Hardy lands four-year contract in U.S.

By Avenash Ramzan

Guyana’s World Boxing Council’s (WBC) Caribbean Boxing Federation’s (CABOFE) welterweight champion, Simeon ‘Candyman’ Hardy, has landed a four-year contract with one of boxing’s more successful managers, Cameron Dunkin, of the United States of America.
Hardy, who has been plying his trade in North America since late last year, made the disclosure during a telephone interview from his home in New York on Wednesday. The 25-year old Hardy floored Trinidad and Tobago-based Guyanese Iwan Azore to lift the WBC CABOFE welterweight belt in January 2012.
According to the boxer, who has an unbeaten record after 10 fights, he met a few times with Dunkin.
Most of Dunkin’s boxers fight out of the prestigious Top Rank gym in Las Vegas, and now with a four-year contract, Hardy said he is seeking to make maximum use of training among the best in the world.
Dunkin, who has been involved in the business of boxing since 1986, has worked with several leading boxers, including Nonita Donaire, Kelly Pavlik, Danny Romero, Diego Corrales, Steve Forbes and Timothy Bradley, and has produced no less than 29 world champions.
Dream come true
“Well I could tell you this is a dream come true. I was waiting a long time for this. I came over here [United States] and I realise that boxers and boxing in general is different, the kind of business it is. People respect you here as a sport person; they treat you different. Back home [Guyana], I’m not bad talking anybody or anything, people need to respect sports people, because sports can really put a country on the map, and push people in the right direction. Since I’ve been here the people have been showing the kind of respect, so I can’t complain,” Hardy, who now trains at the Top Rank gym, explained.

Hardy, who has patented the ‘Chin Checker’ punch, which has brought him seven knockouts in his 10 fights, said he has no regrets about journeying to the U. S. since he has been exposed to a higher level of training, noting that with dedication the sky is the limit.
The ambitious young boxer, who started his career at the Forgotten Youth Foundation gym in Albouystown, added that Guyanese can look forward to positive results in the coming years because he has big things in store.
“I told them many times I’m going to bring world titles home, and not just bring them home, but I’m going to be someone great in the world: an icon.
This is not no play or no talk, as you can see my stuff [gaining a contract] come to pass and I’m working to get there [become a world champion],” the confident young man stated.
The Guyanese is expected to fight under Dunkin’s stewardship for the first time in March, on the undercard of a Manny Pacquiáo bout. Depending on the outcome of his first two fights, Hardy could also be in line for a promotional contract with Top Rank.
Potential world champion
Meanwhile, Hardy’s coach in Guyana, Sebert Blake, is enthused about his boxer landing a contract in the U. S., noting that he always saw potential in the hard-hitting young pugilist. Blake, who worked with Hardy from a tender age, is confident the boxer will achieve his dreams of becoming Guyana’s next world champion.
“Yes Simeon does have the calibre to become a world champion,” Blake, who has been in Hardy’s corner in all 10 of his professional fights, stated with conviction.

“He has this never-say-die attitude and I think that will take him a far way. I know his ultimate goal is to be a world champion, and I know he is getting closer to that, because getting a contract in the U. S. will only help to make things easier for him. We at the [Forgotten Youth Foundation] gym are very much excited for this, and we want to wish him all the best.”
Blake added that Hardy is a strong fighter, both physically and mentally, outlining that the boxer has more strengths than weaknesses.
“I can’t really pinpoint any weakness because every new training technique I’ve thrown at him he’s equaled to the task, and I think that’s a good thing for any fighter; to be able to adapt to changes,” Blake pointed out.
International exposure
In October last year, veteran local trainer, Maurice “Bizzy” Boyce, said Hardy’s ambition of becoming a world champion would not come to fruition unless he “looks beyond Guyana” for quality opponents and possibly a higher level of training.
His comment came in the wake of Hardy’s majority decision win over the experienced Howard “Battersea Bomber” in the main event of the ‘Invasion of the Park’ card staged by “Hurry up” Promotions at the Thirst Park ground.
The fight was a rematch of their June 1 meeting at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, where Hardy earned a unanimous decision in the 10-round encounter.
“He should have never taken that rematch,” Boyce had said back in October.
“You win and you move on to the next opponent.” However, Boyce had acknowledged that there laid the problem because of the fact that there are not enough local opponents for the aspiring world champion.
Hardy started his professional career with a stunning 20 seconds knockdown of fellow debutant Patrick Boston on the Guyana Friday Night Fight ProAm boxing card in October 2010. Since then he has established himself as a force on the local scene, disposing of all opponents placed before him.