World title fights at Skinner Park

LOCAL boxing will usher in the New Year with another promising card scheduled for January 7, at Skinner Park in San Fernando. And the fights are expected to be watched by millions of viewers throughout the United States and the world, courtesy Comcast Sports Channel and the Madison Square Garden’s Direct TV channel. Boxing promoter and match-maker Boxu Potts said yesterday that attempts are also being made to have ESPN, the US sports cable channel, film and broadcast the event. Planned are five world title fights which are geared to attract the interest of  millions of people worldwide, Potts said. Among the feature bouts on the card is a women’s bout between NABC champions Iva Weston against Colombian Darry Pardo for the WBA and NABC world titles. Also listed to fight is  Giselle “Magic” Salandy against Terri Blair of the US for the WBA and NABC titles.

“Princes Town Tigress” Vicky Boodram will clash with Puerto Rican Yahada Bonilla for the NABC world title; and Kevin “Fighting Policeman” Placide will step into the ring against Barbadian Christopher Henry for the WBB world title. The bouts will all precede the main fight which will be an encounter between Trinidad and Tobago’s Kurt Sinnette and Barbadian Marcus Thomas for the World Boxing Empire (WBE) crown , as well as the FECABOX or the WBC titles. It is understood that Thomas is warning Sinnette that he will have a big hurdle to cross in their match-up on January 7. Sinnette has been unbeaten since turning a professional, with a record of nine fights including seven knock-outs. Potts said he had earlier turned down a fight for Weston in Kenya because he felt that “conditions were not right”.

He said a purse of US$5,000 was offered for Weston in addition to which he said, the Kenyan challenger would have had a huge advantage in size, weight and hometown support. Potts noted that while he got another fighter from Argentina to replace Weston in Kenya, he said that he has a series of big fights coming up for the Siparia boxer in the New Year. The 19-year-old Weston made two unsuccessful attempts at world titles (in Germany and France last year) but made up for it when she defeated Bermudan Teresa Perruzzi at the biggest women’s boxing card ever to be held in Trinidad last September 23 at the Jean Pierre Complex, Mucurapo. Potts made a call yesterday for support for the card from corporate Trinidad and Tobago and the Sport Company of Trinidad and Tobago.