The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

After getting off to an impressive start to his professional boxing career last year, Amron Sands is looking forward to either duplicating or surpassing his 7-0 win-loss record this year.

Sands, 24, will begin this year’s campaign on February 16 when he is slated to take on Alfredo Trevino at the St Petersburg Coliseum in Saint Petersburg, Florida.

The 6-foot, 6-inch, 260-pound heavyweight said he’s looking forward to the fight, considering that this will be his first opportunity to compete in a six-rounder.

“This is good timing for me,” said Sands, whose previous fights last year were all four rounders. “I feel good about stepping up in the competition.”

Sands, now training out of Orlando, Florida, will put his 7-0 record on the line against Trevino, who is 9-5-1.

“We’re going in confident that I will come out victorious,” said Sands about his training camp. “I’m training hard, like three times a day. I have gym in the morning, around 5pm and again at 9pm.

“We’re doing a lot to prepare me for my fights this year. We are doing a lot of sparring because at home, I don’t get this opportunity.” The product of the Strikers Boxing Club, headed by Ronn Rodgers, said the main thing for him to do is to remain healthy.

“I have a lot of fights on the agenda for this year,” he stated. “They’re trying to get me into a contender fight by the end of the year.

“By the end of the year, I should be about 14-0, so I want to stay undefeated.”

Having gotten his feet wet in the game last year, Sands said his handlers are asking him to step up his performance this year.

“There are going to be a lot of offers on different cards, so all I have to do is stay healthy and step it up in the ring,” Sands said. “In this fight, if I don’t get injured or take a lot of blows, I will get another fight soon.

“That’s how they are basing my fights. It all depends on my performances in the fight. Once I perform and I stay healthy, I will step right back in the ring for my next fight.”

Against Trevino, Sands said he’s looking forward to making it an early night, just as he did in his seven fights he had last year, all but one that was held in Florida.

The only other fight was held in Grand Bahama when he stopped Jerry ‘Big Daddy’ Butler at A Social Affair and Convention Center on May 26.

“I need to get him (Trevino) out there quick because I have another fight to get ready for,” Sands said. “I ain’t get no time to play with anybody in the ring.”

To the Bahamian people who are watching his career, Sands encouraged them to “stay tuned because I just start my promotional company and I will be bringing fights home.”

His company, S&S Promotions, is hoping to bring their first show to New Providence once they can confirm a date for the use of the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium.

“This will be my very first time fighting at home in New Providence. This is going to be stupid,” Sands said. “We ain’t bringing anybody who I know I can knock out. We are bringing in a real fighter who will make sure that I get a good fight.”

Additionally, Sands said he’s also looking to appear on Sherman ‘The Tank’ Williams’ promotional show at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium on April 5.

But, in the meantime, Sands said he just wants to continue to improve. “As I move on, the game has started to slow down,” he said.

“I used to be fighting with 12 ounce gloves, now I’m using 10. So I’m starting to develop. When I first started, I was making some mistakes in the fights that could have caused me to get knocked out, but now you can see my improvement. I’ve cut out some bad habits, so it’s good to watch myself grow.”

Only time will tell how well he will do this year.