T&T’s Sheldon Lawrence will be back in the ring tomorrow in Caracas, Venezuela to finally face Colombia’s Jose Cervantes.
The local boxer was scheduled to face the Colombian twice back in October in a super middleweight bout but Cervantes backed out on both occasions. Instead Lawrence faced Venezuelan Elvis Franko, emerging with the victory. Then Franko came in as a substitute as Cervantes pulled out due to problems with his teeth. His dentist had advised him against fighting.
Later that month, Lawrence was again made to wait for the encounter with Cervantes as he cancelled. Replacing him was Venezuelan Jesus Bermudez and the T&T boxer made light work of him, scoring a first-round victory.
Cervantes said, “I didn’t want to fight Lawrence at such short notice hence the reason I have pulled out of the two fights I was suppose to fight him. I am in much better conditions now and Lawrence will have to be on top of his game to beat me.”
Lawrence responded saying: “I am more fit and am in better shape than my last four fights so I am not worried about Cervantes. I know him and I have been studying him so I know what to expect from him in this fight.
“I have stepped up my physical game and I am ready to get back on the winning trail. I am very focused on becoming the Commonwealth champion as early as January so I am using all these fights as experience to get ready for it.”
Lawrence enters the ring looking to rebound following his first loss in seven pro bouts, to Jamaica’s Jermaine Bowen last month at Barbican Beach Park in Kingston.
The judges had voted unanimously for the Jamaican at the end of their six-round middleweight clash.
Soon after T&T boxing promoter Boxu Potts was convinced his fighter Lawrence was the victim of an unfair decision, citing that Bowen received an unfair home advantage and promised to launch a complaint with Jamaica Boxing Board (JBBC) general secretary Leroy Brown.