Patrick Ford – Guyana’s uncrowned world Champion

Nov 20, 2011 Sports

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By Michael Benjamin

One of the greatest fears of man is dying, yet death is inevitable and each of us must

be prepared to leave this world as we had entered. Despite this reality, we continue to express shock and disbelief whenever a loved one passes on.
Shel Silverstein epitomizes the bare reality in his song that says; “But remember, that for all your pain and gain, eventually the story ends the same…You can quit smoking’, but you’re still gonna die. Cut out cocaine but you’re still gonna die.”
And so it was that when former boxing star, Darius Ford called and informed me that his uncle Patrick was rushed to the King’s County Hospital in Brooklyn NY, I nurtured fears for his survival.
Not that I had any justification for my skepticism of his recovery, it was based purely on a gut feeling. Two days later the younger Ford informed me that his uncle had made a remarkable recovery and should be discharged from the medical institution soon.
And so it was with some surprise when one day after this prognosis, I responded to a knock on my gate and upon looking out saw Patrick’s niece and her daughter.
I immediately sensed that something was wrong and even before going to them I blurted, “I hope you are not here to tell me that something went wrong with Patrick.” The imperceptible shake of her head was damning confirmation. “Patrick died this morning.”
Automatically, my mind reverted to the first time I had heard the name, Patrick Ford. I was merely a tot when he faced Diego Alcala in 1979. He went on to win that bout by a 10th round stoppage.
Those were the days of fifteen rounds title fights and 12 rounds non title. Ford had a wicked uppercut and few of his adversaries survived after one of them connected to their hapless bodies.
Ford was a devastating puncher, evident from the Cecil Fernandez fight in December 1979 when he knocked out the Spanish fighter and rendered him unconscious.
The decision to have Fernandez air vacced to his adopted hometown, Miami, came a bit too late and he eventually died while aboard the aircraft.
There was always friendly rivalry among the Fords and Blackmores concerning which, between Patrick and Lennox, was the better fighter. However, since they practiced their trade in different divisions, speculations remained.
In August 1980, Ford travelled to Lagos Nigeria and stopped Eddie Ndukwu in the 8th round in the process stripping him of his Commonwealth belt.
That victory coincided with Michael Parris’ Olympic bronze medal feat and both pugilists returned to Guyana in honour after being paraded through the streets of Georgetown in convertible type vehicles. Both boxers also received houses while Ford was further gifted with a LADA car for his efforts.
One month later, on September 13, 1980, Ford clinched the infamous world title fight with Salvadore ‘Baby Face Assassin’ Sanchez at the Freeman Coliseum, San Antonio Texas for the World Boxing Council featherweight title.
During those days, live television was not as popular and the late President, LFS Burnham and an entourage of Ministers and high profile delegates viewed the fight at the Earth Station, Carifesta Avenue.
The details of that bout is now common history as are those of Patrick’s second attempt to procure world acclaim for this country in Panama against Eusebio Pedroza for the World Boxing Association version of the accolade. For the record, Ford was stopped in the 13th of the scheduled 15 round contest. He fought five times after that, losing thrice and winning two, the final bout against the late Albert Browne in May 1987 before he called it quits.
Though unsuccessful in his world title bid, Ford’s feat has been the catalyst to the acquisition of numerous similar titles starting with Andrew ‘Six Head’ Lewis historic feat against James Page in 2001 as well as countless other pugilists the likes of Gwendolyn O’Neil, Vivian Harris, Wayne Braithwaite, Gary StClair and quite recently, Shondel ‘Mystery Lady’ Alfred.
During his illustrious years in the ‘square jungle’ Ford has had the opportunity to work under the tutelage of legendary trainers Cus D’Amato and Eddie Futch and has earned the respect of the wider boxing community.
Ford has also inked his name in the pages of boxing history books. He has trained many world class fighters the likes of Steve and Raul

Frank and Andre Purlette, all Guyanese operating out of the Gleasons Gym, Front Street, Brooklyn, Ford has also tutored former WBO super middleweight champion Chris Eubank during the early part of his career as well as Glenwood Brown.
Ford was notably tall as a featherweight boxer and after the Pedroza bout parted ways with his Trinidadian manager, Richard Farah and his coach Chuck Talahami.
He then began to train under legendary trainer Cus D’Amato but barely stayed for four months after complaining that he could not handle the peek-a-boo style that D’Amato taught his fighters.
He felt that he was too tall to be slipping and ducking under punches to create openings. He believed that he should use his height and reach to an advantage against the shorter featherweights. Ford also enjoyed a training stint with legendary trainer, Eddie Futch.
Ford’s influence upon my career dates back to May 1990 when he coached me in the first Barrington Cambridge encounter.
I remembered the dramatic seventh round when I became careless and dropped my guard. Cambridge quickly pounced on the lapse and connected with a punch to my temple. Ford was in my corner and as I stood dazed in center ring I heard him shouting at me to hold on. I managed to pin Cambridge’s hand down while the time ticked away.
I faintly remember hearing the bell, the next thing I knew was that Ford had scaled the ropes and met me in centre ring. He literally lifted me back to the corner and performed his magic.
When the bell sounded for the eighth round I rushed out energized and threw relentless leathers at Cambridge. Within the first minute I managed to convince the referee that the fight ought to have been stopped. He concurred with the ritualistic wave of the hand. I always credited Ford’s expertise for that victory.
Patrick was to occupy my corner on several other occasions and was the chief second in my losing effort against Eamonn Loughran for the Commonwealth title in Cardiff Wales, England in February 1993.
Ford’s life was surrounded by boxing. He was a Warrant Officer in the now defunct Guyana National Service and an integral part of the team that featured such pugilists as the late John ‘The Beast’ Brummell, Ray and Herbert Alberts, Joseph Murray, Wayne Smith, Clifton ‘Coolie Bully’ Vaughn and Lupton StClair among others.
One of Ford’s dreams was to make sure that none of his fighters fall into a trap where boxing was their sole lifeline.
Towards this end he piloted an education programme within the Guyana North American Amateur Boxing Association (GNAABA), an organization established in the USA to assist amateur boxers from Guyana, who live in North America, to further their careers in and outside the ring.
Several other notable Guyanese past pugilists were a part of that organization including Seon and Kenny Bristol, Lennox Blackmoore and Winfield Braithwaite among others.
Ford loved the sport but was generally disgruntled by the ill treatment meted out to the coaches. Many times after we had wrapped up sessions at the Dowden International Gymnasium, Sandy Babb Street Kitty, we would sit and engage in discussions on the finer aspect of the sport.
He felt that boxing has lost some of its glory and too many boxers are more interested in the big purses that anything else.
His biggest gripe is that trainers are not treated fairly by promoters or managers nor do they procure a fair share of the spoils after making immense sacrifices. He felt that this group of affiliates reaped immense benefits when the trainers have finished developing the fighter thus profiting off the completed product.
He was controversial in every respect but stood strongly by his views once he believed them to be so. It was this trait that raised the concerns of those close to him when he was reluctant to conform to certain medical criteria that contrasted with the beliefs of his new found Muslim faith.
The Guyanese Diaspora turned out in their numbers to pay homage to a true son of the soil at a wake in Brooklyn last Tuesday night. A similar event was simultaneously held at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall for the fallen champ.
Ford later was open for a 90 minutes viewing at the St John’s Home, 509 Liberty Avenue B/lyn NY. He was later interred at Forest Green Cemetery in New Jersey.
Patrick died as he lived, with a strong conviction that Allah is God and he knows best. Fate robbed him of the chance to be Guyana’s first world champion but one imagines that he would have experienced delight in witnessing the accomplishment by another son of the soil before he departed this world.
Kaieteur sport joins the rest of the nation in expressing condolences to the bereaved family and friends as well as his Muslim brothers and sisters at the sad point in their lives. May his soul rest in peace!

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