DeClou rallies Linden as he readies for Amsterdam clash

…Coach Rogers declares, “We’re not looking for a knockout. If it comes, that’s it”

Linden’s national super middleweight champion, Edmond DeClou took advantage on the local television station in Watooka recently, to rally Lindeners to head out and support him when he faces New Amsterdam’s Desmond Amsterdam in the main event of the Pro/Am card being staged by the Caribbean Boxing Organisation (CBO).
The event is set for Saturday night at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) in Georgetown.

The occasion was a press briefing, which was held by the CBO in conjunction with Bris-O Promotions, both headed by Seon Bristol.
Dexter Patterson from the Guyana Amateur Boxing Association (GABA) was also present, along with representative from the Bris-O Promotion group, Kesha Sertima; DeClou and his trainer Orlon “Pocket Rocket” Rogers.
Coach Rogers noted, “This is Amsterdam’s second professional fight and DeClou’s 26th to be exact. So, I think we would not take that for granted and go in there saying it’s a walkover, because Amsterdam is always active and busy. We are working out on different strategies. More timings and be more patient, even though this fight is a six-round fight. We know when to take him deep in the ocean and drown him. We are not going for a knockout, if it comes, that’s it. But we are preparing to fight and be victorious in the end.”

Addressing his preparation, DeClou said, “I am always 100 per cent ready, just to let the public know that Desmond Amsterdam was a really good amateur fighter. I think this would be his second professional fights. I am definitely not taking the guy lightly, having watched him as an amateur, so at this point I need the support from Linden, because this guy comes to fight, as I have trained with him for five years and he is always ready fighter and not one to play with.
“We have acknowledged the fact of the decline in the sport of boxing, not only in Guyana but within the Caribbean and as we know together we are strong. We have been able to bring promoters together to work with each other, to assist each and every Caribbean territory when it comes to the world of boxing. We are working together not only to build boxing but our athletes. Studies have shown, [what] participating in sports has done to our youngsters, it assists and helps them when it comes to classroom learning,” the promoter, Bristol later remarked.
The GABA’s Patterson announced that instead of four amateur fights, there would be six while the professional fights now number seven instead of six.
Commenting on the increase in fights as against what was initially the Boxing Night promotion, Bristol remarked: “From five professional bouts and four for amateur fights, today we now have extended it to seven professional and six amateur bouts, which is the maximum when it comes to a boxing card.”
Looking ahead to sustaining boxing within the region, Bristol proposed, “Out of 10 territories, I am asking these 10 territories to hold at least one promotion per year and that would be 10 shows in the entire year. It would become a hype for our boxers.”