Barbadian pugilist Miguel “Hands Of Stone” Antoine will fight Filipino champion Jason Pagara for the World Boxing Organization’s (WBO) international junior lightweight title in the Philippines on October 20.
The 12-round bout between the 24-year-olds will be held at the new SM Mall Of Asia Arena, Pasay City, Metro Manila, which has a capacity of 15 000.
The fight, which will be carried live on Asian TV and will be streamed live on the Internet, is a main event on a show which will be headlined by a WBO title fight.
Antoine is undefeated in 18 fights and holds the World Boxing Council’s CABOFE and Commonwealth Zonal super lightweight titles.
He is rated as one of the top 40 fighters in the world in his weight category.
Pagara has won 29 of his 31 fights and is the former WBO Asia Pacific Youth and current WBO international junior welterweight champion.
Antoine, who trains out of the Thump Monkey facility in Fitts Village, St James, is excited about his first world-class assignment and aims to be Barbados’ next world champion.
“I would first like to thank God for blessing me with the talent of boxing; Kelvin Noel, who started my amateur career, and my long-time and current trainer Sam Layne, who is like a father to me,” he said.
“Right now I have a great team of people around me . . . .
“[These include] Tim O’Brien, who gets me in top shape with his boot camp marine-style training . . . ; James Imgrahm, who works on my strength, agility and works with my manager Sam to create opportunities for me.
“The only thing that is missing is a ring to practise my trade.
“We have all worked very hard to reach this point and I would like to think that we have done enough to merit some moral and other support as we go forward to make our country proud.”
Antoine said he was aiming to motivate young people to seek positive opportunities.
“Everyone can’t be a teacher or a bus driver, but there are many other avenues out there that you can make a honest and positive contribution to your country, and professional sports is definitely an option,” he said.
Antoine also thanked his employer C&R Distributors for allowing him time off to pursue his dreams.
His trainer and manager Layne, who is credited with developing Caribbean boxers to world-class level, said he was happy with Antoine’s training, but reckoned he was behind in sparring practice in a ring.
He believes Antoine has the skills and talent to be a world champion. but he needs quality sparring partners to get his timing right and practise his ring craft in a boxing arena.
“We have spoken to and written to the sporting authorities here about using one of the rings to prepare Miguel for this fight and we are awaiting an answer,” Layne said.
Layne is also appealing for assistance in securing an airline ticket for Brien, who works Antoine’s corner as “cut man and second”.
“Right now we have airline tickets for Miguel and myself but we need tickets and accommodation for two assistants,” he said. (EZS)