FORGOTTEN Youth Foundation (FYF) and Harpy Eagles (HE) boxing gyms dominated the Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL)/Guyana Amateur Boxing Association’s (GABA) Under-16 boxing championships which culminated yesterday at the Andrew `Six Head’ boxing Gym, Independence Bouelvard.

Both South Georgetown based gyms won four titles each while Essequibo (Esse) won two with Young Achievers (YA)and Pocket Rocket Boxing Gym(PRBG) winning one each.
Representing the FYF gym, John Moore was voted the Best Boxer of the two-day tournament after two days of power punching his way to consecutive victories,.
On the opening day (Saturday), Moore bombarded HE’s Roy Samuels with a barrage of body and head shots that had the latter trying to get out of Moore’s range by back pedaling for shelter.
In the final of the weight division yesterday, Moore employed the same tactic he used against Samuels.
From the sound of the first bell, Moore raced across to ESSE’s Shaquick Wright’s corner and opened his score on the judges score card with a left right combination.
He scored continuously with this combination throughout the round and at times from a jab he used the same hand to hook to Wright’s body or head.
Wright started to step on the plate during the early seconds of round two, but Moore changed his approach and started to keep at then step forward, throw a combination then back away.
The two pugilists, both looking for victory, went at each other in the final round. Both landed clean punches and both countered well.
It was a round that could have gone either way, but Moore was adjudged winner.
There were many other exciting fights yesterday, but the crowd pleaser was the lone female bout on the card that pitted together Rose Hall Jammers’ Akisha Arokium and Tandeka Benjamin.
From the start of the bout, Arokium raced across to Benjamin’s corner and started peppering her with a barrage of head shots which Benjamin had no answer.
So ferocious was Arokium that Benjamin kept trying to back away, but Arokium kept stepping forward throwing shots from all angles.
On three occasions during the round, the referee had to stop the bout so that Benjamin’s corner could replace her head guard.
Round two was a brawl between gym mates but Arokium got the better of the exchanges . So severe was Arokium’s punches that Benjamin was given a standing eight count and at this point, her corner handlers called it a day, giving Arokium a technical knock-out victory.
Keion Williams, representing Esse, registered his second victory of the tournament by getting past Rayon Legall (FYF) in a 115-119 pounds division bout.
On the opening day Williams registered a nine seconds first round knock-out victory over Anthony Miguel (YA).
In the 110-115 pounds weight division, the south paw fighter Junior Henry (FYF) packing a stiff right jab, used it to good effect to keep his opponent Tefon Green(HE) at bay for most of the fight. There were sporadic combinations landing in favour of Green, but the mauling he took from a much better fighter was too much.
The other boxers that won their respective weight divisions are; Jaimi Kellman (YA) who defeated Moses Oxford (HE)in a 55-59 pounds division clash, Orwayne Harris (FYF) who beat Leon Moore (Esse)in the 60-64 pounds division, Isaihah Moore (HE) who defeated Theo Bumbury(FYF) to take the 70-74 poundds category, SHamar Bumbury (FYF) defeated Kevon Mullin (HE) in the 75-79 pounds weight group, Deshon Elcock (Esse)scored a technical knock-out victory over Joshua Corbin (Carroll Boxing Gym) in the 85-89 pounds division, Kurt Allicock (HE) was too good for Odely Moore (Esse) in their 95-99 pounds battle, Orin Bancroft (HE)won by a walk over .
He was scheduled to fight Shaka Moore (Esse) in a 105-110 weight division clash and Travis Hubbard (HE) made light work of Guyana Defence Force’s Quincy Boyce in the 120-126 division final.