THE Guyana Defence Force (GDF) reclaimed the Guyana Boxing Association’s (GBA)/Lennox Blackmoore National Intermediate overall championship title when the curtain came down on Sunday evening at the East Ruimveldt Community Centre (California Square).Forgotten Youth Foundation’s (FYF) Dewani Lampkin was adjudged the Best Boxer on show during the two-night championship which was sponsored exclusively by Trophy Stall of Bourda Market.

GDF, who dominated the opening night’s card with eight victories, had finalists in 10 of the Elite category weight divisions on Sunday evening. They won seven of the divisions including three that featured all GDF fighters.
Last year’s champion gym Guyana Prison Service (Republican) had to settle for the runner-up gym with eight points from two victories and four runner-up positions.
Lampkin was adjudged Best Boxer of the tournament after he secured a unanimous points-decision victory over GDF’s Jamal Brisport on the opening night in the lightweight division, then returned on Sunday and defeated another soldier, Akeem Henry, in like manner.
In the junior category, Essequibo Boxing Gym (Esse) won three of the four finals they contested. However, two of the bouts were all-Essequibo affairs.
In the Youth category, New Opportunity Corps (NOC) dominated things, winning two titles. Again, both finals were all-NOC affairs.
Some of the more entertaining fights on Sunday night’s card were: the Okefi Osbourne (NOC) versus Joshua Corbin (Carryl Boxing Gym lightweight final in the junior category and the Akeem Mounter (Esse) versus Stephan Smith (FYF junior middleweight final also in the junior category; Travis Hubbard (Harpy Eagles) versus Quincy Boyce (GDF) in the lightweight final of the junior category and Teusimar Peters (GDF) versus Kishon Matthews (Republican) in the junior flyweight final of the Elite category.
In the Osbourne versus Corbin bout, there were punches galore from the first bell as Osbourne, displaying strength and stamina, stormed Corbin during all three rounds throwing punches from all angles, regardless of if they connected or not.
This seemed to have put some amount of fear into Corbin who for all it’s worth had to keep covering his head and body from the `storm’ that kept coming at him. Osbourne was declared the winner by unanimous decision.
The Mounter versus Smith bout was also interesting as both boxers exhibited reasonable boxing skills. Smith was the aggressor early in the first two rounds, but Mounter caught a second breath late in the second round and counter-punched his way out of trouble. He continued the same way in the third round to win the fight by unanimous decision.

In the Peters versus Matthews bout, Peters was all over his opponent from the start of the first round with a series of combinations which Matthews absorbed well and countered with a few combinations of his own.
As the fight progressed Matthews was cautioned by the referee on numerous occasions for holding, but he put on a good show going into the third round. He was given a standing eight-count and was subsequently cautioned for holding and the referee had no other choice but to disqualify him for persistent holding.
In other results from the night’s card, Quacy Wright (Esse) secured a walkover victory from his gym mate Andrew Williams in the junior category, Omar Pollard (Pocket Rocket) defeated Junior Hyman (Esse) by unanimous decision in the same category.
In the junior category also, Deshan Elcock (Esse) beat his gym mate Shaquile Wright.
In the Youth category, Stephan Fordyce (NOC) defeated his gym mate Kellon Isaacs, and Lennox Walton (NOC) forced the referee to stop his fight against his gym mate Andrew Newton.
The Elite category saw Keon Williams (GDF) beat his fellow soldier Courtney Lynch by unanimous decision in the bantamweight final; Colin Lewis (GDF) edged Republican’s Junior Kelly on points; Marley Ross (GDF) out-pointed his gym mate Winston Long, to claim the welterweight title, Dane July (GDF) defeated his gym mate Joshua Fraser on points to win the middleweight title.
Mickle Sancho (GDF) scored unanimous decision win against Republican’s Junior Nurse to win the light heavyweight title; Wendell Austin (Republican) secured a walkover win from GDF’s Shemar Eastman to capture the heavyweight title. Royden Joseph (GDF) scized a technical knock-out win over Eon Fraser (Republican) at two minutes 46 seconds of the second round to win the super heavyweight title.

By Michael DaSilva