Wayne Braithwaite will be knocked out promises Shawn Cox

By Michael Benjamin
Barbadian and Caribbean Boxing Federation (CABOFE) heavyweight champion, Shawn ‘Bazooka’ Cox, fresh from a scintillating knockout victory over local heavyweight champion, Kurt Bess, has vowed to put former world Boxing Council (WBC) cruiserweight champion, Wayne ‘Big Truck’ Braithwaite to sleep when the two face off for the Cox’s title at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH), Saturday evening next.
Braithwaite is scheduled to fly into Guyana to keep his ring date with the Barbadian on the card promoted by the Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC) that features five bouts all for Caribbean Boxing Federation (CABOFE) titles.
He will arrive just in time for the Mashramani celebrations and sources close to the GBBC has intimated that he will mingle with his fans when he appears briefly on the Banks DIH float on Friday morning next .
While Braithwaite will be anxious to be among his native folks and while he will want to gyrate and generally enjoy the ambience of the Mashramani celebrations, the former world Boxing Council (WBC) cruiserweight champion will be forced to leave the celebrations after a mere few hours to relax for his all important bout against the Barbadian.
‘The Big Truck’ is spewing confidence and said that he will not rule out an early knockout victory for himself. He said that he has been working extremely hard for the bout and cannot visualize a loss. Indeed, the muscular pugilist has been plying his trade at the Gleasons Gym in Brooklyn under the tutelage of former local junior/welterweight champion, Dillon Carew. The coach said that he is satisfied with Braithwaite’s work ethics and that he could not possibly lose the bout.
The pundits are worried that Braithwaite’s absence from the active combat for close to a year will render him ring rusty. Indeed, ‘The Truck’s’ last bout occurred quite some time ago when he stopped Adam Harris. However, Braithwaite said that he is in the best of shape and cited his activities in Russia recently when after an aborted match against Ali Ismailov of Azerbaijan, he engaged in meaningful sparing sessions with Denis Levedev when the latter fighter was preparing for the interim heavyweight title fight against James Toney.
The former cruiserweight world champion last fought in March last year and prevailed with a first round stoppage over American, Adam Harris, in a bout last March in Connecticut NY. He has since said that after some time away from the ring he is ready to resume his career and cited the Harris fight as indicative of what was in store.
During a recent conversation with Braithwaite shortly after he had wrapped up morning sessions, he had been a little cagey in predicting a knockout, saying instead that at the end of it all he will be the new CABOFE champion. He said that he has never been more confident of winning a fight even as he scoffed at the Cox’s boast of winning by knockout.
Indeed Cox is rearing to go and repeated the boast when Kaieteur Sport spoke with him yesterday afternoon. He trains at the National Stadium in Bridgetown Barbados and said that he is currently sparring with an American boxer that has journeyed to Barbados to facilitate such preparations. Cox also spars with a few Bajan boxers.
Quizzed on his fight readiness Cox blurted, “I am in such great shape that I could wrap up sessions right now and take on Braithwaite tomorrow.” He said that he has had an opportunity to see the former Guyanese world champion in action in the Vincenzo Cantatore bout as well as the Guillermo Jones shindig. Braithwaite won the former but was stopped in the latter. Cox said that he is wary but certainly not afraid of Braithwaite. “I have faced tougher opponents before,” Cox brashly pronounced.
This is no idle boast as Cox has compiled an impressive 17-1 record that ought not to be taken lightly. His only loss came at the hands of Italian heavyweight champion, Salvatore Erritu. Otherwise, most of his opponents were beaten to a pulp with his latest victim, local heavyweight champion, Kurt Bess lasting just over two minutes. He was also rushed to the hospital for a cursory check after remaining on the canvass for the better part of 5 minutes.
The Bajan sports a physique like a bodybuilder and packs a terrific wallop. This time though, he will find that his opponent is capable of giving as well as taking a punch. One could only envisage the fierce battle that will erupt when these two gladiators enter the ‘square jungle.’
Several other fights will comprise the card which includes Dexter ‘The Kid’ Marques up against Orland Rogers for the flyweight version of the title while bantamweights Elton ‘Coolie Bully’ Dharry goes after Barbadian, Selwyn Lett for that CABOFE crown. Barbadian, Miguel Antoine will also face off with Guyanese Revlon Lake.
The bouts will not be televised live and fans will not be treated to the usual appearance of amateur boxers. The admission price is $3,000 for ringside and half that amount for stands. The action gets underway at 20:00hrs sharp.