‘Blackout’ fails to knock out night two action

A POWER outage and the absence of a generator failed to adversely affect the penultimate night of the Lennox Blackmore National Intermediate Boxing Championships held on Saturday night at the National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue.
There was plenty of entertainment for the small crowd, including drumming by the GDF Band Corps and a sound system playing music between the bouts.

However, the general standard in the skill sets and techniques of most pugilists was lacking as many of the fighters failed to use their left jabs to set up right-hand shots and swung with wild blows, which at times caused them to lose their balance.
The Lightweight (60kgs) category produced the better fights of the night with Rosehall Jammers Morlando Cameron beating Ronaldo Hunte.

Both boxers traded punches as they went toe to toe in the middle of the ring. Cameron caught his man with some good shots to the body as his opponent was backed up onto the ropes.
Hunte counter-punched with a few good shots of his own but as both boxers began to tire, it was the Berbician who got the better of the exchanges and eventually won on points.

In the same division, Septon Barton of the Forgotten Youths Foundation (FYF) was all over solider Mark Benn with an early flurry of blows and although Benn tried to survive the onslaught, the referee stepped in to halt the contest in two minutes, 24 seconds of the second round.
In the third and last fight in the Lightweight category, Oswald Jewan from the army defeated Christopher Albert of the Police Boxing Gym.

In the Welterweight semi-final, Rondel Captain of the GDF beat Daman France of the Police Boxing Gym.
The Light-Heavyweight semi-final between GDF Gym mates Malachi Clarke and Sherwyn Gravesande was a total mismatch.
Gravesande seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and appeared scared to be hit and when a hard combination connected to his head, he was given a standing eight-count.

Clarke again connected to Gravesend’s head and he stood in a daze as the referee stopped the fight in the first round
The Cruiserweight fight between Police fighters Camara Chandelier and Jaleel Weeks proved to be comical at times, with haymakers being executed and at one time both of the boxers were on the canvas simultaneously.

This evoked peals of laughter from the small gathering which included Olympian Keevin Allicock.
Weeks would spin round and round when he was hit as he kept turning his back on his opponent before falling and injuring his shoulder, resulting in his fight being stopped.
The ring announcer duties were done by the referees and judges while two Police boxers gave their opponents walk-overs for medical reasons.

In the Light Middleweight contest, GDF’s Christopher Henry got a walkover from Osias Prince, while GDF’s Ryan Harry received a walkover from Prince Warner in the Super Heavyweight semi-final.
In the last fight of the night, GDF’s Zidhan Wray beat policeman Leandrea Abrams in the second Super Heavyweight semi-final.
It was also interesting that a couple of GDF boxers’ soles of their boots came off during their bouts.