Jamaican challenge for Cayman’s boxers

Eduardo Montalvo and Alexander Smith are two of the fighters making the trip.

A quartet of Cayman Islands boxers head to Jamaica to compete on a fight card against top contenders from that country on Saturday, 5 November, 2016.

Light heavyweight Dariel Ebanks, light welterweight Alexander Smith and lightweight Eduardo Montalvo are making the trip along with female featherweight Chambria Dalhouse.

The Cayman fighters will be back in action two weeks after a card against opponents from London’s Gumshield Gym. They are set to enter the ring at the Barbican Beach Sports Complex in Kingston on a six-fight event that will also feature professional boxers.

Over the past fortnight, they’ve been taking on lessons learned from their last bouts under the tutelage of trainers Ryan Barrett and Nayon ‘Donie’ Anglin. “They’re looking good as always. Between me and Donie, we do our job correctly to make sure they are ready for action. Camp’s gone good and we can’t ask for more,” said Barrett, who will accompany the fighters to Kingston.

Anglin agreed. “I’ve had the opportunity to referee fights with them and see all their improvement right in front my eyes. I’ve seen a lot of good stuff,” he told CaymanSportsBuzz.com.

Ebanks will be looking for his 18th amateur win.

Ebanks will be looking for his 18th amateur win.

Ebanks, who improved his amateur record to 17-3 with his recent win over Ohio-Kain Ikharia, will face Ian Darby. After his defeat, Ikharia described the southpaw from West Bay as one of the smartest fighters he’s squared off with in the ring.

The assessment was similar from Barrett, the Cayman Islands national team coach. “Dariel could be one of the smartest guys I’ve worked with in my career as a trainer and even when I fought,” said Barrett, a former WBU world champion.

“With the right sparring – that’s all he’s really lacking now – he could win the Cayman Islands a serious medal [in international competition].”

Smith, 17, is set to face Daniel Hylton, one of Jamaica’s top prospects. Smith has an 0-2 record against more experienced fighters in the ring but has shown tremendous growth since his international debut in July.

“He’s easy to work with. [He’s] very coachable and improving as he goes on. He has so much interest in this thing and he’s not scared to go in with anyone…He’s improving, getting better and better all the time,” Anglin said of the young fighter.

Alexander Smith and Chambria Dalhouse

Alexander Smith and Chambria Dalhouse

CaymanSportsBuzz.com caught up with Smith during a break from training. “I feel good and have confidence ahead of the fight and I’m confident I’m going to win,” he said. “I feel strong enough and my stamina is good.”

Dalhouse, 16, will face fellow teenager Keron Thomas in what will be the George Town boxer’s second competitive bout after losing a close decision to Tilly Cosgrove on 22 October.

“At this stage, I don’t think the L or the W made much difference to Chambria. The experience…she loved it, she’s not been upset, the training has not been different, she still has that smile on her face,” Barrett told CaymanSportsBuzz.com.

“She’ll go to Kingston, and me and Donie both expect her to win. If she doesn’t win, she’ll put on a tremendous performance and fight her heart out.”

Montalvo (white top) is an energetic and exciting fighter.

Montalvo (white top) is an energetic and exciting fighter.

Montalvo, who missed out on competition during the fight night against London, has been itching to get back into the competition. On paper, that’s exactly what he’ll face in Jamaica’s Ricardo Beckford.

“Eduardo has got a tough fight in Jamaica,” Barrett noted. “He’s got a guy who has just come back from trying to qualify for the Olympics. He’ll have a tough fight but he’s more than capable of beating anybody in the world.”

This will be the last competitive action for the Cayman fighters before the Caribbean Amateur Championships in Barbados in December.

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