By Renaldo Dorsett From Tribune242

ONE of the newest boxing clubs on the local scene will see one of its top fighters face off in a regional showdown, an integral part of his development toward the 2016 Olympics.

Bahamian Kendric Stuart will travel to the Cayman Islands to face Tafari Ebanks, Friday February 21 in the feature bout of the Island Air Showdown, presented by Cayman Islands Boxing and Silverlight Productions.

Stuart, 18, has amassed a 5-1 record as a 5ft 5in, 120-pound bantamweight since joining the Strikers Amateur Boxing Club.

Club head coach Ronn Rodgers said Stuart has been training diligently in preparation for the fight as he prepares to face one of the top fighters in the Caribbean in his weight class.

“We have very high hopes for Kendric, not just for this fight but for his career as it progresses. He has been an excellent fighter thus far in his young career and this fight will just be another stepping stone as he looks to represent the Bahamas as a member of the Olympic team,” Rodgers said.

In his last international bout, Stuart suffered his first defeat on the undercard of the “Pain and Glory” fight card last December against the 27-year-old Fernando Calderon.

“This is not his first amateur fight but this will be a major one becuase he is going against the top in the region in this class, so if he wins this fight it will put him at the top and well on the way to being named to the Bahamas’ Olympic team,” Rodgers said, “He has been training for this every day, two times a day, five in the morning and six in the evening. He feels he is a ready as a coach I feel he is ready and I can guaratntee he will put on a performance worthy of the work he has been putting in to make himself, the club and the Bahamian people proud.”

Rodgers said he established the Strikers Boxing Club, located at the Golden Gates Shopping Centre, after he saw a need to bring a level of professionalism to the approach toward amateur boxing in the country.

“After being off to school and watching how things were being done professionally, when I came home, I decided to bring some of that level of professionalism here,” said Rodgers, who went on to excel in both football and track and field while living in the United States.

“I was thinking about track and field, but you can’t house that in any building. I tried football, helping some children get off to school, but that was also weather permitting.

“So after trying the three sports that I competed in, boxing turned out to be the best one that I could get started right away with the funding that I had available. So I went ahead and opened the boxing gym.”

Rodgers, who compiled a 78-7 win-loss record during a boxing career which spanned from 1985-2000, said he’s appreciative of the introduction to the sport that he got from Ray Minus Jr and Sr in Champion Amateur Boxing Club and now he’s grateful that he can pass on his expertise to the youngsters.

“It’s been really good,” said Rodgers of the club’s early existence.

“We have two of the best boxers in the country in Kendric and Tyrone Oliver in the 140 class.”

PHOTO: Kendric Stuart

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