Professional and amateur boxing will return to T&T on February 1 at the Southern Regional Indoor Sports Arena, Pleasantville, San Fernando with a mouth-watering eight-bout card that will be put on through a collaborative effort of the T&T Boxing Association and Fine Line Fight Factory of Chaguanas.
On that card, the country's emerging female boxing prodigy Faith Ramnath will get a much-awaited rematch with American Jewel Lambert, the same boxer who defeated her at the National Boxing Championship, late last year.
The card labelled 'Spanish Invasion', will feature T&T best fighters coming up against boxers from neighbouring Venezuela and Cuba for bragging rights and titles.
The Ramnath/Lambert flyweight women's contest will headline the amateur events, a fight that Ramnath has been clamouring for, after feeling she was robbed in the initial contest between them at the National Cycling Centre (NCC) in Balmain Couva. Ramnath's promoter and match-maker Boxu Potts told the media his fighter was made to battle against someone in a different weight class to her.
He also said Ramnath, the only fighter capable of replacing multiple-times World Champion fighter Giselle Salandy, was not given a fair weigh-in before the fight by TTBA officials.
The night's activities will also feature T&T's Olympic heavyweight boxer Nigel Paul coming against Cuban Carlos Castillo Rodriguez, while T&T's decorated middleweight fighter Michael Alexander will have the chance to avenge his loss to Cuban Jorge Morian Vincent.
Making their pro debut will be Yuray Cisnero of Fine Line and Eduardo Medina, who boxes out of the Cosmic Boxing Gym in Marabella.
Boxing Association president, Cecil Forde said he was encouraged to be a co-promoter of the pro-am event.
“For the past eight years or so, professional Boxing has been struggling in this country. T&T has a very colourful and successful history in pro boxing, whereby both male and female world champions have been produced. In recent years, numerous attempts have been made to get things happening once more, but with little success. Bharrath Ramoutar of Fine Line Fight Promotions has been the driving force, doing everything possible, trying to revive the pro aspect of the sport and he has refused to give up. The TTBA has decided to get involved and do its part in this latest effort,” Forde explained.
The Professional card:
Eduardo Medina (Ven) vs Akeil Outrum (T&T), Yuray Cisnero (Cuba) vs Tevoy Barret (Jamaica).
Amateur card:
Nigel Paul (TT) vs Carlos Castillo Rodriguez (Cuba), Jessie Beckles (TT) vs Herich Ruiz Cordoba (Cuba), Michael Alexander (TT) vs Jorge Morian Vincent (Cuba), Tyron Thomas (Golden Fist) vs Stanley Brooks (Biomel), Anthony Joseph (World Class) vs Rondell Phillip (Rough House), Faith Ramnath (Faith Boxing Club) vs Jewel Lambert (Golden Fist).