EL Senawi faces tough ‘Concrete’ in Contender Series
With Team Jamaica one down against Team Canada in the thrust for semi-final spots in the eighth Wray & Nephew Contender Boxing Series, Devon “Concrete” Moncriffe is hell-bent on putting the teams back on an even keel when he takes on Waseem El Senawi in the second quarter-final fight at the Chinese Benevolent Association (CBA) today.
Moncriffe is scheduled to meet El Senawi in the five-round feature of the three-fight card beginning at 8:30 pm.
Both boxers, who promised to create steamy CBA by raising a raging storm, made the required weight for the 147lb fight for the welterweight event with Moncriffe hitting the scale at 144lb, while his opponent El Senawi came in at 145lb. Should they not stray too far from their weigh-in weights, then there will be much speed off the legs of both fighters and this could really develop into the real steamy, stormy affair over five rounds.
Moncriffe noted that he was in good shape to win the fight. “This fight is an important fight both for me and for the team. We already gone one down, which makes it important for me to come good and look for a victory. So you will see me in much better shape and condition.”
Moncriffe revealed that he went back into training just a few days after his last fight and come tonight, “you can expect a brilliant show. Even better than the first one.”
The Jamaican admitted that he knew little of El Senawi, but was aware that the Canadian was here to win.
“What I know is what I see of him. I expect to get a good fight from him. He is going up against the “Concrete” so I expect a good fight from him, for he is coming to win just as I am, so we just have to do our best.”
El Senawi has great confidence in his ability and his plan is to go all the way.
“This fight I have been training very, very hard for it and I am hoping to showcase my talent, to show everybody how hard I have been training, to showcase the talent I’ve got. I am going to use my talent, my skill, my reach, my power and my ability to win this whole title. I am also going to use my reach to out-box him. Use my jabs really good, out-box him and make him look really bad. He is a veteran.
“He was a good boxer, but it is time for the young guys to step forward. I am the young guy who has been in the sport since I was a kid. I have well over 100 amateur fights and I am going to showcase all those qualities (against him) because I am in the best shape of my life.
“Concrete is tough as they come, he is a good fighter and it takes a good man to step up in the ring and fight me, so we are going to put on a really good show,” El Senawi said.