FRESH off from winning the Commonwealth lightweight title, sublime counter-puncher Lennox Blackmoore roughed up Jamaican Desmond `The Destroyer’ Thompson on May 14, 1978 at the National Sports Hall.Blackmoore was 14-1 heading into the match with the Jamaican, and improved to 15 victories following a fifth-round knockout.
Blackmoore won the Commonwealth title in October of the previous year after pounding out a 15-round knockout Jonathan Dele in Nigeria. He lost the title in October 1978 following a fifth-round KO at the hands of Hogan Jimoh, another Nigerian.
Moving up one division, Blackmoore challenged World Boxing Association (WBA) super lightweight champion Aaron `The Hawk’ Pryor in June 1981. `The Hawk’ aka the `Cincinnati Cyclone’ ruled the division with a stern hand having knocked out both opponents in the two defences he made.
Once considered one of the best counter-punchers in the business, Blackmoore found himself in early trouble as Pryor swarmed from the opening bell and knocked him down several times in the brief encounter.
Pryor won the bout by a TKO in round two, in the process denying Guyana a chance of claiming its first world title.
Blackmoore lost his next two fights and hung up his gloves after defeating Wayne Harris in June 1986. He is now a sought-after trainer in New York and piloted `Vicious’ Vivian Harris to a world title in 2002.
Later this month he will accompany Gwendolyn `The Stealth Bomber’ O’Neil to St Maarten, where she will restart her career.