Newly-crowned International Sport Kick-Boxing Association Pan American welterweight kick-boxing champion Rodney Ramlal is calling out long-time local rival Medford Charles for rematch.
Ramlal said yesterday he is fed-up of claims by Charles that he beat him in a contest that Ramlal described as dubious. "He beat me about three years ago for the superwelter weight title in a fight where officials took off a minute from one of the rounds and although there was a rematch clause, he is afraid of challenging me again," Ramlal said.
Ramlal also claimed he was head butted about two or three times by Charles in the fight and the referee did nothing about it.
According to Ramlal, he paid for the belt, the sanction fee and did the total promotion of the show which took place at the Central Regional Indoor Sports Arena. He added also that the professional fight was sanctioned by the National Kick-Boxing Council of T&T of which Brendon Burke was the president, but it did not have any international officials although it was also sanctioned under the World Association of Kick Boxing Organisation.
The 46-year old Ramlal beat Brazilian Aleksandro Askiva for the Pan Am title on Saturday night. He said he will take on the boastful Charles anywhere and anytime. He explained that Charles was going all over the country boasting that he defeated him.
"Charles came on my show and was telling people that he is my boss. Well I want to tell him that he is afraid of me. He is scared to face me in a rematch although a rematch is mandatory in all kick-boxing contracts, so let us settle this thing once and for all" Ramlal said.
He added: "If Charles wants to call himself a champion then he must face me or else shut up."
He noted that instead of Charles facing him, he fought someone else for the Latin American title and lost.
"That cannot be right. The contract stated that there was a six-month period in which he was supposed to face before taking any other fighter but he broke that contract. He must now face me for the superwelter weight title or be stripped," Ramlal explained.
WALTER ALIBEY