… Lewis disciplines Browne
KNOCKOUTS were the order of the night when the second Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC), in collaboration with the Guyana Amateur Boxing Association (GABA) and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport (MCYS) Friday Night Fights punched off at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) last Friday night. From the final amateur bout in which Delroy George called it quits within the first two minutes of the first round in his match-up against Devon Boatswain to when Elton ‘Coolie Bully’ Dharry forced Wilmot Hutson to call it a day, fans who swarmed the arena, were treated to a night of fistic fury from the pugilists on show.
Only Troy Lewis failed to record a knockout on the professional side of things but he did manage to discipline an out-of-sorts Eversley Browne, whose Rastafarian compatriots must be hanging their head in shame at his mediocre display against a shorter opponent.
As is customary, the night commenced with four amateur bouts in which Richard Williamson of Pocket Rocket Gym (PRG), Forgotten Youth Gym’s (FYG) Theresa London and Mervin Ageday all recorded 3-0 victories over Donald Tapp (Timehri Gym), Amanda Norville (Harpy Eagles) and Stephen Gouveia also of Harpy Eagles respectively.
Guyana Defence Force’s (GDF) Boatswain was saved the opportunity of going the distance, when his opponent Delroy George from Pocket Rocket, complained of headaches and was forced to call it a day at 1:52 secs in the first round.
On to the professional scene, Shawn Pile endured an attacking first round from his opponent Paul Lewis Jr, before he unleashed a series of unanswered punches of his own, after coming off his bicycle to end the round in a flurry.
The second round saw Pile take the initiative to Lewis Jr who was content on waiting for an opportunity to land a big punch from God knows where and as Pile displayed an aggressive attitude, his opponent seemed to have little or no interest in counter-attacking.
During this process, Lewis Jr for reasons only he himself can explain, turned his back on Pile who cease to opportunity to land a few punches to the head of his opponent, whose next alternative was to kiss the canvas, wherein he failed to show referee Franklin Brisport any good signs of continuing the bout, handing Pile a knockout victory at 2:05 secs of the second round.
Prior to the two meeting, Troy Lewis had predicted a knockout over Eversley Browne who vowed never to go down, but had to endure a lesson in boxing from a much shorter Lewis, who pummelled away at his opponent at will.
It was a shame to see Browne, who possessed a longer reach than Lewis, failing to use his jab more often. He kept Lewis, who at times went off his feet to launch his attacks at Browne, at bay.
Lewis’ boxing ability was enough to keep a mediocre-looking Browne at the end of his gloves, with the latter’s headwear that he used to keep his dreadlocks in place during the bout, being beaten off by Lewis in the final round, on his way to a split-decision victory.
The knockout scenario continued in the female catch weight bout between Alicia Marques and Mandessa Moses, with Marques who established the opportunity to hit her opponent at will thanks to her effective left jabs, sending her to the canvas within the first two minutes of the first round.
Moses continued to stalk her opponent in the second round where she landed punches at will and even though Marques who hails from Pomeroon got in a few punches of her own, it had little or no effect on the shorter and lighter Moses who was giving away an 18 pounds advantage to her opponent.
The end came at the halfway point of the third round, as a bloodied Marques was at the receiving end of a series of unanswered punches from Moses which included several combinations to the head and body and after turning her back to her opponent, she endured the same fate, as Paul Lewis Jr did, in the first professional bout, only this time, her corner did the right thing by throwing in the towel.
Thirty-nine-year-old Wilmot Hutson has not fought since 2002 and to be back in the ring against a seasoned campaigner in the calibre of Elton ‘Coolie Bully’ Dharry was a mistake and a mismatch, as the New York-based Dharry bullied his opponent into submission.
Jabs, hooks and combinations rained on Hutson at will from Dharry, who knocked his opponent down in the second round while opening a cut over his right eye.
Hutson rebounded to seize the initiative early in the third round but such a reprieve was short-lived, as the ‘Coolie Bully’, who had the crowd who flocked the CASH, including chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC) Conrad Plummer and former president of the GABA and Commissioner of Police Laurie Lewis behind him, took control of things.
A straight left from Dharry caught an advancing Hutson plumb on the nose and that was followed by a right hook which found its’ mark, sending an out-of-sorts Hutson to the canvas and even though he beat referee Eion Jardine’s count, he himself told the official ‘No Mas’ a la Roberto Duran in his bout against Thomas ‘Hitman’ Hearns, at 2:22 secs of the third round.
A jovial-looking Dharry, in an invited comment, thanked God for seeing him through that encounter, before boldly saying he is ready to take on whoever is willing to step up to the plate and fight him on the local scene, including a boastful ‘Pocket’ Rogers who was present at ringside.