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Improved attendance, heightened performances highlight fifth ProAm boxing card
Despite his high gaurd, Leon Gilkes (left) gets his defence breached by a searching jab from Anthony Augustin
By Michael Benjamin
Mandessa Moses thrilled a much-improved crowd with a classical boxing display of two-fisted punching that distinguished her apart from Margaret ‘Chico’ Walcott, earning her a unanimous verdict, when the fifth edition of the ProAm boxing extravaganza concluded at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) Friday evening last.
Leon ‘The Lion’ Gilkes failed to emulate his winning performance of the fourth edition against Theophilus King and dropped a lopsided 3-0 decision to Anthony Augustin in their heavyweight clash while Orlan Rogers and Wilmut Hutson battled to a technical draw after a clash of heads prematurely ended their flyweight scrap. In the night’s opener, Mark Austin defied Cecil Smith’s vast experience and pounded out a one sided majority verdict to commence his professional career on a winning note.
For all her pre-fight bravado, Walcott was at a loss to find an appropriate counter to Moses’ approach. The latter fighter used an effective jab to keep Walcott at bay, countering with effective right crosses. Walcott enjoyed a twenty-five pounds advantage but it really did not matter as Moses took her to boxing school with crisp punching and superb techniques.
Moses displayed versatility, dancing and moving sweetly while Walcott pursued her relentlessly, hoping to land a haymaker. At the pre-fight press conference, Walcott had boasted that her experience garnered from epic wars against Gwendolyn ‘Stealth Bomber’ O’Neil and other competent fighters would have given her the edge. Moses proved her wrong, dominating every department, finishing the bout without even breaking a proper sweat. Walcott had laid claims of being the more experienced. In the end, Moses demonstrated phenomenal ring generalship supported by staunch determination and skill that saw her to the end virtually unscathed.
Gilkes and Augustin took all of two minutes ‘feeling out’ each other before the former fighter scored first blood with a looping left hook. The blow prompted Augustin into action and both boxers went after each other with venom for the remaining of the first frame.
The even match up was even more evident in the second stanza when both principals enjoyed some moments in the spotlight. First, Gilkes rocked Augustin with stiff combinations before Augustin retaliated with crunching head and body blows. Both boxers appeared to be at the top of their game and midway into the second stanza it was evident that despite the vicious exchanges, none of the principals was prepared to go down and the fight was heading for a close finish.
The sweltering pace of the first two stanzas began to take its toll and Gilkes was the first to show signs of fatigue at the beginning of the third round. On several occasions, he received a severe dose of left jabs and right crosses without responding in kind. Realizing that he had his man on the retreat, Augustin stepped up the pace, backing Gilkes to the ropes with ramrod shots. At that stage, it was evident that ‘The Lion’ was merely depending on his survival instincts to rally him on.
Realizing that his man was beginning to wilt Augustin applied the pressure at the start of the fourth frame. A one two combination almost decked ‘The Lion’ but he managed to avoid the embarrassment by dancing away. Augustin attacked and Gilkes sought reprieve behind high guards in what had developed from an interesting fight to target practice for Augustin. This mode continued to the end and the 3-0 shutdown in favour of Augustin was never really in doubt by the large crowd in attendance.
Earlier in the night, Mark Austin defied Cecil Smith’s experience to box his way to a virtually one-sided match-up and an eventual 3-0 win.
The atmosphere was terrific; the crowd attendance improved and so too was the quality of bouts. The pundits are already anticipating the bouts of the sixth edition, scheduled for July 30 next. It gets better by the month.
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