LONDON-based Guyanese Howard Eastman turned in a top class performance to win the national middleweight title by points decision over a determined `Deadly’ Denny Dalton at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall on Saturday night, when the Guyana Boxing Board of Control staged its `Judgement Day’ five-fight card.
Judges Andrew Thorne, Bernard De Santos and Lionel Sullivan scored the fight 114-114, 112-116 and 114-116 respectively, all in favour of Eastman whose record now stands at 49 fights, 43 wins with 35 knockouts and six losses.

Dalton who ruled the middleweight division for quite a while, and whose record prior to Saturday night’s loss was 16 wins with 11 of them by the knockout route, seven losses and one disqualification, put on a grand show and had the crowd urging him on for most of the 12-round contest.

The main supporting bout between women’s national heavyweight champion Pamela London and challenger Veronica Blackman saw London, a former WIBC heavyweight champion retain her title, much to the dismay of the crowded Sports Hall.

Judges Trevor Arno, Thorne and De Santos scored the eight-round contest 74-79, 76-76 and 73-79 respectively to give London a unanimous verdict.

The opening four-round catch-weight contest between Carlton `The Fighting Raja’ and Cecil Smith saw the latter win by a unanimous decision.

Andrea `The Rock’ Duncan, fighting out of Trinidad and Tobago, scored a split decision over Shelly `The Bomb’ Gibson in their four-round heavyweight bout while in the other fight on the night’s card Guyanese Joel McRae, who is currently based in Trinidad, registered a split decision over Michael DeMattos in their six-round middleweight contest.

The approximate 2 000 fans all got their money’s worth, as all five bouts were very entertaining. The big disappointment for most of them however, was the decision of the judges who scored in favour of London.

As most of the crowd, including national light-heavyweight champion Gwendolyn O’Neil, saw the fight differently and thought that Blackman had done enough to secure a win.

The main fight on the card (Eastman versus Dalton) will be remembered by many for a very long time, as it truly lived up to expectations.

Dalton pressured Eastman for the first four or five rounds and caught him with some telling combinations, but the experienced Eastman who fought twice for world titles against William Joppy and Bernard Hopkins and lost on both occasions, brought his experience into play and received a rousing ovation from the crowd.

Round one: Eastman came out a bit relaxed while Dalton took the fight to him, throwing punches to Eastman’s head, Eastman used his reach to good advantage catching Dalton with some crisp jabs.

Round two: Dalton started to attack Eastman’s body and head, sending the England-based fighter on the retreat for most of the round.

Round three: Dalton continued to pressure Eastman who was still retreating but getting in quite a few combinations of his own.

Round four: Eastman appeared as though he had settled, using his jabs to good effect while Dalton continued to step on him, throwing left right combinations to body and head, but Eastman got in the better of the combinations.

Round five: Eastman connected with two left-right combinations to the body of Dalton who covered up and got in a combination of his own. At this point, Eastman brought his experience into play and caught Dalton with two powerful straight rights and a left hook. Dalton responded with a left-right combination that seemed to surprise Eastman.

Round six: Dalton advanced to Eastman and connected with a left dig to body and an overhand right to the head of Eastman who responded with a straight right to Dalton’s head. Dalton continued to stalk Eastman going to his body and head while Eastman was contented with jabbing and moving out of Dalton’s reach.

Round seven: Eastman tried to control the pace of the fight tying up his opponent but Dalton scored with two uppercuts and Eastman replied with a left hook and a straight right.

Round eight: Dalton continued to pressure Eastman, forcing him to fight on the retreat. Dalton connected with two right hooks to the chin of Eastman who replied with a series of combinations which did not appear to affect Dalton who went forward and connected with two overhand left hooks.

Round nine: both fighters came out very aggressive going after each other looking for the knockout. Eastman connected with a left jab, followed by a right cross and two left hooks that shook Dalton and seemed to have slowed him down a bit.

Round ten: Eastman, still aggressive, scored a series of body shots but Dalton replied in like manner. Midway the round, Dalton started to connect with hooks and straight rights but the Berbician used his experience and weathered the storm.

Round eleven: Eastman took the fight to Dalton and connected with a series of right crosses and when it was thought that it was all over, Dalton came back strong and connected a few times to Eastman’s body.

Round twelve: Dalton seemed to have found a second breath as he took the fight to Eastman who countered well and responded with some telling combinations and this brought the crowd to its feet shouting Eastman, Eastman, Eastman, until the round was over.

In the end, Eastman, who won the British Commonwealth title three times and who is the only Guyanese boxer to hold the British Commonwealth, European IBO, WBA and Southern Area middleweight title, was declared the winner and new national middleweight champion of Guyana.