Gladiators in the Ring

Dateline: December 12, 2009

View a Listing of the Official Results

The recent National Amateur Boxing Championships, held over November 20 to 21, has certainly delivered on its promise for excitement and action. Not many people could have predicted the exciting bouts that took place save for a few of the faithful who have almost single-handedly held the Jamaican boxing fraternity together.

I must admit that having grown up on boxing champions from the Mike Tyson era to now, sadly I had lost most of my fanatical zeal for the sport. The youngsters that enter the ring deserve our accolades and respect. As I watched, I suddenly realised what it must take to stand in front of someone and have him be your mortal enemy for three minute snippets at a time.

I’m not quite sure what my expectations were but having attended Barbican Beach in October, I was more than a little curious to see what was on offer.

Friday

The Stanley Couch Gym, located along the Windward Road, proved to be a rather intimate venue allowing the audience to mingle with the competitors and officials on their way to and from the ring. The sound system (Hi Tech) had a field day in between the rounds and bouts as the good acoustics in the open air compound allowed for the music to reach the audience. Often the crowd could be heard singing along with the tunes being played, particularly, Beyoncé’s Halo.

The loyal followers were out in force and the crowd consisted of a generous mix of supporters and family members including several children and even babies. Boxing greats (former and present) mixed with boxing hopefuls. As the night wore on the stands got more and more packed and chairs became prized items.

It was amazing to see some of the younger boxers slugging it out with determination that went well beyond their years. Their attentive coaches and seconds provided well needed support as the bouts went along. There was even one fight (Lightweight Open bout between Cleon Allwood and Leon English) where the fight got so fierce that they dislodged the protective support in one of the corners. These two fighters each threw massive punches often knocking the sweat off their opponent.

Notable fighters of the night were the Heavyweight contenders Cerana Clarke (G4S) and Javan Gail (Bruising). Their fight brought the crowd to their feet with the G4S supporters using their sheer volume to dominate the Bruising cheer. Also of note was one of Bruising Gym’s newest protégés, Julian Brown. His punching can only be described as massive.

Saturday

The second day brought out more of the same and even better. The action had moved to the YMCA Auditorium which had significantly more space but that presented its own challenge in terms of the quality of the audio. The atmosphere in the auditorium was really laid back. Each gym had their supporters grouped together to provide support to each other and to make the most of the noise factor during the bouts. The few corporate sponsors (WATA, Coca-Cola, JUTC and Burger King) had their banners on display.

The DJ struggled against the tide of poor acoustics trying to “vibes up” the crowd and succeeded somewhat, but the crowd had its attention focussed on the action and his well- chosen hits seemed lost in the big arena. The media was out in force taking up positions on the auditorium stage where they had a good vantage point of both the ring and the audience.

The young boxers seemed eager for their moment of glory and often fought the battle of their lives striving for that elusive gold medal.

Light Middleweight Junior fighters Michael Gardner (Bruising) earned a de facto win over Xavier Bailey (GC Foster) when his corner literally threw in the towel after Gardner threatened to overwhelm him.

Notable fighters of the night were Light Welterweight Youth Patrick Townsend (Hard Knocks) who presented a spirited challenge as he took on Krasha Gibbs (Heavy Metal). Despite not winning, he gave a good account of himself showing remarkable talent and determination.

The first knockout of the night came by way of Light Welterweight Senior Novice Michael Manning (G4S) with his victory over Orane Bradshow (GC Foster). Cerana Clarke (G4S) gave the audience an unexpected and sudden thrill with the second outright knockout of the night, knocking out his opponent in the first round.

But, there was no denying that the fight of the night was that of the Light Heavyweight Novices Everton Eccleston (Stanley Couch) versus Oshaine Reid (Job’s Gym). It brought the audience to their feet. Even as the attentive referee, Barrington Graham, keenly monitored the action, he seemed careful to avoid interfering.

The action of their epic battle was captured on video and we’re pleased to be able to present for the world to see. Enjoy!

All in all, it was a night of great sport. Well worth the time and I certainly do not want to miss future cards.

Contributor: Sandra Lloyd