Flyweight Hussein meets lightweight boxer

August 2, 2001 – By Paul Upham: WBO No.2 flyweight Hussein Hussein showed plenty of self-confidence for his Friday night headline bout when he agreed to face a lightweight boxer after his original opponent, Rodel “The Kid” Orais, was denied a visa to travel from the Philippines to Australia.

In the main event of the Fenech Fight Night promotion at the Bankstown Bellevue Convention Centre in Sydney on Friday night, 25 year-old Hussein, 15-0 (12), weighed in at 115 lbs. He will now face late substitute Silvio Glenogo from the Philippines who tipped the scales at 127.5 lbs.

Promoters Jeff Fenech and Angelo Hyder were left with a last minute search for a replacement after being promised all week by their Filipino connections that Orais would be cleared to enter the country.

With Hussein scheduled to challenge WBO flyweight champion Fernando Montiel in England in September, he was looking forward to getting another win under his belt, but will now find himself in a far tougher bout than originally expected.

“The fans have to know what heart this kid Hussein Hussein has. This will be a real fight for him, especially with his world title fight coming up in September,” said new Sydney promoter Kieran O’Connor, who was in the audience at the weigh-in.

IBF No.1 light heavyweight Glenn Kelly, 27-0-1 (16), weighed in at 181lbs for his 10round bout with Adelaide’s Jamie Wallace, who hit the scales at 183lbs.

Looking relaxed and confident, Kelly knows that this fight is as important as any other, as a loss will ruin his world title chance against the IBF light-heavyweight champion Roy Jones Jr in October or November.

“I’m just thinking about winning tomorrow night and beating Wallace,” said Kelly, after the weigh-in as he helped himself to a serving of strawberries.

“I want to put into practice what I’ve been working on in the gym and get a good win under my belt. I feel that I’ve improved out of sight under Jeff (Fenech) and hopefully we will see the results on Friday night.”

“Glenn has the skills and the power to be world champion,” said Kelly’s trainer Jeff Fenech. “I just have to get a little more aggression out of him.”

With world champion trainer Johnny Lewis in his corner, Guyana’s Gary St. Clair, 17-3-1 (7), who went 12 rounds with former IBF junior lightweight champion Diego Corrales in December 1998, makes his Australian debut against Mendocino Sebua on the nine fight card.

Also scheduled, Brown Enyi vs Gino Zampogna at super-middleweight; Dave Picknel vs Vic Darchinian at featherweight; Steven McIvor vs Anthony Courtney at light-heavyweight; Frank Ciampa vs Danny Green at super-middleweight and Kamel Chater vs Sakio Bika at middleweight. The action will commence at 7.30pm and be screened live around Australia on Fox Sports.


Paul Upham
Contributing Editor