Following the successful staging of the Andrew ‘Sixhead’ Lewis National Novices Championships last weekend, the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) has decided to honour other notable local boxers by naming future tournaments after them.
Guyana’s first Commonwealth champion Lennox Blackmore will be honoured at the upcoming National Intermediate Championships. “In the same vein that we named the Novices after Lewis, a decision has been taken by the association to name the upcoming National Intermediate after Lennox Blackmoore,” GBA head Steve Ninvalle confirmed yesterday.
“The Intermediate Championships will be held in September and this is all part of our quest in our little way to preserve the rich boxing history that Guyana has,” Ninvalle disclosed.
According to Ninvalle, Blackmoore who had a professional record of 25 wins and five losses was thrilled and requested that “we continue to do such and honour people while they are still alive.”
The US-based Blackmore won the British Commonwealth lightweight title on October 1, 1977 after defeating Nigerian Jonathan Dele on points in Lagos, Nigeria in a 15-round bout.
Blackmoore, 65, also challenged for the World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight title against Aaron Pryor and World Boxing Council (WBC) FECARBOX light welterweight title against Antonio Cervantes in 1981.
Ninvalle opined that Blackmoore ranks among the top five of all time Guyanese prize fighters. “Many may disagree but that is an opinion many of us in the association share,” he said. (Emmerson Campbell)
