By Avenash Ramzan
Kishawn Simon will look for revenge against Cassius Matthews when the two meet in a rematch on the “Hostile Territory” boxing card on February 27 at the Giftland Mall. The bout is an addition to the card, which is being organised by the Guyana Boxing Board of Control.
The last time these two met was on Boxing Day 2013 in Linden, where Matthews earned a Split Decision win. A year later Simon suffered another loss, this time to Revlon Lake, and has not fought since.
With a record of two wins and three losses, Simon is now making a return to the sport, and said he is confident of topping Matthews, who had a record of five wins, eight losses and two draws. The six-round welterweight contest is being sponsored by Lewisons Automotive of Corentyne, Berbice.
Simon said his time away from the sport was to sort out “some personal issues” and deal with some “setbacks”, but noted that he is fully switched on and focused on resuming his career.
“I miss fighting, I miss winning. I had to recover from a few setbacks…some personal issues and some training. I also had to correct some mistakes I made in the past, and I’m grateful to Gilbert Eastman and Howard Eastman for helping me through that phase,” Simon noted.
Simon will enter the ring on the back of two consecutive defeats, but the Berbician is not daunted by the perils of ring rust, as he has been training hard for the return.
“I learnt a lot from my last two fights, and I think I’m a better fighter because of that knowledge. All I’m looking for right now is to get back to my winning ways,” Simon explained.
Dharry headline act
In the main bout, United Stated of America-based Guyanese boxer, Elton “Coolie Bully” Dharry, will trade punches with Venezuela’s Felix Machado.
The 43-year-old Machado is a former IBF Super Flyweight champion, and has a record of 26 wins and 13 losses, eight of which have come in his last nine fights.
Dharry’s record currently stands at 19 wins, 12 by way of knockout, five losses and one draw. He will enter the ring on the strength of a 16-bout winning streak, stretching way back to 2010.
The 10-round bantamweight showdown will serve as a warm-up for the 30-year-old Dharry ahead of a British Commonwealth fight on May 21.
The main supporting bout will also be a Guyana versus Venezuela thriller, as local boy Dexter Marques will face off with his neighbouring Spanish-speaking rival Freddie Beleno in a 10-round flyweight fight.
Marques, currently boasting six wins on the trot, has a record of 14 victories (5 KOs) and two defeats, while Beleno has 26 wins (15 KOs) and 10 losses, including seven in his last seven fights, dating back to 2008.
In the other fights, Trinidad and Tobago-based Guyanese Revlon Lake will face Miguel Antoine of Barbados in an eight-round welterweight clash; Imran “Magic” Khan will meet Quincy Gomes in a 135 lbs all Guyanese contest; while Mandessa Moses will collide Anselle Norville in a four-round bantamweight. (Guyana Times)
