Friday Night Fights Pro/Am card

Elton ‘The Real Coolie Bully’ Dharry promises another clinical display of boxing against Wilmot Hutson on Friday evening at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall in the second installment of the Guyana Boxing Board of Control and Guyana Amateur Boxing Association Friday Night Fights Pro/Am card from 20:00 hours.

The Prelude! Elton ‘The Real Coolie Bully’ Dharry(left) and Wilmot Hutson sized each other up at after the press conference yesterday at the NCN studio. (Aubrey Crawford photo)

In Dharry’s last outing in Guyana in October of 2008, he  convincingly disposed of Orlan ‘Pocket Rocket’ Rogers at the Guyana National Stadium with a six-round unanimous decision. However, the pugilist, who has only won two of his eight fights, told Stabroek Sport yesterday from his hotel that he had decided to take the sport of boxing more seriously from the start of this year.

After Dharry’s debut win in December 2004 against Mark Fernandes, who was also making his debut, and a draw in his second fight (his first on foreign soil) against Manuel Sarabia, he has had a bumpy ride.

In his next four bouts he lost to Jose Albuquerque, Cesar Grajeda, Leo Santa Cruz and Sergio Herrera; he also suffered another unanimous decision loss against Isander Beauchamp in September of last year.

Dharry, who was born in New Amsterdam, also told Stabroek Sport that he started going to school but he did not complete the programme but he believes that he has been maturing mentally as a boxer. He wants to now commit himself to the game he loves and for the past few months he has been  preparing for this fight.

He also said when he reaches the age of 25 or 26 the public can expect a lot of great things from him.

“For the past three months I have been viewing this fight very seriously. In January I put every other thing aside and put boxing as my main goal and focus in my life. Of course God is there but boxing is my life and I have made it my fulltime job, therefore I am pushing myself and even training on days I don’t feel to train,” Dharry stated.

Dharry, who trains out of the Gleason’s Gym in New York, is adamant that he will become a world champion. However, realistically, the super flyweight boxer Dharry finds himself in the sport’s `difficult divisions.’

That division is headed by Armenia’s Vic ‘Raging Bull’ Darchinyan, the current WBC, WBA unified super flyweight world champion who has 27KOs from his 34 wins, against two losses and a draw.

“My number one goal is to become a world champion and go down as one of Guyana’s top fighters like Lennox Blackmore, Patrick Ford, ‘Sixhead’ (Andrew Lewis)”, the Dillon Carew trained Dharry maintained.

However, he acknowledged that he first needs to get past Hutson, who has not been in the ring since 2002. Dharry, 24, admitted that he does not know much about Hutson and he does not know what to expect but he is fully prepared to deal with whatever comes his way on fight night.

He pointed out that he will be working with veteran trainer Carl ‘Bizzy’ Boyce when he is in Guyana and he will be doing light work before the fight since he has prepared well before his arrival in Guyana yesterday morning.

Meanwhile, Hutson at a press conference at the National Communication Network (NCN) yesterday said that he will be using his experience and Dharry should come to fight in the main event for the evening.

In the main supporting bout of the night Troy Lewis, who only won his debut fight against Rockford Abrams and his last fight against Rudolph Fraser at the first Pro/Am card and lost 10 others, will duke it out with Eversley Brown in his second fight as a professional.

When Stabroek Sport asked Lewis whether Brown will reach the first round knockout fate, he quipped that people should wait and see. Brown, on the other hand, is claiming that the fight will not go the distance since he is taller and stronger than Lewis.

Brown also believes that he is a better fighter and the junior middleweight encounter will see him emerging victorious.

Former amateur boxer Mandessa Moses will make her second appearance in the ring as a professional against Alicia Marques. Both fighters represented Guyana in the Pan American championships in Trinidad and Tobago in 2008.

Marques said that although she and Moses are friends she is hoping for the best possible result which is a knockout. To round out the professional card Shawn Pile will battle Paul Lewis Jr., who has been out of the ring for some time.

In the amateur ranks Donald Trapp will fight Richard Williamson in an under-15 bout which will be followed by Theresa London against Amanda Norville, Mervin Ageday fighting Stephan Gouveia and Devon Boatswain challenging Delroy James in the Open/Elite division.

Yesterday presidents of  GBBC and GABA Peter Abdool and Steve Ninvalle  respectively, expressed satisfaction with the progress of the Pro/Am cards. They also said that it will get better with time, especially since the  GABA intends to increase the number of amateur fights from four to six later in the year.