No belts for boxing champs

LISA “BAD NEWS” Brown left the Jean Pierre Complex at Mucurapo on Friday night with good and bad news. The Trinidad and Tobago born but Canada resident won the World International Boxing Council bantamweight title but had nothing to show for it afterwards. On a night that was made memorable by a cultural performance and the glitz normally associated with Caesar’s Palace, Brown scored an impressive unanimous points victory over Jackie Chavez of the US. It was the main bout over 10 rounds on a card organised by ABC Boxing Academy which also featured two other world title championships. Brown unleashed a flurry of blows to the upper and middle section of Chavez’s body that forced the judges to award her the title fight 99-92, 100-90, 100-90.

The exceptional show of boxing prowess by Brown topped off a night when the local boxers got the better of their overseas opponents in what was billed as “Trinidad and Tobago versus the USA” clash. Also scoring victories for Trinidad and Tobago were welterweights Iva Weston and Giselle Salandy while Scroller Carrington suffered her first defeat in eight fights losing to Bermuda-based American Tereza Perozzi. The only sour point on the night was the decision of WICB president Don “Moose” Lewis to withhold the new championship belts from the winners claiming he had received no payment from the promoters. Yesterday boxing promoter and matchmaker Buxo Potts reported the matter to the Fraud Squad who sent to Piarco Airport to interview Lewis who was later allowed to leave for his home in New York without incident. Potts revealed that he had an agreement with Lewis for the purchase of four title belts at a cost of US $7,000.

He charged that Lewis had re-neged on the agreement and had decided to give Potts only one belt. Potts accused Moose of being “abusive and abrasive” and trying to sabotage the card. Potts said he had initially agreed to pay only for four world title belts — with the promise that payment would be made for a fifth belt when Lewis arrived in Trinidad with them. He said he paid Lewis for four belts because of the uncertainty that surrounded an opponent for Giselle Salandy. Salandy had been carded to take on Terri Blair in a title fight but it was cancelled after Blair said she was unable to make the trip. Potts said ABC Boxing Academy withheld a US$650 payment to Lewis because Salandy had been taken on board late and by that time Potts said the belts had already been paid for. Meanwhile Brown said she will remain in Trinidad and Tobago until everything has been sorted out between Potts and Lewis so she can get her championship belt.

Brown had openly expressed her disappointment about the situation saying that she came to Trinidad expecting to return home with three belts but she only had one to return home with. In the other fights, Weston also secured a WIBC title when she got the better of Elizabeth Mooney in a scheduled ten-round bout. It was a controversial decision as Weston was made to work hard against the tough Mooney who kept her busy with a succession of punches in almost all the rounds. At the end the judges awarded Weston the fight 95-94, 96-94, 91-98. Her compatriots Kim “Bone Crusher” Quashie and Scroller Carrington didn’t have that much luck, as they were both beaten.

First Carrington could not handle the agression of American Tereza Peruzzi in a ten-round-bout and retired in the seventh round. Quashie too found it tough against rough Guyanese Pamela London and asked referee Tommy Thomas to stop the fight after taking a pounding Giselle “Magic” Salandy, like Brown gave the crowd what they wanted, when she totally outclassed a rugged Manella Daniel for the win. Salandy showed class and speed while Daniel took a more direct approach by rushing Salandy and looking for the knock-out punch. But in the sixth round, Daniel could not handle the style of Salandy and asked the referee to stop the fight allowing Salandy to remain unbeaten. Vicky Boodram looked a much improved fighter against Guyana’s Stephanie George in the first fight of the night, scoring a knockdown before winning on points.