Women gear up for world fight

Jackie Chavez who fights in the main bout over ten rounds arrived on Sunday and yesterday she admitted to being a bit nervous but is still confident beating Trinidad born Canadian Lisa "Bad news" Brown at the Jean Pierre Complex, Mucurapo.

The stunning Chavez is staying at the Chaguaramas Conference Centre and Hotel.

A resident of New Mexico and trained by her uncle, Chavez said she had studied the fighting style of Brown and has been training very hard in the past six weeks for the fight. She said she knows Brown is an aggressive boxer but feels that with the training she has done in the past few months, she will be ready to capture the two world titles at stake.

"I normally train for anything and anyone because you can never tell what you can expect in the ring at anytime," Chavez said yesterday.

She has had three knock-outs in her professional career and has fought against a number of top rated US fighters. Chavez who is currently rated number one in the WBC women’s division said despite the jitters, she has been enjoying herself since her arrival in Trinidad and Tobago.

She said the locals have treated her very nicely and confessed that she would get more nervous as the time for the fight draws near. "I have been working hard for the fight and will do my best," she promised.

Her trainer Ross Sanchez pointed out that he has never seen Chavez train as hard as she has been training for this fight. He added that he knows Brown is a good pound-for-pound fighter but is confident Chavez will rise to the occasion.

"I know Brown is a top name in women’s boxing but when the times get tough, Chavez will get tougher," Sanchez said. According to Sanchez, Chavez will also carry the weight of the people of the United States of America on Friday. He said the American public will have their eyes on Chavez as she has a series of top fights coming up back home.

Meanwhile "Bad Bews" Brown pointed out that she did look at Chavez in a number of clippings but it will be irrelevant when they come face to face in the championship contest. Brown said she has also been training hard for the important encounter and wants to show Trinidad and Tobago what she has been doing in Canada for the past few years.

Brown is the first Trinidad and Tobago-born woman title-holder coming in 1998 before Carapichaima boxer Ria Ramnarine beat Yvonne Caples earlier this year for the world flyweight crown. Also scheduled to fight on Friday are Gisselle Salandy, Iva Weston, Kim " Bone Crusher" Quashie and Scroller Carrington.

Vicky Boodram is also listed on the undercard.