By Emmerson Campbell
The Guyana Amateur Boxing Association (GABA) National Intermediate Championships boxed off Friday night at the National Gymnasium.
The championships, which will conclude tonight, attracted nine gyms and 55 boxers.
The card on Friday featured nine exciting bouts with only two of those bouts going the distance.
The main bout that featured welterweights, Guyana Defence Force’s (GDF) Chris Holder and Five Star’s Warren George was an eight-second blinker.
George, fighting out of the blue corner, landed a combination to Holder’s body and just like that the fight ended.
Holder just didn’t seem interested in continuing, inexplicably turning his back on his opponent and retreating to his corner.
The soldier, who was non responsive to the referee or his corner, forced the referee to call an end to the contest.
Starting off proceedings were Elijah Insanally and Kevon Mulling in the 65 to 69 pounds preliminary bout. Both pugilists are products of the Harpy’s Eagle boxing gym in Albouystown.
Mulling, who fought out of the blue corner, gave a good account of himself,
however, the more skillful and promising Insanally got the better of him in each round. Insanally won by three rounds to zero.
The second bout, which was also a 65 to 69 pound preliminary affair, featured both boxers representing the Harpy’s Eagle boxing gym. Kurt Allicock, who fought out of the blue corner, dominated his gym mate Rayan Ramsaroop. Allicock, a southpaw, out-slugged Ramsaroop which led the referee to stop the contest 45 seconds into the first round.
Kevin Allicock, the older brother of Kurt, did the Allicock family proud as he too registered a victory within the distance.
Kevin Allicock, who also trains at the Harpy’s Eagle Gym, overcame Central New Amsterdam Boxing Gym’s Shaquille Simon in an 80 to 84-pound semi-final bout. The elder Allicock won as a result of the referee stopping the contest (RSC) in one minute, 51 seconds of the third and final round.
Another bout that ended quickly was the 90 to 94 pounds final between Ricola Warrior’s Romel Rowley and Central New Amsterdam’s David Bennet.
Rowley floored Bennet twice in the first round and after the second knockdown; the referee deemed Bennet incapable of continuing and stopped the fight after 29 seconds.
In a 110 to 117 pounds affair, Harpy Eagle’s Jamal Archer, turned back Tiger Eye Boxing Gym’s, Erwin victor after 59 seconds of the first round. The skillful and aggressive Archer landed clean and effective punches to his opponent throughout the brief encounter.
In another 110 to 117 pounds fight, Five Star’s Quincy Boyce overcame Ricola Warriors’ Noel Dunn. The referee stopped the contest at one minute, 59 seconds in the first round relieving the tired-looking Dunn of any more punishment.
Rose Hall Jammers’s Tyrone Lashley and Tiger Eye’s Akeem April put on a highly-entertaining slugfest in their 80 to 84 pounds fight. However, after one minute and 27 seconds in the second round the referee called a halt to the bout in Lashley’s favour.
The other fight that went the distance was a 95 to 99 pounds preliminary bout between Pocket Rocket Boxing Gym’s Joel Williamson and Tiger Eyes’ Akeem Sutherland. Williamson decisioned Sutherland by three rounds to none.
Prizes and medals will be shared tonight to the top performers. Bell time is 19:00 hrs
