Contrasting wins for Dharry and Marques

By Avenash Ramzan

In the midst of a persistent drizzle in the wee hours of Sunday, Elton “Coolie Bully” Dharry and Dexter “The Kid” Marques churned out contrasting wins on the “Hostile Territory” boxing card at the Giftland Mall.

By virtue of their respective wins, USA-based Guyanese Dharry and compatriot Marques have earned the right to battle for Commonwealth titles on May 21, possibly in Guyana.

In the main contest, a 10-round bantamweight showdown, Dharry proved too hot to handle for Machado.

Despite Dharry slipping on the canvas four times due to a wet canvas (the event was open air), he battered a game Machado, who at 43, withstood a barrage of punches in the opening few rounds.

At 30, Dharry is in his prime, and his performance displayed a sense of maturity, as he was more selective in his attacks, a stark difference from the out-and-out aggression that fans have grown accustomed to over the years.

Maybe a slippery canvas was a factor in his approach, but there was the feeling that a knockout was on the cards, one which was avoided after Machado remained in his corner at the start of round five, forcing the referee to cut short the contest.

While the opening was a ‘feeling out’ round, the next three was all Dharry, as he made the Venezuelan feel the full weight of his punches, battering the visitor in rounds two and four.

It was during a flurry of punches from Dharry that Machado reportedly picked up a jaw injury, which ultimately forced him to ‘throw in the towel.’

The win was Dharry’s 17th on the trot, and it improves his record to 20 wins (13 (KOs), five losses and one draw.

By virtue of the loss, Machado slipped to nine defeats in his last 10 fights. His record now stands at 26 wins and 14 defeats.

In the main supporting bout, a 10-round flyweight match-up, Marques maintained his unbeaten record at that weight, extending his record to 15 wins and two losses. Beleno suffered his 11th defeat to go along with 26 victories.

Many felt Marques may have squandered an opportunity to earn a knockout, as he allowed Beleno to recover on several occasions. Since the amateur days, Marques is not known to be a knockout specialist, but more inclined to wearing the opponent down with tactical boxing.

Much of the same was on show on Sunday, as he marched his way to a date with the Commonwealth belt in May.

In the other fights, Barbados’ Miguel Antoine suffered his first defeat on Guyana’s soil as Revlon Lake earned a Split Decision win; Quincy Gomes gained a similar result against Imran Khan; Anson Greene gained a Majority Decision over Kishawn Simon; and Mandessa Moses got a Unanimous Decision win over debutant Ansilla Norville.

The card was coordinated by the Guyana Boxing Board of Control in partnership with the Giftland Mall.