Guyana’s middleweight champion, Howard ‘the Battersea Bomber’ Eastman says if it’s a fight Lennox ‘Too Sharp’ Allen is looking for, then he certainly will be meeting the right person.
In fact, the two fighters were actually scheduled to meet on Saturday last, at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall on a card sponsored by S and S Promotion titled “The Big Showdown” for Guyana’s vacant super middleweight title.
However, Eastman got entangled with the law on Friday and was unable to face Allen who had told Stabroek Sport that he was very disappointed at not facing ‘the Battersea Bomber’.
But in an exclusive interview yesterday, Eastman excitedly told Stabroek Sport that he still wants to fight Allen, and what makes it even more intriguing is that he wants to co-promote the bout and have it staged in Berbice.
When that will be remains a mystery since Eastman was reluctant to disclose but he did say that he would contact the Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC) very soon to put systems in place.
“I’m 100% disappointed that things didn’t work out for me to fight Allen but it will happen…. I will fight him and I want to do so in my home town, Berbice, as soon as possible. As a matter of fact, I will promote the fight myself in Berbice… that’s how bad I want to fight Allen,” said Eastman.
With 24-year-old Allen proclaiming that he is on a mission to beat Eastman, boxing fans can be assured of fireworks between the two fighters.
President of the GBBC Peter Abdool when contacted said that as boss of Guyana’s professional boxing arena and a zealous boxing fan, he too was disappointed that the fight did not come off.
“There is nothing that the board could do with Eastman missing the fight right now, since the issue is presently in the court of law,” Abdool said. “Just to make it clear, I am a firm believer in the up keeping this country’s law but we are saying that a person is innocent until proven guilty by the court.
“However, we must apologize for the fight not coming off. But just like every other fan, I really wanted to see this fight.”
Abdool said further, “Personally I think Eastman is probably in the best shape of his life and if you had seen him since returning home, I’m sure people would agree and the young Allen is to my opinion, our best hope right now for a next world title.”
Abdool also noted that all sports at some time have their share of controversy and boxing often heads that list.
“Strangely in boxing when the fighters are in the midst of a controversy, it tends to stir a bit more public interest and I’m not saying that we will condone indiscipline and so on, just to set the record straight, but we are sure that when this fight comes off, since I’m certain it will, the public would certainly want to see the fighters go at it,” said the GBBC president.
The 38-year-old Eastman, who fought out of England, once stood as the Commonwealth, British and European champion. The closest he came to a world title was in November of 2001 when he controversially lost to William Joppy by a majority points’ decision for the vacant WBA middleweight title which was once held by Bernard ‘The Executioner’ Hopkins.
However, four years later, Eastman faced Hopkins for his WBC, WBA Super World middleweight title, IBF and the WBO middleweight titles but was outsmarted and widely outpointed by Hopkins (110-119, 111-117, 112-116) who was making his historic 20th defence as the Guyanese lost by a unanimous decision.
Since returning home, the Berbician has made his presence felt as he is three without loss, with Guyana’s world champion Andrew ‘Six Head’ Lewis, ‘Deadly’ Denny Dalton and Leon ‘The Lion’ Gilkes being his victims.
‘The Battersea Bomber’s’ professional record stands at 51 fights, 45 wins, 35 of which came by TKO but he has six losses and five draws.
