(Jamaica Gleaner) Devon ‘Concrete’ Moncriffe said that he is devastated about the murder of his trainer, Chris Brown. Brown, 52 years old, coached Moncriffe, who became the Wray and Nephew Contender Series champion in 2013. He was sitting on the steps of the Fit Farm Fitness Club on Upper Braemar Avenue in St Andrew, where he routinely trains, when men approached and shot him multiple times at around 5:20 a.m yesterday.
Moncriffe said that he was at work when he received the news about the killing and immediately contacted fellow boxer Sakima ‘Mr Smooth’ Mullings, whom Brown also coached to the 2014 and 2017 titles.
“Mi really sad about it, to be honest to yuh,” Moncriffe said. “Mi feel it, man. He was a nice person, believe me. He had a wonderful personality.
He said that he last spoke with Brown on Monday because they were making plans for an upcoming fight.
“Mi was supposed to start train wid him, but because him did affi go weh wha day, him never start di training wid mi,” he said. “Him did seh him a line up sup’n fi mi and Frog (Richard Holmes) fight. Him seh “Yeh man, mi a go call yuh back (Tuesday) morning but him never call mi, suh mi seh mi a go call him todeh (Wednesday). When mi hear the news, bredren, believe mi, mi freeze.”
He remembers the respect Brown had for his discipline and his resilience in training.
“Sometimes him put mi under pressure and him always a seh ,“Yuh know seh dis yute is the only man mi train and him neva bawl. Him always a do it,’” Moncriffe said with a slight laugh. “Suh yuh know, mi have dem likle ting deh fi look to, and bwoy, a part of mi a go always wonder if Chris gone fi true.”
Moncriffe compared the shock of the news of Brown’s murder to when he found out last year that his mother died.
“Right now, mi mada surprise mi last year and mi nuh feel seh mi can get another surprise,” he said. “Di whole day mi deh beside mi mada and she drop out (died), and she neva tell mi seh she feel nuh way. A mi likle niece come tell mi seh she dead. Mi nearly have heart attack. But mi relax and mi calm down, and mi see it.
“Right now, Chris gone, and to be honest wid yuh, mi doe know what happened, but it’s a sad story.
“Inna dis life, anything can happen, bredren. Wi just affi give thanks and walk pon di right side a di road.”
Jamaica Boxing Board president Stephen ‘Bomber’ Jones sent condolences to Brown’s family.
“One can never know the correct words to say in a situation like this,” he said. “No matter what the circumstances, it’s always unfortunate for one to lose their life in such a tragic manner. So on behalf of the Boxing Board, condolences go out to all his family and loved ones as our wish is for those lives that he touched positively through sport will help to be the change that our future generations need.”
Mullings, when contacted, was unavailable to comment on the incident.
