At the crossroads: Clive Atwell’s career hangs in the balance

Nov 06, 2015 Sports

By Michael Benjamin

He entered the professional ranks about 5 years ago and has compiled a commendable

Clive Atwell pummels away at the heavy punching bag during preparations at Gleasons gym.

13-3-1 record. He has served Guyana with distinction after fighting for CABOFE, Latin America and numerous other titles while donning the Golden Arrowhead.
Now, boxing multiple champion and world rated fighter, Clive ‘The Punisher’ Atwell, is tottering on the ropes and an illustrious career which, just over a week ago seemed heading in the right direction, seems destined for a premature and unceremonious conclusion.
Atwell was rushed to the Balwant Singh Hospital (BSH) after he became stricken in a fight against Dexter Gonzalez for the Fecarbox jnr/lightweight belt at the Giftland Malls, Liliendaal ECD. When he left the arena, the prognosis was that he had injured his leg after falling to the canvass.
The referee was forced to halt the bout after Atwell was unable to continue and the official decision was that the injury was responsible for the stoppage. Gonzales was declared the winner and champion by technical knockout in the 8th round.
A more thorough examination at the BSH revealed that Atwell had incurred serious head injuries that necessitated surgical intervention. The debate is still raging as to how he sustained those injuries since Atwell is claiming that it was not from a punch during the bout. Referee, Eon Jardine, could not definitively say what transpired and if indeed a punch had caused Atwell to fall to the canvass, thus his ruling.
Atwell fell to the canvass from what was perceived to be an injury to his leg and after consulting the ringside doctor, who confirmed that Atwell did indeed hurt his limb, Jardine waved off the bout. The prognosis at the BSH was more thorough and those medical specialists ruled that the injury necessitated neurosurgical intervention. Atwell has since been discharged and is now resting comfortably at his Eccles EBD home.
Kaieteur Sport visited the champ yesterday afternoon and conducted an exclusive interview where he spoke extensively of his preparations for the (Gonsalves) bout, challenges encountered during his career and his future in the sport.
He was resting on a couch and though he seemed relaxed, his demeanor suggested that he was grappling with fantasy against reality as his career lay on the line. He recalled the discussion with President of the Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC), Peter Abdool, asking him to fill in for (Iwan) Azore and he (Atwell) spent one day considering his options before agreeing to the proposal. Atwell said that at that time he was merely engaged in light training sessions in Dominica and immediately intensified preparations.
”I contemplated my options of training in Guyana as against returning to the Gleasons Gym in the USA,” he confided. He finally opted for the USA because of the accessibility to sparring partners coupled with the modern approaches of coaches in that country. “Preparing in Guyana was not an option owing to the substandard facilities and absence of (adequate) sparring partners,” he explained.
He further related that the level of seriousness and professionalism of the coaches and boxers at Gleasons Gym created the atmosphere for improvement. While at Gleasons, Atwell trained under the tutelage of former Olympian, Dillon Carew and multiple champion, Leon ‘Hurry Up’ Moore, and engaged in sparring several competent boxers.
”I sparred with a few Spanish fighters and even a (140 lbs) Golden Gloves Champion; those guys were awesome,” he admitted. He said that those boxers demonstrated superb technique, and skill that were simply astounding. “Their precision, strength and speed were just the attributes that aided in my preparations,” Atwell further explained.
He said that the initial part of the sessions was torrid but as the days went by he was able to assert himself. “I was inter-changing with several sparring partners and would go for as many as ten rounds per session,” he admitted.
It was during one of these sessions that Atwell said that he incurred an injury to his knee and was forced to seek the intervention of Doctor Oswald King of the New York State Athletic Commission. “The doctor opined that the intensive change of workout (where I had placed a lot of pressure on my knee) could have been responsible,” Atwell explained.
Atwell said than he resumed training almost immediately and was not further bothered by the injury. Subsequently, he wrapped up sessions in the USA and returned to Guyana approximately one week before his ring date.
He completed his training schedule under the guidance of Lennox ‘Cappell’ Daniels at the Andrew Lewis Boxing Gym (ALBG), concentrating largely on speed, stamina and generally maintaining his condition. “I really felt great after such strategic sessions and was rearing to go on fight night,” Atwell said.
Commenting on his strategy for the Gonzalez fight Atwell said that his coaches instructed him to fight close in order to avoid being hit by Gonsalves’ long ranged punches. Indeed the plan seemed to be working as Atwell bobbed and weaved while straying close.
Atwell said that he knew that Gonsalves was a dangerous customer and he (Atwell) remained circumspect while mounting an offensive. “I must tip my hat to (Gonsalves), he is a resilient fighter and it’s hard to break his morale,” Atwell admitted. That apart, Atwell said that he was not impressed by Gonsalves’ power.
Atwell said that his knee began to act up around the 6th round regurgitating memories of the injury in the USA. “After the recurrence of the injury I started thinking that I still had a few more rounds to go and admittedly it had a psychological effect on me,” he revealed. He said that at the end of the 6th round he complained to Daniels of the problem.
He said that he also made a similar complaint to referee, Eon Jardine. “I called on my reserves and managed to fight two additional rounds but my knees could not sustain the pressure and I buckled and I fell,” he recounted.
He said he resorted to his experience to last out the round. “I decided to clinch in order to assert myself and leaned on Dexter to support my weight,” Atwell explained. The injured boxer remains adamant that his inability to continue was purely because of the injury to his foot. “It was not a punch that put me down,” he adamantly asserted. But the surgeon performed head surgery! “The doctors ruled that I had a concussion which could have been incurred from a blow or upon falling,” Atwell admitted. He hinted that the injury might have been sustained during his hectic sparring sessions in Gleasons Gym.
Strangely, not many of the spectators could definitively recount what happened; they claimed it happened very fast. This does not quell the reality that Atwell is seriously injured; he sports a wound that starts from his right ear that climbs to the top of his head, an incision that became necessary to fix the problem inside his cranium. The chances of him reentering the ring are very slim.
”I’ve spoken with the doctor who has set a date for my evaluation and I will take it from there,” Atwell pronounced when asked to comment on a possible return to the ring. Even amidst this pronouncement the uninitiated could sense the despair as Atwell seemed to realize that his active days in the ‘square jungle’ is over.
He reflected on the challenges, disappointments and failures and came to a conclusion, “I’ve come to realize that it’s not worth it,” he muttered inaudibly. “Being a sportsman in this country and trying to attain goals is frustrating,” he then declared.
Atwell’s issues are more deep seated than initially expressed. He said that he feels betrayed by a system that has given him a raw deal. “On numerous occasions I attempted to acquire a house lot but have been unsuccessful,” he lamented. He said that he had applied since 2011 but has been getting the royal run around.
”When I eventually received some positive word from the Housing Ministry last year I was told that I had to fork out about two million dollars for the piece of real estate. “I have no means of acquiring such a prohibitive sum,” lamented Atwell. He said that he currently resides in Dominica where he is more respected than in his hometown.
Notwithstanding, Atwell is a devout Christian and believes that his fate lies in the hands of a powerful force. He feels obliged to counsel his colleagues who seek redemption in the fistic sport, “You guys need to wise up. It’s a cruel game and all about business where you have to look out for yourself. Things are not as they sometimes seem to be,” he philosophically concluded.