… Five victories from six contests on opening night

LOCAL boxers made a positive start in this year’s Caribbean Boxing Championship which got underway on Thursday evening at Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH).

The Guyanese won five of the six bouts they contested.

Despite a very late start to the championship dubbed `Caribbean Nuff Cuff Championship’, boxing fans got their money’s worth from the first to the final bell on the night’s 10-fight programme.

Guyana’s Alex Murray and Desmond Amsterdam’s bouts were by far the two most entertaining of the evening.

When the final bell of the night sounded, Guyana had chalked up their fifth win from six contests; Trinidad and Tobago won three of six, Grenada one of three and St Lucia one of one.

Winning for Guyana were Christopher Romeo and Mark Crawford in the Juniors category, Alex Murray in the Novices category and Markember Pierre and Desmond Amsterdam in the Elite category.

All five Guyanese secured victories via unanimous points decisions.

Romeo, fighting in the Juniors category as a featherweight, defeated Barbados’ T. Taitt, Crawford who fought in the junior lightweight category defeated Barbados’ Reshwan Holder, while in the Novices category, Murray defeated Guadeloupe’s Mackelson in a middleweight contest.

In the Elite category, Pierre made light work of Trinidad and Tobago’s Shakir Flemings in their light heavyweight contest and Amsterdam out-scored Trinidad and Tobago’s Aaron Prince in their middleweight clash.

In other results, Grenada’s Prince Henry caused the referee to stop his contest against Trinidad’s Shawn Jackson at one minute 11 seconds of the third round in their welterweight bout of the Novices category, Trinidad’s Jamil Joseph scored a technical knock-out win over Guadeloupe’s Michael Torchy after Torchy’s corner threw in the towel at two minutes 29 seconds of the first round in their Youth middleweight affair.

In the Elite lightweight category, Trinidad’s J. Beckles defeated Grenada’s Nelon Cyrus and St Lucia’s Lyndel Marcelin was too much for Guyana’s Emmanuel Sancho in their welterweight contest.

The championship will continue tonight with semi-final action in all weight divisions and categories. The finals are set for tomorrow night.