The Gairy St Clair Superhero Fight Night Promotions Company is moving ahead with plans to stage a double world title fight here in Guyana later this year.
Recently, St Clair met with Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jnr., and President of the Guyana Boxing Board of Control, Peter Abdool, via Zoom, to flesh out the planned event.
“The meeting went well. It was such a pleasure the meet Minister Charles Ramson and am grateful that he took time out from his busy schedule to have a causal conversation with us,” he told Stabroek Sport.
According to St Clair, the minister is supportive of promotion and said that he was looking forward to working with the Gary Sinclair Superhero fight night promotion team.
St Clair said that Abdool also was fully behind the former world champion and his promotions team.
“It was also a pleasure to have the company of Mr. Abdool and I thank him for his testimony of my character to the Minister,” St Clair was quoted as saying in another section of the media.
St Clair plans to have Guyanese boxers Elton Dharry, who is based in the USA and Dexter Marques fight for world titles in August.
The fights would be shown on the popular Pay-per-view channel.
Dharry recently told Stabroek Sport that he scheduled to return to the ring in May against an opponent from Panama in his quest to give Guyana its next world title.
St Clair told Stabroek Sport that his promotional group, which is based in Australia, will need approval from the Ministry of Health and Covid-19 Task Force.
The possible venue for the Pro/Am card could be the Providence Stadium and plans are also in place for a rated Venezuelan to battle Marques in contest dubbed `Not a blade of Grass’ while Dharry should come up against a Brazilian.
St Clair and his promotional group’s objective is to set up discussions with the directors of Ansa McAl, Banks DIH, DDL, Exxon Mobil, the Guyana government and the Tourism Industry.
“The reason for this is to prepare our promotion group to alert these Mega companies of our plan to televise Pay-Per-View, in the main Guyanese diaspora such as Miami, New York, Toronto, London and the Caribbean,” said Sinclair.
According to St Clair he also has the blessing of the GBBC.
“The Guyana Boxing Board President is optimistic that with the pandemic out of the way we have a chance to take the sport of boxing to a world-class level, the airline industry will flourish and our country will be talked about long after the event, he declared.
St Clair said they are optimistic that the card can be held by September since he says by then most of the population should be vaccinated for the COVID -19 pandemic.
“The meeting was very promising for the boxing board in terms of getting title fights back to Guyana and resurrecting our Friday Night Fights, Abdool was quoted as saying.
St Clair said that they have since sent all the details including a budget and the boxing board is in full support of this venture which should rekindle the interest in professional boxing in Guyana,” which has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic among other issues.
Both Dharry and Marques have had verbal discussions about the proposed event with St Clair.
Meanwhile, St Clair also reminisced on the death of Colin Ming and recounted the role Ming played in his career early one.
“As a young man in Guyana growing up with very little, Mr. Ming always had time to help the people less fortunate. I was very lucky to have many guardian angels to look over me and Mr. Ming was one of them.
As a young man Mr. Ming gave me my very first job as an Apprentice fixing Yamaha bikes. I had no experience but he took a chance.
There were many days that I never showed up to work. He would finish work and come looking for me in the Ghetto. The man was fearless in my eyes.
“He would always support me and encourage me in my boxing career. We had many conversations about making it to the Olympic Games and winning a gold medal for Guyana. When I made the ‘94 Pan American Games in Venezuela, Mr. Ming was so proud of me when I won gold. He was so proud of me that he went out and bought me my first ever ‘19 inch Sony coloured TV’.
“Mr. Ming dreamt for me to win gold at the Olympics and only GOLD. He always wanted to ensure that I did the right thing and work hard for whatever I wanted to achieve.
“Colin Ming I would like to thank you for everything you have done for me. “Showing me what hard work looks like, teaching me about drive and determination to succeed and never giving up but most of all taking a chance on a kid that had nothing to give. I will never forget you and I will miss you always. I would not be the man I am today and the champion I am without your guidance.
RIP my dearest friend.”
