Kurt Bess delivered the most devastating right hand to floor an opponent since the inauguration of the GBBC/GABA Friday Night Fights in February.
However, it was heavyweight Anthony Augustin who emerged with a unanimous decision victory at the end of the four rounds in the main event of the Pro-Am card at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall on Friday night. Augustin was stunned by a swooping right hook that landed to his temple from Bess late in the first round.
Subsequently, Bess relented but Augustin after touching the canvas turned up the pace and controlled the momentum of the fight to win every round thereafter.
At the start of the second round Augustin appeared recovered from the first frame and commenced his work with the jab to keep Bess at bay.
The heavier Augustin, after setting up with the jab, scored with his power punches, albeit many being ineffective, while Bess still tried to make a fight as he was cornered constantly. Bess after the first round stopped using his jab, which had initially set up the knockdown, and Augustin exploited this weakness in Bess’ game plan.
By the time the third round came around Augustin was in full control. And then Augustin landed an overhead right that stopped Bess in his advance. However, Augustin’s mistake was not to have given himself leverage to land another effective punch to finish Bess off.
In the last round Augustin cornered Bess and beat him in one of the neutral corners of the ring until the fight ended.
In the first fight of the professional segment Shawn Pyle looked unprepared not only for that assignment but for his CABOFFE title contention, which is scheduled mere weeks from now in Trinidad & Tobago, against Mark Austin. Austin did everything right from the first bell on his way to a unanimous decision victory.
Throughout the bout Austin bullied Pyle, who had promised that he was using the fight as a warm-up for his CABBOFFE fight. Pyle threw wild punches that never connected and every time Austin countered and made him pay until the ring announcer called the results.
The ladies bout between Pamela London and Debbie Tyson lived up to the pre-match hype. The sparse crowd at the arena was on its feet throughout the contest. Tyson suffered her second straight professional loss.
London from the inception landed the cleaner punches of the two.
However, at times Tyson held the advantage but London being the heavier of the two fighters used her weight advantage smartly. This tired Tyson who staggered back to her corner from the second round.
The two at times also traded blows but in many instances London came out the victor in the exchanges. In the end the judges ruled the bout in favour of London, who exhibited her modelling talents for the appreciative crowd.
Edmond De Clou shrugged the effects of two running defeats with a clinical display of boxing to dispose of Troy Lewis, who was impressive at the Pro-Am card up to that point. Lewis sought to connect one big punch but in every instance he failed.
De Clou went back to the drawing board and fought with purpose and sent a strong message to the welterweights. He was aggressive and most times he landed clean, effective punches that stung Lewis, who had also promised to be successful.
De Clou was tactical when he used his jab to good effect and Lewis had no answer to the attack.