Linden ‘Buckman’ Mortley survived the battle in the Square Jungle, but …

May 18, 2011 Sports

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By Michael Benjamin
It was Sunday January 31, 1988 and I was scheduled to face Jamaican lightweight contender, Mohammed Dawes in a ten rounds lightweight encounter at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) on a card promoted by head of the People’s Syndicate Promotions, Keith ‘Buckilo’ Bazilio.
In those days, crowd support varied according to the principals on show. Admittedly, a card headlined by Mike ‘Tyson’ Benjamin garnered optimum support but ‘Buckilo’ was taking no chances. “I have a fighter that will attract the crowd,” he told me. Those were the days when the promoters encouraged support from a wide cross section of society and decided that the solution to the elimination of the challenges encountered at the gate was to encompass an ethnic mix in the sport.

During those days also, when the appearance of such pugilists the likes of Lalta ‘Coolie Bully’ Narine and Robin ‘Albion Prince’ Lall, heightened the excitement and brought out curious spectators in their support. It was such rationalization that created curiosity when Bazilio drafted in Linden Buckman’ Mortley on the under card of the Benjamin/Dawes shindig. And so it was that in a sport populated by a high percentage of Africans and a few ‘Coolie Bullies,’ Linden ‘Buckman’ Mortley defied the odds and entered the fray.
He was scheduled to fight Wayne Briggs in a super/featherweight bout. Both fighters weighed in at 130lbs and Mortley sported a record of 4 fights with 2 wins and a similar number of losses. ‘Buckman’ went on to floor Briggs in the second round on his way to a clear cut points decision win.
Mortley commenced his professional career on Boxing Day of 1985 as a flyweight on a losing note against Winston Goodridge but returned to avenge that loss eight months later but this time in the bantamweight division. He fought Briggs thrice, winning twice and losing the other.
In February 1990, with the odds heavily against him, he chalked up a win over Fitzroy ‘Monkey Man’ Davidson then went on to defeat Barbadian Angus Alleyne in his own backyard. The now deceased Lancelot Cyrus also felt the power of Mortley’s hand when he suffered a tenth round technical knockout in their March 1988 lightweight bout.
Alleyne’s countryman, Ed Pollard avenged the loss in June of the following year, also in Barbados. Mortley also lost his first attempt at the local junior/welterweight title to Eon Bancroft in January 1992 but returned to claim the prize three months later against the same opponent.
He then traveled to France in October 1992 for a bout against Valery Kayumba and was knocked out in the second round. When Keith ‘Crusher’ Thomas relieved him of the local crown one year later, in September 1993, Mortley decided that he had had enough in the square jungle. He had won 7 fights, one of them by knockout and lost 6 including the knockout to the Frenchman. In total Mortley had boxed 109 rounds and compiled a knockout ratio of 7.69.
Last year, 17 years after hanging up his gloves, Mortley responded to an initiative hatched by head of Ringside promotion, Herman Harris. This approach, dubbed ‘Return of the Legends’ was conceptualized with an aim of finding laudable solutions towards the sport’s revival. The meeting was convened at the National Gymnasium in April last year and several of the country’s former boxing stars attempted to brainstorm strategies and redefine a course for the reinstatement of the sport as a formidable force among the other disciplines.
The meeting got underway at about 17:30hrs with a sparse attendance that included 1980 Olympic Games bronze medalist, Michael Parris, former junior/welterweight contender, Marcelle Daniels, former middleweight world rater, Wayne Harris, former Continental of Americas welterweight champion, Michael Benjamin, a former amateur pugilist, Ronald
Lewis and GABA referee, Richard Braithwaite. Linden ‘Buckman’ Mortley also attended the function.
The boxers subsequently held discourse of the glory days when the droves of police officers cordoned off the perimeters of the venue to safeguard the promoters’ investment as well as to maintain law and order.
They reminisced of the time when the law enforcement officers were also required to have a heavy presence at the entrances as many times the arena would be filled to capacity yet hundreds of patrons bombarded the gates seeking entry. The Wayne Harris/Lennox Blackmoore bout, the Anthony Andrews/Anthony Barrow encounter and a host of other fights came to mind as the boxers fondly reminisced on the glory days of the sport.
During that forum, Mr. Harris had informed the past boxers that they are legends and were required to throw in their two-bit to propel the sport forward. Each of those stalwarts subsequently committed to the task at hand.
Last Sunday night as I was sat at ringside enjoying the bouts on the final night of the Andrew ‘Sixhead’ Lewis Novice Boxing tournament, someone called me with the news that someone suspected to be ‘Buckman’ had just been shot.
I left the venue and sped to the location where my worst fears were confirmed. Up to the time of penning this article, opinions were divided over the reasons for ‘Buckman’s’ demise. The debate still rages even as law enforcement officers conduct investigations.
The outcome of those investigations certainly cannot erase the contribution of ‘Buckman’ in the boxing arena. He might not have been a world champion nor was he among the local ‘top guns’ yet his contribution to the fistic sport must not be underscored. Herman Harris believes that he has done quite a lot towards the sustenance of boxing and should be regarded as a legend.
‘Buckman’ has thrilled many with his crowd pleasing performances. He has survived vicious punches and might have survived a few more. However, is very much human and could not be expected to survive the battle with a deadly assault weapon.

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