Latest update January 1st, 2025 1:00 AM
Latest News
Courageous display by Port Kaituma boxer highlights Intermediate semi-finals
By Michael Benjamin
Rippling biceps and a muscular physique was not one of his strong physical attributes; his body mass belies that of a powerful boxer. Certainly not blessed with numbing power or the propensity to score knockout wins, Benjamin Henry compensates for these anomalies with skills and courage that earned him a well-deserved victory, revenge and a spot in the finals when semi-finals action of the National Intermediate Boxing championships concluded at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) Saturday evening.
Port Kaituma representative, Benjamin Henry (right) and Keeve Allicock exchange blows during their Bantamweight encounter.
Representing the Port Kaituma Boxing Gym, Henry turned in one of the most courageous performances witnessed of an amateur pugilist in recent times to turn back the challenge of Keeve Allicock (Harpy Eagles), in the process avenging an earlier loss to the same boxer in the Novices Boxing Championships earlier this year.
Allicock, probably confident that he held the psychological advantage, started the fight in a very upbeat manner. He opened with crisp jabs and crosses that forced Henry on the back foot in the early stages of the fight. By mid-round the pugilist from the Barima/ Waini region had asserted himself and launched a two-fisted attack that forced Allicock into retreat mode. As the clock wound down, the tide turned once again in Allicock’s favour. He utilized the left jabs and right crosses to his advantage but Henry refused to give up and at the sound of the bell to end the first stanza both boxers were locked in combat.
The second round was a ‘no retreat, no surrender, affair as both principals exchanged toe to toe blows. Allicock then upped the ante a mite with crunching blows to Henry’s body and head. The Kaituma based boxer seemed to be wilting but his supporters kept the faith. They egged him on and Henry responded by turning up the heat. He delivered a variety of shots that evened up the situation and left the bout wide open entering into the final stanza.
Both boxers attacked when the bell to start the final round sounded. After about a minute of grueling exchanges Allicock showed signs of wear and was the first to flinch. As the punches rained down upon him, he grabbed Henry to stem the tide and continued to do so despite repeated warnings from the referee. For such blatant disregard of the rules, he had a point deducted from his score. The situation did not get any better as Henry dished out a two fisted attack as the round wound down.
As the seconds ticked away, Henry’s dominance became even more apparent and as if to underline his superiority, he landed a straight right simultaneously with the chimes of the bell to signal an end to the grueling bout. The judges dutifully acknowledged his efforts with a 2-1 verdict. Henry’s victory has set up an enticing encounter against Michael Jordon last night that would earn the winner the Intermediate bantamweight title.
The featherweight bout between Clairmont Gibson GDF) and Carlton LaFleur (FYF) was as brief as it was brutal. The former pugilist started the bout in a busy body fashion but most of his shots fell short of the mark. In the meantime, LaFleur bounced around and waited for the opportune time to pounce. It came just after the first minute had elapsed when Gibson backed away from a LaFleur attack, dropping his guard in the process. The latter fighter did not allow the opportunity to pass, cracking a straight right to Gibson’s jaw and the soldier promptly acquiesced to the laws of gravity. He attempted to rise but only succeeded in entertaining the crowd to a perfect replica of Michael Jackson’s break dance. The referee terminated the party, waving off the bout in 1:40secs of the first frame.
The night started on a positive note for the Harpy Eagle’s Boxing Gym when Imran Khan unleashed a vicious assault on Republican boxer, Prince Slowe, forcing the third man to call a premature halt to the proceedings at 1:46secs after the first bell had sounded.
In another bout worthy of mention, Michael Jordon (FYF) tried his utmost to put away Mark Marshal (GDF) but the soldier proved that he was made of sterner stuff, weathering the onslaught until the final bell.
At the start of the first round, Jordon bullied Marshall but the soldier unflinchingly returned the favour with several crunching shots. Marshall’s fitness was truly tested and was found to be deficient as the fight wore on and it was here Jordon seized the initiative. To his credit, though, the soldier took all that Jordon had to offer and managed to stay around to the end. He, however, lost the bout by a 3-0 margin.
In other results, Mark George (Port Kaituma) was too good for Axel Marks (GDF) and won by a 2-1 margin in their junior/welterweight encounter while Denroy Nero (Republican) failed to get past Romono Clarke (GDF) in the other junior/welterweight contest. Ron Smith of the Timerhi Warriors then won after the referee stopped his bout against soldier, Rock Watson.
Stephan Gouveia was prevented from contesting for lightweight honours when it was revealed that his 2 months suspension was still in effect. His opponent, Nankumar Singh was given the bye to last night’s finals. FYF lightweight boxer, Mervin Ageda also won by default after his opponent, Marlon Darrell (Ricola Warriors) failed to attend the weigh in sessions. The action concluded last evening.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
The eternal optimism of the human spirit
Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News- Every New Year’s Eve, like clockwork, we engage in a ritual that is predictable as... more
Breaking the Chains of Poverty: A need for political will
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- The year 2024 has underscored a grim reality: poverty continues to be an unyielding... more
Weekend Cartoon
