St. Clair ready to rock Reyes' world
By Anthony Cocks, Site Editor (February 23, 2005) 
Gairy St. Clair
Talented Guyanan-born Australian Gairy St. Clair, 35-3 (15), is looking forward to fighting American southpaw Shamir Reyes, 17-2-2 (6), in a WBO featherweight eliminator at the Hellenic Community Centre in Northbridge, Western Australia on Thursday night.

Reyes is well-known to St. Clair. The two used to train together in Brooklyn, New York, when St. Calire was based in the States over seven years ago.

"When he was younger as a kid he was real good," St. Clair told DoghouseBoxing. "We did a lot of boxing together. His trainer and handlers used to put him in the ring with all the grown professional fighters and he used to do real good. I've seen his last couple of fights as a professional and to me he's not that impressive. I think he took too much punishment as a young kid."

A win over Reyes will put St. Clair in the box seat to challenge reigning WBO champion Scott Harrison, who appears to have a tenuous hold on his title after struggling to a split draw with unheralded Columbian Victor Polo in his last defence.

"I've seen Scott Harrison fight," said St. Clair. "No disrespect to Scotty Harrison, he's champion. But I've seen a couple of Scotty Harrison's fights before and I can't believe he is champion of the world. If he can become champion of the world, I should've been champion a long time ago.

"I don't like disrespecting my opponents or fighters or nothing, but I don't think he's a good fighter. He's just a lucky fighter. He has good management and a good promoter who have guided him in the right way that's good in the end. I never had that, but now I have Craig Christian guiding me and getting me the right fights."

The slick boxing 30-year-old recently made the move west to train under the guidance of rapidly rising trainer Craig Christian at the famed Harry's Gym in Perth.

"I've been with Craig Christian now for almost seven months," said St. Clair. "Let me explain how Craig Christian works. A lot of trainers in Australia consider Craig Christian doesn't know what he is doing. But to me, as a professional fighter who has been boxing for 21 years now, since I was nine years old, I've been around Australia and with a lot of big trainers in America. Craig Christian is a guy who doesn't have the experience that a lot of these guys have, but he has very, very good ideas.

"And me as a professional fighter and all the ideas he puts towards me, I do it and I try it. It is perfect; it's good. He is a very good trainer. He is not a young man, but he is a young trainer coming up, you know. He's going to do good. He has the right mentality and he treats his fighters good as a trainer and manager.

"But he is a no nonsense guy. He treats you well, but he expects 150% back in return. And that's fair enough."

Late last year St. Clair was tabbed as an opponent for featherweight supremo Manny Pacquiao. But after viewing some of St. Clair's fights on tape, the Filipino's handlers opted for an easier opponent in Fahsan '3K Battery' Por Thawatchai.

"Every time a fight gets cancelled as a fighter you're always frustrated, admitted St. Clair, whose only losses have been by decision to future world champions Diego Corrales, Vivian Harris and Leonard Dorin. "You study a lot of things on tape. It's real hard because you put yourself through the preparation and train hard and the next thing you know the fight if off, the opponent doesn't want to fight. It's very frustrating, you know."
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