Trumpet four fights away from world shot

TRINIDAD and Tobago welterweight boxing champion Floyd Trumpet is just four bouts away from a serious shot at a major world championship. This assessment was made yesterday by international match-maker Boxu Potts who expressed confidence that the “Fighting Postman” can win a third world crown for his country. He will be hoping to emulate the feats of Claude Noel (lightweight) and Leslie “Tiger” Stewart (light heavyweight). And Potts has embarked on a carefully planned programme to get Trumpet, 30, into shape to reach the pinnacle of the sport by the middle of next year. “Trumpet is in a unique position,” said Potts yesterday. “He has a decent record and is very marketable. I intend to help him achieve his potential.” Trumpet has lost only four of his 17 fights to date with three draws. He recently unsuccessfully challenged Hungarian Mihaly Kotai in Berlin for the World Boxing Federation crown.

Taking the fight on short notice, Trumpet gave a good account of himself, according to Potts but was hampered by his shoes which did not give him the friction needed on the slippery canvas. As a result Trumpet found great difficulty in keeping his balance against the hard punching Kotai and the Trinidadian’s American second mistakenly threw in the towel in the eighth round. However Potts said the result is not a major setback and he has received at least two offers to fight before the end of the month. “They want us back in Germany but I am not prepared to go that route again. And I am pondering an offer to have Trumpet fight American Ray Olliviere for the International Boxing Union Championship on October 1,” said Potts. However the former jockey said he was loathe to take his fighter to Boston and suffer a home-town decision preferring to have Trumpet show his wares in in front of his local fans.

Towards this end, Potts said he has lined up a 12-rounder against Jamaican Ian Smith, a fighter with a big reputation in his homeland for the Fede-Carib crown at the end of the month in Chaguanas. “This is the first step in pursuit of the world championship. We will win this one and go after the others. That is our aim and plan,” said Potts. Trumpet said he has resumed his training under Allan Joseph at the Arima Boxing Gym where he is concentrating on technical work. “We are taking him out of the ‘cuff for cuff syndrome’ and into ‘make him miss, make him pay’ mode,” said Potts yesterday. He emphacised that he is not going to have Trumpet fight in front of any hostile officials which is certain to jeopardise his climb up the world rankings. “Trumpet is not going to be abused by any hometown decision,” said Potts.