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Terrence Alli National Open Boxing Championships Crawford, Butcher through to Youth Welterweight final Allicock to fight tonight
By Sean Devers
The opening night of Guyana Boxing Association’s Terrence Alli National Open Championships was off to a late start on Friday Night at National Gymnasium due late arrival of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) team Bus as seven bouts were held.
GDF’s Clairmont Gibson (right) scores to face of FYF’s Kareem Boyce with a left jab.
Forgotten Youths Foundation’s (FYF) Mark Crawford executed a clinical destruction of Sherlon Stephen of the Winston Pompey Warriors Boxing Gym, while WPWBG’s Alex Butcher beat Rose Hall Jammers’ (RHJ) Nicholas Deheart in their Youths/Juniors Welterweight semi-finals to book their places in the final.
GDF Boxer Clinton Clarke defeated Andre Bess of RHJ in an action packed Elites Bantamweight fight that could have gone either way while Solider Clairmont Gibson beat FYF’s Kareem Boyce in the Lightweight division.
These fights followed three Exhibition bouts by GDF pugilists Jermaine Grant and Anthony Lustal, Anzeemul Lewis and Lincon Murray and Lyndon Bennett and Neil Warden.
Watched by a small but vocal gathering at the state owned facility where 26 of the 41 lights were turned off or not working, Butcher’s fight against Deheart was stopped at 2:01 seconds of the second round in the first semi-final.
The second semi-final between Crawford and Stephen was an entertaining
Alex Butcher of WPWBG (right) scores to the head of RHJ’s Nicholas Deheart in an action packed fight.
contest as Stephen answered the bell with an ultra-aggressive approach and threw more punches in the half of the opening stanza.
But Crawford soon found his range and used his longer reach to his advantage with some crisp left-jabs before going the body of his man with well executed digs which resulted in Stephen receiving two standing eight counts in round one.
In the second round Crawford looked the more accomplished boxer and his accurate jabs were followed up by good shots to mid-section as Stephen tried to counter punch.
But he was caught with a crunching upper cut to his rib cage and after Stephen took a left to his head and right to the body Referee Richard Braithwaite stepped in to save the fighter from the Sophia Gym from further punishment as he called a halt to proceedings in 1:40 seconds of round two.
Another exciting bout was the Elites Bantamweight clash between GDF’s Clarke and Berbician Bess. The pair put on an action packed show with plenty of punches and counterpunches in the high intensity affair.
Referee Richard Braithwaite stopped the fight in the 2nd round as FYF’s Mark Crawford (left) executed some telling blows to the body of Sherlon Stephen of WPWBG on Friday night.
Both fighters threw good one-two combinations as they fought toe to toe before Clarke was caught with a wicked left hook and was given a standing eight-count as he was guilty of bending his head and rushing into punches.
The second round began with the GDF drummers trying their best to inspire their Boxer with fast paced rhythms as the pair matched each other shot for shot and the GDF supporters were on their feet.
But all the while a small contingent of Bess’ supporters bellowed instructions to the Corentyne Boxer as they sounded like a few hundred fans.
With the drums beating and the fans shouting the noise level soon reached a crescendo as the Boxers went at each other.
But the intensity of the fight began to take its toll and they shifted to long range to catch their breaths and toward the end of the round began to employ the holding strategy.
C’bean Bantamweight Champ Keevin Allicock (front) with the FYF supporters.
In the final round Clarke was hit by straight right, while both fighters threw several big swinging shots, most of which missed their targets and in the end Bess was second best in a close fight that could have gone either way.
In the last fight of the night, GDF’s Gibson, more experienced than
Berbician Andre Bess (right) goes after Soldier Clinton Clarke in a high intensity bout.
FYF Boyce, threw some wild shots as Boyce retaliated with some nice left-right combinations.
But towards the end of what had been a close contest Gibson dropped his guards and show-boating invited Boyce to hit him but the FYF Boxer stayed at long range instead of going in for the kill and went on the back foot.
Boyce was urged on to go forward by the FYC supports which included Caribbean Bantamweight Champion Keevin Allicock who will fight tonight in the finals.
Boyce eventually took their advice and in the last few seconds exchanged some good shots with Clarke but it was too little too late and Clarke, who showed some flaws in this fight, was adjudged the winner.
The Card, which includes three overseas Boxers, was scheduled to continue last night with night two action.
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