which I knocked out America’s Daniel Flores in the second round,” stated Laured.
“I’m working on becoming a comedian …I’m also working on becoming a good screen writer. I am about to release my first movie,” disclosed the Boxer, who is also a Minister of the Gospel.
“Keith Brazillio, my father Laurex Stewart, my Mother Yonette Benjamin and my Second Sebert Blake were among those who helped, supported and encouraged me during my boxing career,” said Laured, who enjoys playing sports.
“You place any sports challenge on the table and I’m ready to do it,” laughed Laured who is a big cricket fan.

 

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