“Coolie Bully” firm favourite to topple “El Macho”

By Avenash Ramzan

United States of America-based Guyanese, Elton “Coolie Bully” Dharry last fought in Guyana back in April 2013 when he decimated Orland “Pocket Rocket” Rogers in round three of a scheduled 12-round contest for the vacant bantamweight title of Guyana.

The “Coolie Bully” is set to make a grand return to his homeland next week to appear as one half of the feature event on the Guyana Boxing Board of Control/Giftland Mall’s “Hostile Territory” boxing card, and his opponent, Venezuela’s Felix “El Macho” Machado, could be in a for torrid time, as Dharry is very ‘hostile’ in this ‘territory.’

With all 25 of his fights taking place in either Guyana or the United States, Dharry boasts an unbeaten record in the ‘Land of Many Waters’, winning all 10 fights, including six knockouts.

A flambouyant boxer, Dharry will enter the ring on February 27 on the strength of a 16-bout winning run, stretching back to March 2010 when he stopped Wilmot Hutson in the penultimate round of a four-round contest to begin the streak.

During that time, the 30-year-old Dharry has captured three titles- Guyana’s bantamweight, the WBC CABOFE bantamweight and the IBF Inter-Continental bantamweight belts. Dharry currently has 19 wins, five losses and one draw.

Machado, on the other hand, is 13 years older than Dharry, and is a former IBF Super Flyweight champion. With 40 fights to his credit, Machado is vastly experienced, but his career has been spiralling downwards since May 2006. In nine fights since then, the Venezuelan pugilist has endured eight defeats, his only win coming against Jose Larreal last February.

Outside of Venezuela, Machado has a record of five wins, nine losses and one draw, while his overall record stands at 26 wins, 13 defeats and one draw.

Given Dharry’s phenomenal streak over the last five years, his unblemished record at home and Machado’s poor win-loss ratio overseas, Guyanese fans could be the ones rejoicing on fight night. The 10-round bantamweight showdown will serve as a warm-up for Dharry ahead of a British Commonwealth fight on May 21.

The main supporting bout will also be a Guyana versus Venezuela thriller, as local boy Dexter Marques will face off with his neighbouring Spanish-speaking rival Freddie Beleno in a 10-round flyweight fight.

Marques, currently boasting six wins on the trot, has a record of 14 victories (5 KOs) and two defeats, while Beleno has 26 wins (15 KOs) and 10 losses, including seven in his last seven fights, dating back to 2008.

The Guyanese pair of Kishan Simon and Cassius Matthews will square off for a second time, with Simon seeking revenge for his loss against the same opponent in Linden on Boxing Day 2013. The six-round welterweight contest is being sponsored by Lewisons Automotive of Corentyne, Berbice.

In the other fights, Trinidad and Tobago-based Guyanese Revlon Lake will face Miguel Antoine of Barbados in an eight-round welterweight clash; Imran “Magic” Khan will meet Quincy Gomes in a 135 lbs all Guyanese contest; while Mandessa Moses will collide Anselle Norville in a four-round bantamweight.

On the amateur side, Dennis Thomas and Desmond Amsterdam, who will head to a box-off in Argentina later this year with the hope of qualifying for the Rio Olympics, will clash in the exhibition contest, followed by Clairmonte Gibson against Dillon Charles in a bantamweight fight.

Nandkumar Singh and Jason Phillips will meet in a junior welterweight bout to round off the amateur segment.

Admission to the venue is Gy$5,000 ringside and Gy$2,000 outer ringside. The card is a collaborative effort of the Guyana Boxing Board of Control and the Giftland Mall, and is the second such partnership between the two entities. (aramzan@guyanatimesgy.com)