GBBC Jamaican Invasion affair…Dexter Marques retains CABOFE accolade as Guyana and Jamaica share the spoils

Apr 07, 2014 Sports

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By Michael Benjamin
Guyanese boxers clinched two victories but their Jamaican counterparts rebounded with a similar number of wins to share the spoils when the curtains were drawn on the Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC) ‘Jamaican Invasion’ boxing extravaganza at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH), Saturday evening last.  edge and ret6ained the World Boxing Council.

Dexter ‘The Kid’ Marques turned in a classical display of boxing skills interspersed with crisp combinations and the heart of a lion to convincingly defeat Jamaican, Rudolph ‘Cutting Edge’ Hedge and retain the World Boxing Council Caribbean Boxing Federation (WBCCABOFE) flyweight title while local pugilist, Quincy Gomes, emulated Marques’ feat with a convincing display to take the honours against Jamaican Toriano Nicholas in their 4 rounds lightweight affair.
The Jamaicans ensured that it was not a one sided affair when their super/middleweight representative, Kemahl Russell pounded Romeo Norville into submission to win by technical knockout, while Devon Moncrieffe bulldozed Mark Austin to earn a convincing majority decision in their 8 rounds junior/middleweight shindig.
In the lone all-local bout, Richard Williamson punished David Thomas and eventually forced the referee to halt their junior/lightweight 4 rounds fight at 1:32secs of the final round.
Marques made his intensions clear from the very first gong when he rushed out and dealt Hedge a wicked overhand right and followed up with a left hook to his body for good measure. The slimly built Hedge took his punishment and retaliated with several straight punches of his own to set the pace of the fight.
Always the busybody, Marques bustled out in the second stanza with blazing fists that pushed the Jamaican on the back foot. The latter fighter remained on the defensive for the first half of that round before he came to life and when he did he shook Marques with crisp combinations. Undaunted, Marques got on his bicycle and his slick footwork and accurate punching was indeed a joy to behold.
Hedge attempted to slide past Marques’ piston jabs in the early stages of the third stanza but the Guyanese proved to be elusive and kept him at bay. The Jamaican doggedly advanced and Marques retaliated with a one two combination that caused Hedge to stagger a little. He quickly reasserted himself and ended the round punching.
Marques turned up the heat at the start of the fourth round with vicious head and body shots before slickly sliding out of range. The distinction in skills became apparent as Marques danced and weaved circles around his Jamaican counterpart but Hedge demonstrated resilience and pluck when he came on strong nearing the end of the round with a three punch combination.
Hedge found his rhythm in the fifth round and forced Marques to work overtime to stay in front. The Guyanese was up to the task and laced his Jamaican counterpart with several combinations and then slipped out of reach before he could have responded. It seemed though, that Hedge was doing much better than anticipated as the scores up to that point reflected. Local judge, Trevor Arno had him ahead, 40-36 while Trinidadian judge, McKenzie Granger and Francis Abraham both had Marques in front 40-36.

Round six was the round that Hedge had predicted for a knockout and he came out firing connecting with a flush straight right to Marques’ jaw. The latter fighter shrugged off the blow and countered with a left and right hook before smoothly sliding out of range. Hedge pursued his man and the two warriors became engaged in a nice exchange of punches in one of the neutral corners.
By now, the crowd was very much a part of the action as they egged the Guyanese on. Buoyed by the support, Marques upped the ante and laced Hedge with a few straight punches but the Jamaican showed that he was made of sterner stuff and stayed in contention with several punches of his own.
Marques turned to his legs for support in the eighth round and they did not disappoint him as he weaved circles around his opponent while sneaking in left and right hand punches. The blows had their effect and the referee called in the ringside doctor to examine a cut over Hedge’s left eye which also had a small lump.
Hedge’s determination came to the fore in the ninth round when, despite his torrid experience, he went after his opponent with a force. Marques was up to the challenge but switched from an aggressive approach to a jab and move technique. It was also around that time that the crowd began to chant his name which provided the impetus for a series of punches that checked Hedge’s approach.
The fight was extremely competitive with Hedge searching for the sucker punch while Marques stayed on his bicycle and averted any danger. Sensing that he was behind on the scorecards, Hedge shifted gears in the penultimate round but a supremely fit Marques refused to relinquish the lead. He dug deep and came up with a beautiful combination that crashed into Hedge’s face and the blood started to pour from the gash over his left eye all over again forcing medical intervention. Upon resumption, Marques continued the onslaught with punches to his opponent’s body and head.
The two warriors had done quite a lot during the preceding rounds and it was a reasonable expectation that they be tired in the penultimate stanza. This was not the case, however, as that both attacked and a mini war ensued in centre ring with each giving as much as he received. The final round could have easily been mistaken for the first as both pugilists appeared fresh and determined, trading punches right down to the bell while the crowd screamed its appreciation. It was a furious bout but in the end Marques proved that his fitness and determination were not hampered by the lengthy absence from the ring.  The judges concurred and Trevor Arno gave Marques the fight 117-111, while Trinidadian judge, McKenzie Granger and Francis Abraham both concurred with scores of 119-101 and 117-111 respectively.
Boxing out of a southpaw stance, Austin failed to employ the right strategy against a stoutly built Moncrieffe. He was outmuscled and failed to find the right punches to stop the rampaging Jamaican. All three judges, Arno, Carlton Hopkinson and Bernard DeSantos gave the Jamaican the bout 79-72, 80-72 and 79-73 respectively.
Norville never looked the part and entered the ring sporting a chubby physique that contradicted the claim that he had trained properly for the bout. He was punished for most of the time he stayed in the ring. Midway into the second round he received several clouts and after showing no retaliation, his handlers threw in the towel but the referee simply threw the garment out of the ring. It all summed up to naught as Norville eventually quitted on the stool at the end of the second stanza.
Both Gomes and Toriano were making their debuts and the Jamaican refused to take chances, dancing around while jabbing and crossing. Gomes appeared the stronger of the two and used his power punches to good effect which eventually earned him the decision. Rawle Aaron registered a stalemate at 38-38 while Hopkinson and Andrew Thorne handed the Guyanese the bout 39-37 each.

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