Professional boxing will once again be in the spotlight here in The Bahamas, and one of the country's most accomplished fighters will be the headliner.
Meacher 'Major Pain' Major is once again returning home to fight on a major professional card. He is scheduled to take on Brazilian Roger Rosa in a six-round main event scheduled for an 8 p.m. start on Friday, December 13, 2013, at the Rainforest Theatre in the Wyndham Nassau Resort. The show, dubbed "Pain and Glory" is being staged by Buttons Bridal & Formal Wear Ltd. in conjunction with the Strikers Boxing Club.
Venturing into the promotional business for the first time, Buttons General Manager Tommy Stubbs said that he is looking forward to a grand event.
"After much deliberation and hesitation, Buttons Formal Wear is pleased to accept the invitation to assist in the production and promotion of Meacher Major's next match here in Nassau," said Stubbs. "We take delight in acting as promoter and organizer for this special event. Meacher is truly a Bahamian sports legend, and we are very proud of him. Because of his involvement and participation, we will give this event the utmost attention that it truly deserves. We know how excited he is to be back home fighting in front of his family and friends, and we will make sure that he truly enjoys this event."
Stubbs said that one of the reasons why they chose the Rainforest Theatre is because of the overhead view, the special lighting and sound, and the smoke effects that are available to them.
As for Major, as the loser in his last two fights, he said that he is thrilled to be getting the opportunity to fight again here at home, and getting back to his winning ways. He brings an overall win/loss/draw record of 20-6-1 (17 KOs) into this fight, while his Brazilian opponent Rosa stands at 5-4-1.
"First of all, I have to give the Almighty God thanks. Also, thanks to Mr. Stubbs and Mr. Butler (Mike Butler) from Buttons," said Major. "I saw Mr. Stubbs' passion when it came to doing things, and also, he is my advisor. Tommy has been a great help to me in my personal life, and also with the involvement with the youth in my community. I can't thank him enough for allowing me to be able to come back home and bring the sport of boxing back. I also have to thank my trainer Nathaniel Knowles, and also Ray Minus Jr., even though he isn't my trainer anymore. Hats off to Ronn Rodgers for coming on board, and allowing me to have my training camp here at his boxing club, Strikers. This is my new home, and hopefully we could take boxing to the next level in this country. Right now, we are just looking forward to a great show.
"I had two bad breaks in my last two fights, but it's a great feeling to be back fighting at home. Had I not lost those last recent fights, I might not have been here today. I believe that everything happens for a reason. God allows things to happen so thay you can experience bigger and better things, and now we are about to take boxing to another level. I will definitely be ready. Also, I want the Bahamian public to come out and see the talented young fellas who we have coming up. They are the future for boxing here in The Bahamas."
Ronn Rodgers from the Strikers Boxing Club said that this show is a great boost for the sport of boxing here in The Bahamas.
"We know that The Bahamas has the raw talent to produce world champions, and that is our goal," said Rodgers. "With this card, we are trying to show that we can stand against the world. There is a Brazilian coming in for the main event, and then there are some Americans coming in for the undercard. This will be a great opportunity for Bahamians to see that we belong on the world stage," he added.
The undercard is expected to feature about six to eight fights, including the co-main event, Mike Sawyer, who fights out of Orlando, Florida, going up against Alex Perez, who fights out of Miami, Florida, in a four-rounder, a women's professional bout, and a number of amateur fights featuring young fighters from Strikers and the Champion Amateur Boxing Club (CABC).
CABC Head Coach Ray Minus Jr. said that this is a great step to helping a sport that can do so much for the young people of this country.
"Professional boxing is so special that it can turn a whole country around in terms of helping our young people to move forward," said Minus Jr. "Now, it is possible to just walk off the streets and become a champion. I have seen it happen! If we have a program to help these young people to move forward, boxing can rise in this country and help a lot of them. I'm happy to see this high level of promotion taking place, and I hope it continues. If it continues, our boxers will once again be on the threshold of becoming world champions. I believe that fighters here in The Bahamas are world-class material, and if they can have a program that can provide the opportunities, I believe that we will see world champions in the future."
Despite being at an age when most boxers start to decline, Major said that he is in great shape and ready to put on a show. He is 32 while his opponent is 29.
"I don't have as much time ahead of me as what I have behind me in the sport of boxing, so I have to be much smarter now rather than just going out there and trying to brawl with everybody," said Major. "People are going to see a clinic. I'm in good shape and I'm ready to go. The way this card is being promoted, I think that this is something that we really need. Promotion at this level is really high class. It has breathed new life into me, and I feel great."
Major's trainer Nathaniel 'Nat' Knowles said Major could step into the ring now if he needs to. Nevertheless, he said that they will continue working with him on a regular basis.
As for his opponent, Major didn't have much to say but Stubbs said that he got a chance to watch him on YouTube, and he was impressed by what he saw.
"Rosa is no pushover. He isn't going to just lay down and give Meacher the fight," said Stubbs. "I think that Rosa is looking to get a world title fight as soon as possible, so this should be a great match. We will treat his opponent, Mr. Rosa, and his boxing team with respect, and give them a warm reception upon their arrival here in Nassau. All other boxers on the fight card, Bahamians and foreigners, will be well taken care of. We look forward to the production of 'Pain and Glory', which we know will be enjoyed by hundreds in attendance and millions around the world through the Internet and social media."
Stubbs said that he got involved in the boxing business because he felt that there was something that he could give to the sport to help in its development here in The Bahamas.
"When I see that there are so many talented young fighters in this country, I feel as though maybe I could lend something to the sport and to this event," he said. "Once I got involved, I began to get all kind of requests from Bahamians and foreigners. It excites me to know that it's popular, that I feel wanted, and I couldn't say no. Usually when things get in my blood, I like to go on and do it."
Stubbs said that he was initially approached by Major about five years ago to stage a professional show, and after a lot of deliberation and hesitation, he decided to give it a go.
Female boxer Yolaine 'Pitbull' Lindelauf, who will be fighting on the undercard, said that she is looking forward to a good fight. An opponent is yet to be named for her. Lindelauf, who is trained by Ray Minus Jr., comes into the fight with a 6-1 win/loss record. She is originally from Belgium, but trains and lives here in The Bahamas.
"I hope it is a good fight," she said. "I just want to thank the organizers for putting me on the card, and I can assure you that I will be ready. I've been training very hard, and I feel like I cannot disappoint Mr. Minus. I will definitely give it all that I have. I feel very confident," she added.
Bahamian standout professional Taureano Johnson is looking to get a fight on the card as well. He said that he would love to take on Bahamian Super Middleweight Champion Jermaine 'Choo Choo' Mackey, and now that there is a promoter, they can go ahead and make it happen.
"Well, I'd come up in weight to fight 'Choo Choo' Mackey, and then Ryan McKenzie and whoever else is out there," said Johnson yesterday. "'Choo Choo' said that he has a belt, and he is willing to put up the title if there is a promoter. Here we have a promoter so I am saying to him, 'let's get this thing going'. My aim and objective is that I don't want to just be the best in The Bahamas and the Caribbean, but I want to be the best in the world. This is the route that I have to go through so this is the road that I am going to take."
Stubbs said that they would love to get Johnson on the card, but if they are unsuccessful in finding an opponent for him, they will certainly looking at staging a show with him as the headliner in the future.
"Taureano says that he has never fought here before, and it hurts his heart to know that he fought about a dozen fights overseas and won all of them, but hasn't fought here at home. Hopefully, we could get him a fight here real soon," said Stubbs. "He deserves to fight for quality money. Most of our fighters are good enough to fight on the world stage, but we have to continue to support them."
The total purse of the event was not revealed, but about $1,000 in prizes will be up for grabs on fight night, and tickets will start from as low as $25. VIP tickets will be sold for $50. Fighters rumored to make an appearance on the undercard are Wilson Theophile, and amateur standouts Kendrick Stuart, Tyrone Oliver, Deangelo Swaby and Lester Brown.
Three persons will be honored at the event - boxing contributors Fernley Palmer and Michelle Minus, and Bahamian kickboxer D.C. Pratt, who recently won a U.S. title.
The show is sanctioned by the Bahamas Boxing Commission, and Bahamasair is one of the chief partners on board. Stubbs said that they are welcoming other sponsors to come on board as well.
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