More than just a title fight, USA-based Guyanese professional boxer Elton Dharry was battling for his respect on Saturday last, when the Guyana Fight Night card engulfed the Everest Cricket Club (ECC) Ground.
The Guyanese, many later found out, had a sour taste left in his mouth from one of his recent performances on home shores and entered the ring, in front of the likes of Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo; Sport Minister Charles Ramson Jr and Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh, with a point to prove to all and sundry.
Arguably the most entertaining bout of the 8-fight card, Dharry met familiar foe Dexter “the Kidd” Marques for the WBA Super Flyweight Gold, a battle that was shorter than anticipated.
Dharry, after a solid first two rounds, restricted his opponent to the ropes and followed up with a flurry of body shots, landing his 16th career knockout to secure the title.
Keevin Allicock had his opponent on the ropes before landing the knockout punch
“I came home to Guyana to fight at the Stadium, took me all the heart and the courage and the bravery I had in me to do it. I gave of my best that night, I was knocked down twice and my people, all they see was me getting knocked down, they didn’t see nothing else, I take that as an insult,” the Guyanese pugilist shared following his title-winning fight.
Dharry continued, “And tonight I came home, to fight the next best Guyanese fighter and I showed him who Elton Dharry is. Two decades, 20 years, I’m undefeated in Guyana. I want that from the people in boxing here.
““I turned myself into an animal after I heard the s**t talking in Guyana and my own people talking s**t. So, I said let me show them who the hell the little Indian guy is,” he added.
Laured “Lion” Stewart (red) also enjoyed a KO win
Quizzed about how he anticipated the contest would go, Dharry said, “I was in my locker room, wondering if I’m going to be able, physically able, to go the distance tonight, because I was a bit dehydrated, plus I came here, waited five hours, probably lose a few more pounds in the locker room. So, it was just things in my mind before I came in here, but once I get in the ring, I got in the zone and I didn’t feel too much punching power.”
“I knew by the fourth round I’m going to start pick it up, but he didn’t get there.
“This means a lot, this is the biggest title I’ve won. I’ve won eight titles, I fought for the world title and this is the closest thing to a world champion you can get, other than the world title,” Dharry later added.
Earlier in the evening, amateur boxer-turned-pro Keevin Allicock had the perfect debut, that ended in the KO of his opponent.
Allicock, like Dharry, bullied Barbadian pugilist Jusean Shepherd in a junior lightweight clash until the Bajan lost his footing in the third round. A third knockout was witnessed when Laured “Lion” Stewart flattened Imran “Magic” Khan in round four of their six-round catchweight clash.
Another title fight on the night saw Panama’s Nataly Delgado clinching the WBA Fedelatin Super Flyweight title after a unanimous decision victory over Venezuela’s Johana Zuniga.
Edmond Declou, Pedro Sanchez, and Ricardo Blackman were the others in the winning circle while Dominican Republic’s Jean Carlos Rodrigues and Venezuela’s Rafael Marquez fought to a draw.
