Palmer looks to knock over Beckford again
Published:Wednesday | February 29, 2012 | 12:00 AM
Leroy Brown, Gleaner Writer
The quest for the title Wray and Nephew Welterweight Contender 2012 continues tonight with Glenroy 'Bumpy' Beckford taking on Dean Palmer in a six-round contest that should provide a lot of action.
The made-for-television series, which is slated for 16 weeks and is being promoted by MJK Productions and sponsored by J. Wray and Nephew, TVJ and Foska Oats, with the approval of the Jamaica Boxing Board of Control, will have two amateur bouts starting at 8.30 p.m., followed by the professional fight at 9.30 p.m., that will be broadcast live on TVJ. The venue is the Chinese Benevolent Association auditorium on Old Hope Road.
The feedback after the first night of competition was that "the fight was too short" when Richard Holmes scored a second-round technical knockout victory over Courtney Simister. Last week, however, the Donovan Campbell versus Rohan Robinson fight went the distance. The question to be answered tonight is, how long will the fight last?
Beckford is a seasoned professional with a reputation as a fierce infighter, while Palmer is making his professional debut. Palmer, however, points to the fact that he has an amateur victory over Beckford and will take this psychological advantage into the ring with him tonight. That will not bother the always-combative Beckford, however, and there is no doubt that he will come out swinging from the opening bell.
High stakes
The stakes are high for both fighters, because the winner of the championships, apart from being crowned the Wray and Nephew Welterweight Contender for 2012, will take home purse money of one million dollars. The runner-up prize is $500,000, third place $250,000 and fourth place $200,000.
Television viewers will also see the yellow and green teams doing their challenge, which was used to determine who will fight tonight. The team that won the challenge got the opportunity to decide which team member would fight tonight and to also choose his opponent. Winning the challenge each week is, therefore, a major achievement.