Malta To Host August 17 Robin Reid vs. William Gare Clash

On July 2nd, World Boxing Federation President Howard Goldberg attended a press conference in Malta to announce a very interesting fight for the vacant WBF Super Middleweight title, between two former champions, England’s Robin Reid and South African William Gare.

On the same card, Liverpool’s perennial contender Tony Dodson will take on an opponent to be announced for the vacant WBF Intercontinental Light Heavyweight crown.

The August 17 show is billed Rumble on the Rock, and will be promoted by Attard & Harding Promotions headed by Justin Attard and Fran Harding. Also present at the announcement was Alex Zamit from the Malta Boxing Commission, who has been instrumental in realizing what will be the biggest boxing event ever on the Mediterranean island.

Robin Reid, 42-7-1 (29), is a former three-time World Champion, having won the WBF, WBC and IBO titles and made eight successful defenses combined. He holds victories over former, reigning and future world champions Julio Cesar Vasquez, Brian Magee, Vincenzo Nardiello and Hacine Cherifi, and top-contenders such as Giovanni Pretorius and Henry Wharton.
Besides the world championships and impressive victories, the fact that his losses has come against opponents such as Joe Calzaghe, Carl Froch, Sven Ottke, Thulani Malinga, and Jeff Lacy is a testament that “The Grim Reaper” has operated at absolute top-class level for many years.

William “Dynamite” Gare, 27-15 (5), may have one of the most deceiving records in boxing today. For many years his talents were ignored and he was often send abroad to lose, always on points, to “the promoters man”, but in 2008 Gare turned the table by stopping former world champion Maselino Masoe in four rounds and scoring a decision over Australia’s Les Sherrington who would go on to pick up a world title himself the following year.

In 2009 Gare solidified his world-class status, and a number eleven BoxRec ranking, with a victory over Mexican undefeated future world champion Rigoberto Alvarez, older brother of the more famous “Canelo”, before he defended the WBF World title in 2010 by defeating fellow countryman Roland Francis.

In his most recent bout Gare lost a controversial decision to another South African, Thomas Oosthuizen, in an attempt to add the IBO title. The loss automatically made the WBF title vacant, and now Gare will get a chance to regain it against Reid on August 17.

Considering the fighting-styles of Reid and Gare, their clash is likely to be a real barnburner, and the second WBF title fight on the bill could also turn out to be a crowd-pleaser.

Tony Dodson (28-7-1, 14 KOs) has been a presence at top domestic level in Britain for many years. After fighting for various smaller championships at Super Middleweight, winning some and losing some, and duking it out with the likes of Carl Froch and Paul Smith, the 32-year-old Liverpudlian won four straight at Light Heavyweight, including an International title, before losing a challenge of Commonwealth king Ovill McKenzie earlier this year.

It remains to be seen who “The Warrior”, as he is nicknamed, will face on August 17, but Dodson is ready to return to the top, and winning the WBF Intercontinental title will make him a serious contender for the WBF World Champion at Light Heavyweight, Nadjib Mohammedi from France.