Barbados/Trinidad clinch top accolades as tournament climaxes to delectable conclusion

Dec 01, 2015 Sports

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‘Back to the Future’ Development Boxing Tournament…

By Michael Benjamin
The punches flowed in bunches and hapless bodies fell to the canvass. Some gathered the pluck to rise; others were unable to, and stayed down for the full count. In the end, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago’s boxers

distinguished themselves with top performances that earned them prestigious accolades when the curtains came down on four nights of fistic fury in the Guyana Boxing Association/Guyana Olympics Association ‘Back to the Future’ Development Boxing Tournament at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) last Saturday evening.
Featherweight (Junior) boxer, Justin Parris represented Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) and on the inaugural night had scored a crunching 1st round technical knockout over Guyanese, Rene Claude Dutard in 1:01secs. He followed up that victory with a similar 1st round TKO against Jamaican, Daniel Hylton to capture the honours in his division. Those efforts did not pass unnoticed and Parris was voted the best junior boxer on show.
Barbadian welterweight boxer, Ision Fraser, opened his account on the inaugural night with a crunching TKO victory over St Lucian, Tahj Browne in 2:36secs of the second round. He returned on the final night to win on points over Trinidadian, Ronaldo Stewart and was eventually adjudged the best youth boxer on show.
The best senior boxer award went to Aaron Hackett of T&T. He fought in the welterweight division and had scored a surprise victory over St Lucian strongman, Lyndell Marcellin on the inaugural night and returned on the final night to defeat Jamaican, Nico Yeyo.

Barbadian, Kimberly Gittens, fought in the light/welterweight division and defeated Shantal Adams (T&T) in the finals on Saturday night. Her performance impressed the judges and she was also adjudged the best female boxer on show.
Barbados was on fire and also clinched the award for the best novice boxer through middleweight boxer, Charles Cox. He started his trek with a decisive victory over Guyanese Roger Sloon on the inaugural night and further strengthened his position with a similar win over another Guyanese, Dwayne July, on the final night. The highly anticipated announcement of the winning country did not materialize since the officials remained adamant that all of the participants were winners in their own right.
Meanwhile, the action intensified on the final night and those in attendance were treated to fistic fury throughout the programme. Local boxers experienced mixed fortunes even after welterweight pugilist, Kellon King, opened Guyana’s account on a positive note. He pounded Lance Robinson of Antigua and Barbuda (A&B) and forced him to quit on the stool at the end of the first round.
King’s countryman, Dwayne July failed to upkeep the tempo and dropped a points decision to Barbadian, Charles Cox in the middleweight division.  Light/heavyweight, Colin Martin resumed Guyana’s winning ways with a TKO victory over Senthil Kumar (A&B) after the latter pugilist quitted on his stool at the end of the first stanza.
Tefon Green also chalked up a win for Guyana in his flyweight (elite open) bout against Trinidadian, Anthony Joseph but Clairmont Gibson did not fare that well after surrendering a points decision to Kesney Joseph of French Guiana.

Misfortune continued to beset the Guyanese boxers when lightweight, Joel Williamson surrendered his elite (open) bout to Jamaican, Ricardo Carter on points while another Guyanese, Jason Phillips, also dropped a points decision to Trinidadian, Jean Paul Cooper. Trinidad also clinched the welterweight (elite) title after Aaron Hackette unleashed a sustained two fisted attack on Jamaican Nico Yeyo on his way to a points decision.
Dennis Thomas is the most experience boxer on the Guyanese team and much was expected from him. Earlier in the tournament he had convincingly chalked up two victories on the inaugural and second nights. He fought his heart out in a fight that many believed he should have won but the judges thought differently and awarded his middleweight bout to his Jamaican opponent, Johnathan Hanson, on points.
Another Guyanese, Desmond Amsterdam, stepped up to the plate with a decisive victory over St Lucian, Mark Anthony, while Jason Barker benefitted from a walkover one fight later after his opponent, Trinidadian, Brendon Dennis, sustained an injury.
Guyanese boxer, Nicko Jodha lasted one minute of his flyweight (youth) bout against a Barbadian, one fight before Barbadian, Jabali Breedy punched his way to victory over his Guyanese bantamweight counterpart, Jamal Eastman.
It was certainly not Guyana’s night as Quincy Boyce also lost his lightweight encounter to Keshan Jacoby Koaly (Guadeloupe) one bout before Trinidadian, Christian McDonald eked out a close points decision over Guyanese Diwani Lampkin.
Barbados continued its good showing after Ision Fraser scored a points win over Trinidadian, Ronaldo Stewart in the welterweight category, while another Bajan, middleweight, Shakuan Lashley, prevailed over Guyanese, Stephan Smith in the middleweight division.
Guyana then chalked up three consecutive victories; light/heavyweight, Lennox Walton blasted his way to a TKO victory over Anguilla’s Shem Olton in 2:54secs of the first stanza with Stephen Andrews emulating with a TKO victory over Mike Inniss (T&T) in 1:58secs also in the first stanza.
Nankumar Singh was his usual aggressive self and he punched his way to a points win over Antiguan, Jamal Skepple in their lightweight bout while (Nankumar’s) countryman, Klaus Daniels, also represented well with a lopsided points verdict over Trinidadian, Kyleron Ruiz in a light/welterweight shindig.
The action was intense throughout the tournament and the night ended on a similar note when two super/heavyweights, Eon Fraser (Guyana) and Nigel Paul (T&T) squared off. Paul is a strapping, imposing fellow and he used this to his advantage. The sound of the bell was still resonating when the Trinidadian delivered several clouts that had Fraser scurrying around the ring like a frightened rabbit. The Guyanese never suggested permanency and after another wicked right hook thudded into his temple, the referee administered the mandatory 8 count and then waved the contest off.
Meanwhile, several boxers benefitted from the generosity of former (amateur) boxing champion and 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games representative, Junior Christie. The former boxer currently resides in the USA but returned home to see his countrymen and women in action. Mr. Christie extended benevolence to firstly, the GBA after presenting those officials with a gong. He also doled out special prizes to some of the outstanding boxers from Guyana and other countries. The former amateur champion has since promised additional support in the future.

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