– Eastman, Hardy to square off in main bout
Guyana’s super bantamweight boxer, Leon ‘Hurry Up’ Moore, will try his hand at promotion next month when a five-fight card dubbed ‘Foreigner Invasion’ is staged at Banks DIH ground, Thirst Park.
After previously partnering with Holland’s Entertainment Promotions (HEP), Moore is poised to enter the promotion industry on his own for the first time, and has managed to put together a card comprising top local pugilists and two boxers from the United States of America.
Moore himself will take on USA’s Carlos Pena, who is unbeaten after 17 fights, but the main attraction will bring together rising star, Simeon ‘Candyman’ Hardy and the evergreen, Howard ‘Battersea Bomber’ in a highly anticipated eight-round middleweight rematch.
While Moore and Pena will meet in a six-round Featherweight bout, local boy Charlton Skeete will collide with Allan Phallen of the USA in the same weight division, but for four rounds.
The veteran Orland ‘Pocket Rocket’ Rogers will trade punches with a resurgent Clive ‘Wonder Kid’ Atwell in a six-round catchweight bout, while national middleweight champion Edmond DeClou will test his skills against Jermin King in a six-round super middle weight fight.
Up to press time, a possible sixth fight between heavyweights, Anthony Augustine and Mitchell Rogers, was being negotiated.
With the exception of the USA-based boxers and Atwell, all the other boxers were on hand yesterday (Wednesday) to ink their contracts at the Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC) Office on Avenue of the Republic.
President of the GBBC, Peter Abdool, heaped praises on Moore for taking up the responsibility as a promoter, noting that more persons should emulate the young boxer. Abdool said “individual promoters play a great role in helping to develop boxing and we hope we can have more promoters coming forward.”
Moore, who secured a controversial majority decision against Venezuela’s Breilor Teran in the card he co-promoted with HEP in 2010, said he is happy to be back in the ring, noting that his aim is to come out victorious against Pena and promote a successful card.
The 33-year-old Moore, who holds a record of 28 wins (22 Kos) and two losses from 30 fights, tasted victory in his last fight, earning a unanimous decision over Colombia’s Felipe Almanza in April 2011 in New York.
Meanwhile, the main bout between Eastman and Hardy, which was only finalised yesterday morning after Eastman’s original opponent Frank Galarza of the USA had pulled out, is expected to be a humdinger.
Galarza (7- 0- 1) injured himself in a drawn encounter with Alantez Fox in New York on Saturday last, and his absence has provided Eastman with an opportunity to exact revenge on Hardy, whom he lost to in June this year.
At 41, Eastman is at the tailend of his career, but the New Amsterdam-based boxer, who fought most of his career out of the United Kingdom, is confident of toppling the 24- year-old Hardy this time around.
Eastman’s record at 46 (37 Kos)- 10- 0 is among the best among local boxers, but the ‘Battersea Bomber’ is up against a young and energetic Hardy, who is yet to taste defeat after nine fights and seven knockouts.
“This is a rematch to put things right,” Eastman said before signing the dotted lines. Hardy, who refused to be beaten even at thrash talk, said, “Since June 1, you’ve (Eastman) grown older, you’ve become slower, while I’ve become smarter and more developed as a boxer. I had a lot of respect for you before that fight, but after the way you fought, I’ve lost all respect.” The card will get under way at 20: 00 hours with Banks DIH Limited, LIAT and Delta Airlines being the major partners with Moore and his promotion team.