Ramnarine ready for title fight

Ramnarine puts her Women’s International Boxing Association title on the line against Guyana’s Stephanie George at the Central Regional Indoor Sporting Auditorium, Chaguanas.

The Carapichaima lass is assured of a $20,000 payday, win, lose or draw while George will pocket $11,000 for her night’s work.

Ramnarine, who has the backing of Mau Pau Private Members Club of Woodbrook, is continuing with light work at the Fine Line Fight Club in Montrose, Chaguanas.

She said yesterday she will engage in light stretching exercises before the fight.

The encounter will be the first for Ramnarine, since defeating Yvonne Capels of the United States of America for the title in March last year at the Jean Pierre Complex, Mucurapo.

Ramnarine said that training had been intensified last week in preparation for the ten-round encounter.

George was expected to arrive in Trinidad and Tobago yesterday and will stay at a hotel in Port-of-Spain. Ramnarine is now weighing 106 pounds but will have to drop at least a pound for the fight.

George who is taller than her opponent will enjoy the advantage in reach, and probably aggression. But she has a greater job of losing weight since she normal tips the scales at 115.

Ramnarine was scheduled to fight American Marianne Chubirka earlier this year but the bout was called off after a row erupted over the weight of the gloves moments before the contest was scheduled to start.

And another fight in Europe was also cancelled when problems developed with Ramnarine’s visa to enter Hungary.

The women’s title contest will be the feature bout on the card and will involve kickboxing events, Muay Thai and San Shou.

Muay Thai is a sport that is similar to kickboxing, but includes the use of the elbow and knees during the fight.

However organisers have ruled out the use of the elbows for the card which is hardly expected to take away from the excitement.

The sport has been practised in Trinidad and Tobago for some time, but has suffered from lack of promotion. San Shou is also similar to kickboxing but includes throwing your opponent. It will be a demonstration sport at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and local organisers are encouraging the its growth to keep apace with international standards.