Boxing Day traditional cards, the Hall of Fame and the lost art of the sport

Dec 27, 2015 Sports

---

Former Continental of Americas Champion, Michael Benjamin regurgitates the memories

Yesterday was Boxing Day and though historically the name

had nothing to do with boxing matches, that day had always been specially selected by promoters to stage cards that showcased the crème de la crème. Yes, local boxing pundits have always trudged to the National Park, GCC Ground Bourda or the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall to witness some of those scorchers that have characterized the glory days of the sport and though years have passed, are still the center of discussion among pundits.
In days of yore it would have been a travesty for Boxing Day to slip by devoid of an action packed thriller. Those days were characterized by raging slugfests that instigated heated debates long after the final bell had sounded. That was up until around the early nineties. Sadly, the succeeding generation has failed to efficiently carry the baton and the cards, which should have been a replication of the great bouts of yesteryear, have now been replaced with bouts of nostalgia.
I am not one to blow my own trumpet, but with no one in the orchestra displaying the will to play the tunes and reminisce on my days in the square jungle, I am forced to be conductor, player and even dancer. My first controversial experience in the sport occurred after my first title fight, a 12 rounder against Jeff Roberts for the local lightweight title in November 1987. One judge had scored the bout as a draw (114-114), while the other two felt that I had won the match (114-113 and 116-114 respectively. Weeks after I was declared ‘winner and new champion’ there were heated debates as pundits weighed in on the judges’ decision, some for and others against. Somehow, I managed to weather that storm.
I remember the Rawle Frank fights, the first in July, and the second on Boxing Day of 1992. This bout was long overdue after I had signed for the much anticipated meeting just over a year prior where Tony CJ was making his debut as a promoter. Less than two weeks before the bout, Frank, who had chalked up an impeccable record, secretly accepted another in French Guiana, maybe hoping to enhance his reputation. This was in contravention of the rules, yet executives of the Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC) displayed bias by turning a blind eye and allowing Frank to travel to the French country. As luck would have it, Frank suffered a knockout loss and was unable to keep our ring date.
Despite being bombarded by the promoter and even officials of the GBBC, I refused to acquiesce to a postponement and was equally adamant (after receiving legal advice) that the $25,000 should be forfeited. The promoter sought redress in the High Court but Justice Desiree Bernard subsequently dismissed the matter in chambers.
The Barrington Cambridge duels in May and December 1990 respectively, were humdingers and certainly not devoid of the controversy that characterized most of my bouts; some people were just not comfortable with a ghetto youth blessed with the gift of gab and punches to match.
Then there was the Anthony ‘The Pearl’ Andrews shindig in January 1992 where I won the National welterweight title and catapulted me in the European ratings for a shot at the Commonwealth title. It was around this time that Odinga Lumumba entered my life as my manager. I will not elaborate on our union right now because I plan to do a special piece on the managerial sector soon.
The aforementioned bouts provide nostalgic moments and, to my mind, have strengthened my claim to be among the elite in the inaugural Hall of Fame. Luckily, this view was not unilaterally garnered but was after consultations with the sports’ knowledgeable and elites.
I’ve mixed with the best of that era. Saoul Mamby was no slouch nor was Ernesto Espana—these were two warriors that had etched the names in the historical annuls of the sport after winning world titles, yet I prevailed over them both; Espana in 1988 for the Continental of Americas title and Mamby in 1992 in a non-title welterweight contest.
I remember fighting Eamonn Loughran in February 1993 in Cardiff Wales and Steve Larrimore in the Bahamas in defence of the Continental of Americas title, fights that I lost even before I threw a punch. That episode is too lengthy for this forum but I’ll document it at another time.
Notwithstanding, I still think our contemporary boxers are waddling in ignorance in regards to preceding punchers. One of these fighters even questioned my inclusion in the HOF. Where was he when I was engaging Victoria Belcher in Belleville Ontario Canada in August 1987, Steve Larrimore in the Bahamas in 1989 along with historic battles in London, South Africa, French Guiana and a host of other countries that give me the right to claim myself among local top notch pugilists?
I am now out of the ring but boxing remains in my blood. I do not kid myself that any thought of reentering the square jungle is a myth but when I see the standard of our present day fighters I wish that my tenure had now begun. As my former manager, Keith Bazilio exhorted in true Guyanese parlance, “Benjie you could beat all of them with one hand tied behind your back.”
I have no apologies when I say that some of these (present day) fighters cannot even wear the jack straps of former (local) greats the likes of Lennox Blackmore Patrick Forde, Brian Muller, Reginald Forde and a host of other veterans. Yet these (current) boxers are all talking up as though they are present day Muhammad Alis or Joe Fraziers.
Boxing is not just war; it is disciplined war, fought under strict rules and regulations yet there are those who attempt to paint the sport as medieval and undeserving of its rightful place at the top of the (local) ladder. Sadly, even our present day pugilists are uninformed of the exploits of their predecessors and this, to my mind, strips them of the ability to truly advance their careers. My honest contention is that unless these fighters seriously delve into the historical aspect of the sport, they would just be wasting time in attaining lofty accolades.
This brings me to the issue of the recently inaugurated Hall of Fame. I believe that every boxer has a right to claim greatness but there must be some guide as to what solidifies those claims, especially when one is discussing installation into an institution as sacred as the Hall of Fame. Let me state up front that I am totally disappointed that many of our former pugilists could not even be bothered to attend the inauguration. Yet, there are a host of complaints and contention concerning the omission of some boxers that believe they should have made the cut.
Some of these boxers have merely won a local title, some have only just learned to shadow box, while some cannot even differentiate left hook from a fish hook yet they are staking a claim to be among the all-time (local) greats.
For the record, several guidelines were used to ascertain the viability for inclusion in this prestigious unit, not omitting the availability of the requisite funding.
Among those that should have been mounted but had to be temporarily deferred until the availability of funds are former (woman) world champion, Pamela London, former world raters, Patrick Forde and Lennox Blackmore, while multiple world champion, Gwendolyn O’Neil’s was taken down at the last minute to facilitate her latest world title achievement. The point is, the Hall of Fame is a work in progress but the paucity of adequate finance precludes the inclusion of everyone at the first induction.
Finally, we observed another Boxing Day, well minus the boxing card which means it is just another day.

 

---

---