Clash of the Champions

By Avenash RAmzan

The September 2 boxing card, dubbed ‘The Conclusion’, has been finalised with Simeon ‘Candyman’ Hardy and Clive ‘Wonder Kid’ Atwell’s opponents confirmed for the five-fight event at the Banks DIH ground, Thirst Park.

The unbeaten Hardy will take on Trinidad and Tobago-based Guyanese, Iwan Azore, in a 10-round welterweight rematch, while Atwell, fresh off two knockout wins, will challenge Mark Austin for the second time in an eight round junior welterweight bout.
Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC) matchmaker, Eion Jardine, on Tuesday made the disclosure, moments after Azore and Austin made themselves available for the card.
Other fights on the night will see Richard Williamson, with a victory in his debut professional fight, taking on debutant Essan Rose in a four-round bantamweight contest; Edmond DeClou meeting Howard Eastman in a 10-round rematch at middleweight; and former world champion Wayne ‘Big Truck’ Braithwaite facing Trinidad and Tobago-based Guyanese Sean Corbin for the CABOFE cruiserweight title in 12 rounds.
While the main bout between Braithwaite and Corbin is sure to set tongues wagging, the three rematches are also guaranteed to create some level of banter among boxing buffs.
The DeClou/ Eastman return is a story of two boxers on different tangents: De Clou at the starting point of a promising career, and Eastman at the tail-end of a colourful one. In a nutshell, youth contends experience.
The last time these two met was October 29, 2011, when DeClou earned a majority decision at the same venue that will host next month’s card.
Since then, both pugilists have had contrasting fortunes. While the 25-year-old DeClou has since chalked up four victories to take his career to 12 wins (KO-2), one defeat and a draw, Eastman, 41, suffered a unanimous decision at the hands of Hardy in his last fight in June, one of four consecutive defeats leading up to next month’s encounter.
Eastman, who last tasted victory against Trinidad and Tobago’s Kevin Placide in September 2009 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, is by the far the most experienced boxer to appear on the card.
After 56 fights, he has managed 46 wins (KO- 37) and 10 losses. The main supporting clash will afford Azore the opportunity of accomplishing what no other boxer has been able to achieve: secure a victory against Hardy.
Hardy has already earned a reputation on the local circuit with his patented ‘Chin Checker’ punch bringing him nine victories from as many fights, with seven coming within the distance.
Azore happens to be one of those seven to be knocked out, falling prey to the ‘Chin Checker’ in round nine of a scheduled 12-rounder in January this year for the vacant WBC CABOFE welter weight title.
After competing on par with Hardy throughout the first eight rounds, Azore found the patented punch too much to handle in round nine, as he lay sprawled on the canvas with the referee administering the count.
After 23 fights, Azore has 15 victories (KO-3), five losses and three drawn encounters.
In the other rematch, Atwell will seek to continue his recent dominance, while Austin will look to get his career back on track after a bag of mixed results over the past 18 months.
Atwell’s second fight of his professional career was against Austin-a fight that ended in a draw in September 2010. The no-result is the only blemish on Atwell’s record, having recorded six wins from seven visits to the ring.
Atwell’s two knockouts have come in his last fights, with Rudolph Fraser being dropped in round two in June, and Revlon Lake succumbing in round four last month.
While he is on a high and attracting the attention of the boxing fraternity, Austin has somewhat slipped off the radar, and no doubt the diminutive boxer will want to use this fight to announce his presence.
An unbeaten record after six fights was followed by four losses and two wins in the next six, forcing Austin to rethink his strategy. His last fight was against Hardy, and like Azore, he (Austin) fell victim to the ‘Chin Checker’ in the eighth and final round.
In a clash of newcomers, Williamson may feel he has the psychological advantage against Rose, having earned a Unanimous Decision over fellow debutant Dilan Allicock on last month’s ProAm card.
In the main clash, cruiser weight Braithwaite, 36, has been out of action since being knocked down thrice in the opening round by Barbados’ Shawn ‘The Sniper’ Cox at the WBC CABOFE Caribbean Cup Eliminator in February at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, and the upcoming bout will provide him with an opportunity of cashing in on the lucrative WBC Cup of Champions.
The cruiserweight division was recently added to the Cup of Champions, the WBC’s 50th anniversary event.
The winner of the Braithwaite/ Corbin clash will subsequently face Canadian Troy Ross to qualify for the Cup of Champions, but that fight is tentative.
Ross is slated to take on Germany-based Cuban, Yoan Pablo Hernandez, on September 15 for the IBF Cruiserweight title in Germany, and should he (Ross) win that fight, he will have to forfeit entering the WBC Cup of Champions since the IBF is a higher level of competition.
If such a scenario occurs, it would mean a straight forward entry to the WBC Cup of Champions for the winner of the Braithwaite/ Corbin fixture.