The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

ROGER Rosa said he’s not concerned that he’s fighting in the Bahamas for the first time. He predicted that he doesn’t intend to leave town without a victory over Meacher ‘Pain’ Major.

Rosa, a Brazilian who fights out of Florida, came in on Friday to sign his contract where he met Major for the first time and assured the Bahamian sensation that while he’s aware of his credentials, it’s not a priority to him.

The two are scheduled to clash in the main event December 13 in the Rainforest Theatre of the Wyndham Cable Beach Resort. The show is being promoted by Button’s Formal Wear and the Strikers Boxing Club.

“If he wants a brawl, I can brawl. If he wants to box, I can box. I get speed. I get speed and power,” said Rosa, who was accompanied by his trainer Alberto Rios. “I will mix it up,” he said. “I will not lose this fight.

“I came from a country where we have millions of people. There’s no way that a guy from a little country can beat me. I love the Bahamians. I love the Bahamas. This is my first time here, but sorry, I will beat your guys.”

Rosa, coming off two consecutive losses this year, said there’s no way that he will lose.

“I will not lose the fight,” he said. “He’s a great fighter. I know he has a couple of losses, but that happens to everybody. It’s a sport of contact. You get a little careless and you go down. He’s a great fighter, He has speed and power. He can get box. I’m sure that everybody will see who the best fighter is on the night.”

As a late bloomer with a few amateur fights and now sporting a 5-4-1 win-loss-draw record, Rosa said since he turned pro, a lot of the guys who he fought were tough, but Major is one of the more experienced fighters that he would have faced so far.

“I’m a short guy with a little bit of Mike Tyson in me. I have Alberto Rios, who has provided some more arsenals to my style, so everybody will be impressed that day, even Meacher,” Rosa, an orthodox fighter, predicted. “He will never fight me again.”

A calm, cool and collective Major is back home to fight since he took his training camp to Buffalo, New York.

“I heard his comments. He has really done his homework. I’m really excited about this fight,” Major said. “He said he’s fighting a competitor from an island with 500 people, but I can tell him that on that night, he will think he’s fighting a competitor with millions of people.

“If the fight was tonight, I would be ready. I will not predict any rounds, I will just take things as they come. I think if I had not lost those fights, this fight would not have come up. Everything in life happens for a reason. Now I have an opportunity to come home and fight.”

As the hometown boy, Major said he’s not concerned about Rosa’s sentiments because he’s not going to “let anybody come into my house and speak to me the way that he just did. I’m going to set an example of him. I’m going to let him know that he should not have come here and be disrespectful to me.”

Major, riding a two-straight loss from last year in his 20-6-1 record, said he’s glad that Alexandre Silveira, the Brazilian charge

d’affairs, was present to represent the Brazilian Embassy because he needs to know where to look for Rosa when he sends him on a stretcher to the Princess Margaret Hospital after the fight.

Ray Minus Jr, a former coach and advisor for Major, said Rosa brings the kind of flair and courage that is needed to hype up the show.

“You can’t just stand up and take on Meacher Major. You have to be prepared for pain because Meacher is one hell of a fighter,” Minus Jr said. “I’m pretty much very excited and I’m looking forward to this fight.”

Minus Jr, who knows quite so well what it is to face opponents who were as cocky as Rosa when they came here to fight him, had some words of advice for the challenger.

“I think he made a mistake. I think sometimes it’s best to be quiet,” he said. “Your mouth could get you in trouble. Meacher’s career is pending on this fight and if you are going to rally him up, I think it’s best for him to apologise now. But it’s probably too late.”

Tommy Stubbs, general manager of Button’s Formal Wear, said he was pleased to have brought in Rosa and Rios through the sponsorship of Bahamasair to meet Major and officially sign his contract for the fight.

Minus Jr said the undercard should be quite a treat for the fans as he will introduce a female boxer/kickboxer whom he’s been working with.

Additionally, Lester Brown, a former amateur whom Minus has groomed in his Champion Amateur Boxing Club, will be on the opposite side of the ring when he takes on Minus’ protégé Dencil ‘Death’ Miller.

“I can’t predict a winner and I can’t predict the loser,” he said.

Strikers’ Boxing Club coach Ronn Rodgers, who is working with the match making of the show, said they are also looking at bringing in two boxers who will fight on the undercard.

Also, there will be an amateur segment that will showcase some of the top local boxers against a team coming in from Florida.

Speaking on behalf of the Bahamas Boxing Commission, internationally certified referee and judge Alvin Sargent said they are delighted to welcome professional boxing back to the Bahamas and he indicated that they will be out to provide their full support to the organisers.

Other members of the commission present were Fred Sturrup, Fernley Palmer and Dr Patrick Roberts.