'Sub Zero' looks to give Jamaica another win

Ramel 'Sub Zero' Lewis, one of the most unpredictable boxers on Jamaica's team, with a 7-8 record, will try to give them their third straight victory in the Wray and Nephew Contender series tonight, when he clashes with Canada's Waseem El Sinawi whose record is one win and two losses, at the Chinese Benevolent Association auditorium in a five-round battle scheduled to start at 9.30. This will be preceded by two amateur bouts starting at 8.30.

Two Jamaican boxers, Richard Holmes and Nico Yeyo, are already through to the quarter -finals, and Lewis is seeking to join them with a victory over a boxer who spent many years doing kick-boxing but switched to the hands -only sport "mainly because of the many injuries that I suffered in kick-boxing". Sinawi, who is 29 years old, told The Gleaner that he started kick-boxing when he was 14, participated in the World Championships when he was 17, and placed third in his division. After 40 fights, many successes, and many injuries, he said that he switched to boxing and had over 100 amateur fights, before turning professional.

His aim, he said, is to continue with boxing, and the Contender series could be a good stepping stone for him. He declared himself to be a power-puncher and said that he had a technical-knockout victory in his first fight, which ended quickly.

Two losses

"It took about 15 seconds," he said. He then had two losses last year, one to Mayron Zeferino, who was stopped by Yeyo last week. He said that he only knew "a little about [his] opponent, Lewis", but was willing to predict that 'he is going to lose'.

"I am ready for this fight, and the only thing that I have in mind is a victory."

He was born in Jordan and was taken to Canada by his parents as a small child. His father was a kick-boxer, he said, and this encouraged him to take up that sport. He has switched permanently to boxing now and shares his love for the sport with studies to be a veterinarian.

"Hopefully, I can do both for a while and have a balanced life," he said.

Lewis said yesterday that his training had gone very well and added: " I am fit and ready to go, and I am going to make it to the next round. "

He said that he was in a positive frame of mind and was feeling confident. He is also very determined to break the four-fight losing streak that has dogged him, three of those losses having been in the Contender series.

"I need a victory. I have been working hard, and I must win tomorrow," he added.

The winner of the series will take home purse money of $2 million. The runner-up gets $500,000, third place, $250,000, and fourth place, $200,000.