Despite suffering lopsided losses on last Saturday night’s ‘Fire Storm’ card, 42 year-old Howard ‘Battersea Bomber’ Eastman and 39-year-old Orlan ‘Pocket Rocket’ Rogers have not entertained the thought of permanently hanging their gloves up.
The aging duo clearly in the twilight of their respective careers are both eager to step in the ring again in the not too distant future.
The diminutive journeyman Rogers (5-16) who lost to Elton’ The Bully’ Dharry in their national bantamweight title fight via a third round stoppage on medical terms revealed that he has Rudolph Fraser, Dillon Allicock and Hewley Robertson on his radar.
“I’m looking at two or three more fights for this year,” Rogers told this publication yesterday.
“I took my last fight on a very short notice that is why I pulled my hamstring but hopefully for the next one I will be fully prepared and 100 percent ready to go”.
Rogers who has lost his last four fights added “ I am a natural flyweight, they are not many opponents in my division so I have to go against bantamweights and featherweights but I’m a warrior, I don’t mind fighting these guys like Fraser, Allicock or Robertson, I would fight any of them”.
Eastman who has not won a bout in four years, is currently on a six-fight losing streak but has ambitions of a rematch with Jamaican, Sakima Mullings who unanimously defeated him on Saturday to lift the vacant WBC CABOFE welterweight title.
“I absolutely want a rematch with Mullings” Eastman emphatically stated. “Howard Eastman is not one to make excuses but my middle finger on my left hand was in a pretty bad condition before the fight, I injured it in training, every time I hit the guy I was in pain”. “Right now my finger is swollen after doctor Hanoman took off the nail but as soon as I’m healthy again I want Mullings”.
So why did Eastman take the ring despite being injured prior to the fight?
“I made a commitment to the boxing board and I did not want to disappoint my fans, look I’m a warrior and I won’t let a injury like that cancel the fight so I went ahead” ‘the ‘Battersea Bomber’ declared.
The former world rated middleweight (46-12, 37 KOs) noted that he should be healthy in about three to four months.
When asked what fuels them to continue stepping in the ring despite their ages, the Berbicians both replied it is for the love of the sport and not the money.
