By Marlon Munroe
Apart from the early hiccups in the night’s programme, the Guyana Amateur Boxing Association (GABA) intermediate boxing tournament went well with seven entertaining bouts after three walkovers.
The sprinkling of spectators at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall cheered and taunted fighters during every fight.
And every amateur bout was progressively better than the last until the final fight between Guyana Defence Force (GDF) fighters Rayon Hernandez and Blair Haynes which took the edge off what had preceded it.
After junior flyweight boxers Richard Subratee of Forgotten Youth Foundation (FYF) and Prince Slowe of the Republican Gym got walkover wins from Ricola’s Dexter Wray and Mulchan Sankar and bantamweight boxer from Harpy Eagle Keeve Allicock receiving a win by the same route from Ryan Dillon of GDF, the night was set for fistic action.
Lightweight Marlon Darrel of Ricola Gym and Jim O’Selmo of Port Kaituma gave fight fans a good look of what amateur boxing is all about. The two fighters threw punches in bunches from the first gong to the last. However, while Darrel proved to be the better fighter technically, he was warned three times for slapping his opponent on his way to winning their contest 3-0.
Darrel used the jab and doubled up with his power shots and this made the Port Kaituma boxer retreat for most of the fight. The Ricola warrior landed many meaty blows to the body of O’Selmo but none was more telling than the uppercut that snapped his head back in the final round before both fighters began to show signs of tiring down the stretch.
In the second 60kg weight class encounter (lightweight) Marvin Ajeday of FYF was too much for Harpy Eagle’s Anthony Narine, who was stopped at 2:37 into the first frame after some solid kidney shots sent him to the canvas twice. Narine’s second knockdown of the round sent him through the ropes and he was unable to survive the count of the third man in the ring.
In the welterweight division GDF’s Romano Clarke strategically took apart Republican’s David Thompson. This prompted the crowd to yell “Go back to jail; no jail man cyan’t beat no soldier.” This seemed to have incensed Clarke, who worked ardently on his opponent’s mid- section.
The orthodox Clarke set up his onslaught with his left jab, which landed regularly and with relative ease. Although Thomas attempted a defence of his own Clarke counter punched better, leaving Thomas further in the mire.
From the middle of the second round to the toll of the last bell in the third Clarke stepped up his activity and worked Thomas to a pulp, untangling the Republican boxer’s head wrap and leaving his ‘locks’ dishevelled. That contest ended 3-0 in favour of Clarke.
Pocket Rocket Gym member Kelsey George lost 1-2 to GDF Rock Watson. Watson exhibited better technical skills but both fighters landed good, clean shots. However, George felt that he was the winner after the bout.
Watson received two standing counts in the second round after receiving serious blows to the head from George. However in the third round Watson was back to landing the more effective shots coupled with his better technique.
In the penultimate fight of the night, Alfred ‘No Nonsense’ George failed to live up to his name when he lost unanimously to Ron ‘Pretty Boy’ Smith. George came out in a no-nonsense mood but was quickly cooled down by Smith, who employed his better technique en route to his victory.
The championships will wrap up tonight at the same venue.