Rock disciplines Gouveia
-Moores take titles to Cinderella County
GUYANA’S 2008 Junior Sportsman of the Year and Junior Commonwealth Games gold medalist Clevon Rock disciplined Stephon Gouveia before forcing the referee to stop their contest in the first round, when action in the Guyana Amateur Boxing Association (GABA)/Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports organized Michael Parris National Open Boxing Championships continued at the National Gymnasium, on Saturday night. Siblings Odeny and Shaka Moore ensured their uncle and coach Clifton Moore had a broad smile on his face during the second night of action, when they defeated Christopher Tinnerman and Christopher Mansfield to be crowned champions in the 60-64 and 65-69lbs category respectively.
Also in winner’s row and being crowned champions were Ezekiel Accra (74-78lbs) and Seon Griffith (85-89lbs), while Travis Fraser, Delon Allicock and Benjamin Henry advanced to the finals which were contested last night at the same venue.
While Odeny and Shaka Moore pummeled their opponents on their way to 3-0 victories, it was the Rock/Gouveia encounter which moved the spectators who were gathered at the venue to stand to their feet, even though the contest was a short lived one.
It was evident from the opening bell, that Gouveia was not fazed by Rock’s achievements as an amateur for Guyana, as he took the fight to his opponent who is a member of the GABA boxing contingent that will be competing in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in India next month.
The two traded punches from a toe to toe standpoint until mid way in the first round, when referee Carl Franklin invited the ringside physiotherapist Abiola Blair from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) to have a look at Gouveia’s nose, which was bleeding.
That was the opening Rock needed, as he showed Gouveia and the entire venue the boxing technique that landed him his gold medal two years ago in India and also a place on the Guyana team to the Asian continent next month, unleashing a series of combinations on his opponent.
But while some thought Gouveia would have stood in the squared circle and accept Rock’s punches without any response, he surprised them all by unleashing a few combinations of his own that rocked the head of Rock on a few occasions.
But as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end and that was the scenario for Gouveia after Blair was summoned to the ring one more time and instructed Franklin to call a halt to proceedings at 2:03 of the first round.
Rock’s GDF’s teammate and fellow Central American and Caribbean Games selectee Bert Braithwaite  won the first and lone fight out of the blue corner, when he knocked down Port Kaituma’s Mark George with a vicious left uppercut that found its mark at 1:43 in the second round, prior to which he had unleashed numerous unanswered combinations to his opponent’s body.
Benjamin Harry of Port Kaituma also recorded a second round victory over Clairmont Gibson of the GDF in a bout which Franklyn was forced to stop, as Gibson had not shown any intentions of fighting after several combinations from Harry.
He (Gibson) received a standing eight count two times in the first round and at times he looked dazed and at sea against Harry who took advantage of every opportunity he got to invade and pound away on Gibson’s mid section until Franklyn called a halt to proceedings.
GDF’s Markenber Pierre and Guyana Police Force’s Jermaine Dow provided entertainment in the last bout of the evening, with both pugilists engaging each other in a toe to toe onslaught that brought the crowd to their feet.
Chants of ‘hey soldier, beat the police like a thief’ arose from the crowd who were at this time on their feet in support of Pierre.
Like the Rock/Gouveia affair, Dow refused to take a back bench approach to Pierre’s attack and displayed same when he unleashed several combinations to the head and body of his opponent that lacked the energy and strength to finish off Pierre who was at times on wobbly legs.
Despite his late surge, Pierre managed to walk away with a 2-1 decision and a date in the final against an unknown opponent.