Beware Rojas punch Potts warns Salandy

DEFENDING Ibero-Latin American female boxing champion Giselle Salandy will have no difficulty in turning back the challenge of Colombian Paola Rojas tomorrow night. This is the firm conviction of Cecil Forde, fight promoter who is assisting the Salandy camp in her first bout for more than a year to be staged at the Central Regional Sports Complex at Chaguanas. Forde was goaded into a statement of Salandy’s readiness for the eighth-rounder after international match-maker/trainer Boxo Potts had sent out a warning to the Siparia schoolgirl.

“Rojas is a tough customer who, if she fights up to the potential I have seen will take the crown away from Salandy,” said Potts yesterday.
Potts was drafted into the Rojas camp shortly after the Colombians arrived in Trinidad for the match and had a training sesion with her yesterday at the Tigers Gym on Prince Street in Port-of-Spain. “She was hitting the punching bag with ferociousness. And if she punches like that against Salandy, I have no doubt that she will take the title away,” said Potts. But Forde was not dismayed. “We are confident that Salandy will be the winner. She is in peak condition and ready for all that Rojas has to offer,” said Forde yesterday. Potts was quick to rejoin that he does not have any confidence in Salandy’s trainers and promised to provide his best advice and assistance to Rojas to whom he has been contracted for the important contest. Salandy, granted a profesional boxer’s licence on Monday after reaching her 17th birthday the day before, has been beaten once in her 12 bouts while Rojas holds a smilar record.

But Salandy holds the upper hand having beaten the Colombian more than a year ago for the crown. And tomorrow night in Chaguanas she will have the home crowd in her corner. While Salandy is brimming with confidence and expectation, another young talented boxer, Ria Ramnarine will not be in the ring tomorrow night having to opt out of her contest because of injury. The light flyweight sustained an injury to her hand last November and will soon decide whether she needs surgery to correct the problem. “It is very disappointing but I know I have to let my hand heal properly before I attempt to use it in fighting again,” the Carapichaima lass said. Ramnarine is trained by Bharath Ramoutar at Fine Line Gym.