WALTER ALIBEY
Kick-boxer Medford Charles has says is willing to settle a score with Pan American welterweight champion Rodney Ramlal but only if the price is right.
Medford defeated Ramlal for the World Association of Kick-Boxing Organisation (WAKO)- sanctioned welterweight title two years ago, but the fight has been embroiled in controversy, with Ramlal claiming he was head-butted consistently and match officials deducting a minute from the sixth round of the eight-round contest.
Ramlal, who recently floored Brazilian Aleksandro Askiva for the Pan Am title in front a packed crowd at the Central Regional Indoor Sporting Arena, said the fight should have been stopped and adjudged null and void.
The local kick-boxing king was also furious because Charles breached the contract for the fight two years ago, by refusing to give him a rematch.
However, yesterday, Charles made it clear he was not afraid of Ramlal, and said he was ready to grant him his wish. A gleaming Charles told the T&T Guardian that he would like to receive a purse of $50,000 for the fight, and when quizzed as to the lowest he intends to go to make the fight a reality he said, "Our managers will have to meet at the negotiating table and decide on a respectable fee. I am sure they will decide on something."
Charles said he can never be afraid of Ramlal, saying: "He is a dog and I am a lion. Now how can a lion be afraid of a dog?"
Charles, who like Ramlal has his own kick-boxing gym, said he found it strange that Ramlal would complain about the fight now when he was the one who appointed all the officials. Charles also made it clear that all the complaints from Ramlal were not true at all.
Charles said: "Ramlal has tapes of the fight and everyone saw it and said it was a good fight. In fact, people now regard him as my son by telling me 'look the man yuh beat up.'
"My children at the gym are always asking me about a challenge that Ramlal put out on me, so I have decided to show the nation that this so-called Pan Am champion is anything but a champ," he said.
In fact, Charles added he was anything but impressed with Ramlal's victory over the Brazilian fighter."It looked like they were playing tag. I know what is good fight and that was not any quality fight. In fact I will beat both Ramlal and that Brazilian fighter," he said.
Charles, 44, admitted that he took another fight instead of accepting a rematch with Ramlal because, "it was an opportunity for me to make some money at 42 years, so I took it.
"I didn't win the fight but I have learnt some valuable lessons from it. I think, I just was not studying Ramlal because he is so easy to beat" Charles explained.
Charles said he is ready to fight Ramlal at any day and an time, but he prefers to have the fight six months down the road where both fighters would have adequate time to prepare so that when Ramlal is beaten again, he does not make excuses.
Charles, in conclusion, said, "I will show Trinidad and Tobago that this man who won a Pan Am title cannot stand up against me."