The boxing rivalry between the Cayman Islands and Jamaica will heat up this Friday, 8 Dec., at the ‘Clash in Cayman’ extravaganza, where a pair of local amateurs will throw down at the Lions Centre against two Jamaicans looking to upset the home crowd.
Felipe Sanchez, one of the coaches out of Suga Knockout Boxing Gym, in Olympic Gardens, Jamaica, told the Compass that his fighters have been training extremely hard and they are ready for all challenges.
“We are coming to put on a show and to win,” Sanchez said. “We are coming to steal the show from the local boys and we know it’s a challenge, but our the camp has been intense; we are ready and we are really coming to perform.”
Jamaica’s Hackeem Brady, who began training under Sanchez this year, will make his amateur debut against Cayman’s Geno Brown, who has a 1-0 record.
‘Fearless’ vs ‘Wata Man’
However, the fight between Caymanian Alec ‘Fearless’ Lopez and Jamaican Jahmari ‘Wata Man’ Frazer has been attracting the attention of boxing fans after Lopez vowed to bring war inside the ring.
“Alec is good,” Sanchez said. “I have a lot of respect for his coach Floyd [Trumpet] but in our gym, Wata Man has… trained with some of the best boxers Jamaica has to offer.
“He has had to spar older fighters and I believe this is what will leverage us to bring that pressure to Alec. Wata Man has never turned down a fight and he has no fear for the one they call fearless.”
Lopez, 3-2, is coming off a knockout victory against Bahamian Jason Bethel at the Thanksgiving Knockout Championships in the Bahamas on 25 Nov., while Frazer, 0-3, will be hoping to punch his way to his first win.
Sanchez noted that his fighters will be travelling out of Jamaica for the first time and he is pleased with the opportunity for them to showcase their skills at a regional level.
“We are really looking to break the ice,” he said. “It’s the first time they are flying out of the country. It is a very diplomatic rivalry which will only benefit boxing between Jamaica and Cayman.
“I think giving the junior boxers this platform is a beautiful thing because they are the future of the sport.”
Sanchez noted that while his fighters may not be the fan favourites come fight night, he knows his athletes carry the pride of their nation and will have an entire country supporting them as they watch the televised matches.
“Everyone is rooting for us,” he said. “We are very proud of our hometown and our mentality as Jamaicans – we are very competitive with anything we do. [It] doesn’t matter what sports, we will fly our country flag high and we want to win.”
To purchase tickets for the event, visit ticketplus.
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