Carlette Ewell Fights for IBO World Heavyweight Title this Saturday - Ewell States: I Have Taken this Personal!

Carlette Ewell with Paco Rivera of GAR1680 Boxing Talk Radio & Blog

UPDATE: A tropical depression in the Atlantic is expected to become Tropical Storm Bertha over the weekend as it passes across the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean, resulting in postponement of the boxing event this weekend in St. Maartin that included Carlette Ewell's bout.






UPDATE 2: This bout has been rescheduled for Saturday, December 6, 2014.


On Saturday, August 2, Carlette "The Truth" Ewell of Winston-Salem will be fighting in a rematch for the vacant IBO World Heavyweight title. The Main Event bout, scheduled for 10 rounds, takes place at the L.B. Scott Sports Auditorium in Philipsburg, St. Maarten in the Caribbean. Her opponent will be Sonya Lamonakis of New York City.

Ewell, who is 15-7-1, with 9 wins by KO, hasn’t fought since 2012, a close 6-round split decision draw against Lamonakis in January of that year. At the time, Lamonakis was undefeated with a record of 6-0. One judge from New Jersey had it 58-56 for Carlette Ewell, another from Connecticut had it 58-56 for Lamonakis, and Judge Julie Lederman (of New York) scored it 57-57 even. It was a fight that took place in Lamonakis’ hometown of New York City. With all officials for that bout being from the northeast region (the referee, Harvey Dock, was also from New Jersey), it can be said that the North Carolinian was lucky to come out of there with a draw. Had the bout taken place on neutral grounds, the outcome may have been much different. Which is exactly what Ewell expects to see this coming Saturday in the Caribbean.

When Ewell was asked how she felt about her previous fight with Lamonakis, she said, “In my heart I know I won that fight. If you look at video, you will see that I won.”

Regarding the bout being in New York, she said, “If a boxer goes to New York and gets a draw, that boxer won the fight. New York and California are the hardest states (for a boxer from somewhere else) to get a win. At least in New York I have a fan base. And my trainer (Eddie Gregg) is from New York, and he has a big fan base there too from when he was a fighter. I wouldn’t fight in California unless they paid me a million dollars and two of the judges are from another state. They can have one. I just need two.”

Since their 2012 bout, Lamonakis has fought five more times, getting another draw, 3 wins, and a loss to Martha Salazar in April, 2013. Lamonakis’ record is now 9-1-2 with 1 win by KO. While a hometown advantage has been taken away from her in this upcoming bout, she may have achieved an advantage by remaining more active in the ring than Ewell.

When Ewell was asked how she has prepared to overcome any possibility of ring rust, and if it is something that worries her, she said, “I won’t have a problem with that because I spar on a consistent basis and I stay in shape. I have a regiment that includes working the speed bags and heavy bags, jumping rope and the boxer’s entire set standards of training.”

Ewell further stated that she does not study film of upcoming opponents. She said that by doing so a certain style may be expected, but may have changed by the time the bout with that opponent takes place. Instead, she will go by feel and emotion during the fight to decide what she needs to do.

Prior to her draw with Lamonakis, Ewell had reeled off three straight wins and in so doing obtained the UNBC Heavyweight title and WIBC International Boxing Council Light-Heavyweight title. Over the course of her professional boxing career, Ewell, who has been fighting since 2002 as a pro, has achieved 5 world titles in three weight divisions. Lamonakis, on the other hand, has been fighting professionally since 2010 and picked up the New York State Heavyweight title in March of this year when she fought Tiffany Woodard, an opponent that Carlette Ewell has defeated twice.

Ewell expects to fly to St. Maartin on Thursday with trainers Eddie Gregg and Delen “Blimp” Parsley. She will have another team member in her corner who is from St. Maartin. Weigh-ins are Friday evening and the bout Saturday evening.

Ewell stated, “I am taking this fight personal. Sonya made some comments following the last fight that was very insulting. I have taken this personal, so I’m going to do my job and come back with that title.”


Paco Rivera
Twitter: @GAR1680