EVERY NOW and then, it gets a bit agonising to listen to some so-called boxing aficionados fuming about what they believe were the good old days of local boxing. It would seem like nothing good has come out of the post-Millennium era if one were to carefully sift through the utterances of these Old Timers

Every reader must have heard the cheese-to-chalk talk. The boxers from the 60s, 70s and 80s had it all and none of those from mid 90s and onwards could compare with the old timers.
Say names like Lennox Beckles, Cliff Anderson, Patrick and Reginald Ford, Lennox Blackmoore, Kenny Bristol, Winfield Braithwaite, Brian Muller are revered and it is tantamount to blasphemy to compare any of the younger fighters with this bunch.
The Old Timers would complain about the Young Brigade not knowing the difference between a fish hook and a left hook and an uppercut and Connecticut. In some instances that may be true.
However, what would happen if some of the tables were turned and the Old Timers are asked to rate the achievements of their `hallowed’ posse against those of the post-millennium crew. Would it be food for thought or a conversation stopper?
Maybe that’s what the Young Brigade should trumpet in their defence since Guyana’s Golden Era of boxing happened between February 2001 and October 2002. At no other time in history did this country earn so much from boxing in such a short period, as three Guyanese world champions were crowned.
To add more credentials to the point, please be reminded that two of the three members of the Young Brigade were undefeated at the time of winning world titles. The other had one loss.
It was on February 17, 2001 in Las Vegas, Nevada, that a 30-year-old `Strong Dance’ from Albouystown named Andrew `Six Head’ Lewis terrorised James Page with speed and power on his way to a seventh-round TKO.
When at one minute 13 seconds of the round referee Kenny Bayless waved to halt any more punishment to Page, Guyana became the proud owner of a spanking new World Boxing Association welterweight belt.
It’s first ever. In the good old days Lennox Blackmoore and Patrick Ford both gave gallant performances but were unable to break the world title jinx.
Such was the celebration back home when Lewis won that then President Bharrat Jagdeo immediately awarded a national holiday.
Fast forward to October 11 2002 in Italy where 27-year-old Wayne `Big Truck’ Braithwaite thumped home boy Vincenzo Cantatore for 10 rounds before the referee saw enough and stopped the fight.
Braithwaite, a hard-hitting native of Plaisance on the East Coast of Demerara, carted off the World Boxing Council cruiserweight title and while there was more celebration back home, the best was left for last.
Just eight days later in Houston, Texas a gangly junior welterweight aptly called `Vicious’ Vivian Harris, who had one defeat to his name, needed only two rounds to dispatch Diosbelys Hurtado to secure the WBA title.
In that process the 24-year-old Harris became the youngest Guyanese to claim a coveted world title and as a reward, the Government gave each member of the Young Brigade a plot of land and $5M to assist in building a house.
So, the next time you hear talk about the good old days, just remember that there were better days that are not so old.