Trumpet eyes ‘Continental’ crown

TRINIDAD and Tobago’s welterweight champion Floyd Trumpet will get another oportunity to win a major boxing championship on January 29. The “Fighting Postman” has accepted an offer to fight 34-year-old Grady Brewer of the US for the Intercountinental of the Americas junior welterweight crown in Oklahoma. Now trained by former No 1 ranked junior welterweight contender Guyanese Lennox Beckles, Trumpet, 28, said he was confident of capturing the vacant International Boxing Federation (IBF)  title. Trumpet has 12 victories, two draws and four losses in his 18-fight professional career and is a former world ranked kickboxer before he changed sports.

He last fought on Boxing Night (December 26) when he got a draw to retain his national welterweight championship against Kevin Placide at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port-of-Spain. Last year he lost a controversial decision when his corner threw in the towel against tough Hungarian Mihali Kotai in Germany when they met for the World Boxing Federation super welterweight championship. Yesterday Trumpet said under Beckles his career has taken a new direction and he will be properly prepared for the match against the American whom he intends to knock out within the distance. Equally confident is 60-year-old Beckles who has been living in Trinidad and Tobago for the past 12 years. He has promised to deliver a world champion from the new Knock out Promotions Gym in Port-of-Spain.

“It is a great opportunity for Trumpet and when he wins we can expect him to break into the IBF rankings and this will catapult him into the spotlight for a major title shot,” said Beckles. Brewer is ranked 94th by the IBF and has won 17 of his 27 fights with 11 knock outs and 10 defeats. He fought five times last year and won three of the bouts. His last fight was in September when he lost on unanimous decision against Marlon Thomas in Detroit, USA. Beckles said that according to information received by Roy Jones, an official of Knockout Promtions based in Texas, USA, Brewer is not a very technical fighter but is a dangerous puncher. “However we have identified several weaknesses in Brewer’s style  and Trumpet definitely has the advantage,” said Beckles.

He pointed out that after studying Brewer’s record he noticed that the American was extended past ten rounds only once in his career and then he was defeated by a technical knockout which was two years ago. “This makes Trumpet the ideal match for Brewer and we are certain that we can win the title.” said Beckles. The Guyanese trainer, regarded as the “uncrowned world champion” and a “diamond in the rough” in his heyday said he believed Trumpet won his last fight against “Fighting Policeman” Placide. “We must pay tribute to Trumpet who fought a very awkward southpaw which he was doing for the first time in years. But we are happy to retain the national championship and it was his first fight under me,” said Beckles. Also present at yesterday’s interview was Winston Yearwood, an official of knockout promotions and Trumpet’s manager who also expressed confidence that his boxer is on the way up under the new team.

Yearwood introduced 30-year-old Michael Springer as a junior welterweight who is set to light the local professional boxing scene alight when he makes his debut on January 21 in Princes Town on a Pro-Am card. The 2004 Caribbean Amateur Boxing Aassociation (CABA) champion was described as a “fighter with lots of ability, speed in his hands and one who is destined to achieve greatness among the new generation of boxers.” Yearwood also outlined plans for national heavyweight champion Jimmy “Farmer’ Joseph who is set to travel to Europe and even South Africa to gain international exposure. Joseph has been denied a visa to travel to the United States and Yearwood said discussions are ongoing to have the situation regularised but in the interim, opportunities are being explored for the former sparring partner of ex-heavyeight title-holder Mike Tyson.