By Eion Jardine
Terrence Alli can be described as the greatest Guyanese boxer never to win a world title.
If ever there was a boxer deserving of winning a world title, that boxer was Terrence Alli.
He fought his way up from poverty, left Guyana under dubious circumstances going first to Suriname and then Trinidad and Tobago and duly reached the pinnacle of his sport being ranked as the number-one lightweight boxer in the world.
All that was left to complete that rags to riches, fame to glory story, was a world title triumph.
That never happened.
Three times Ally took on the then World champion and three times the Guyanese came up on the losing end of the stick.
It was a bitter reminder of how fate can be unkind when you need it to be anything but.
In the twilight of his career he was to fight for two more titles but lost both. Born Terrence Halley on June 26th 1960 in Calcutta, Mahaicony, Alli spent his early years in the Mining Town of Linden.
Initially it was felt that Alli had changed his name from Halley to Alli, in recognition of ‘The Greatest’ the late Muhammad Alli who took the boxing world by storm and who had changed his name from Cassius Clay. The local Ali was later to explain that the name change came as a result of the mispronunciation of his name.
A pupil of St Aidan’s All Age School in Linden, there was little to suggest that Alli was destined for greatness growing up.
Being one of a family of 14 children, Alli early on came face-to-face with poverty.
Boxing has been the way out of a life of poverty for many boxers the world over and for Alli it was no different.
He burst upon the scene like a breath of fresh air winning all of his bouts en route to creating history by becoming the first boxer to win the Novices, Intermediate and Open divisions at a time when amateur boxing in Guyana attracted large crowds.
He not only became a household name but the Bauxite Bombers boxing club of Linden was thrust into the spotlight he created. His amateur career epitomized his championship pedigree. He was undefeated as an amateur from 1977 to 1978 and his entry into the professional ranks was just as spectacular, a four-round rout on December 2, 1979 of Walter Goodrich.
For a while there was no greater entertainer in the boxing world than Ali, whose flashy boxing combinations and back flips whenever he won, earned him regular appearances on the ESPN network.
He will, however, be remembered for the three world title fights which captivated this country as it sought to achieve the recognition other Caribbean countries which boasted world champions did.
He had lost just three times and won 24 bouts when he took on Harry Arroyo for the IBF world lightweight title on December 1, 1985.
The fight took place at Ballys Park Place Hotel Casino, Atlantic City and Alli lost by a TKO in round 11. The defeat reverberated around the entire country. The nation mourned.
Ali rebounded.
He reeled off four consecutive wins against quality opponents before being held to a draw by Cornelius Boza-Edwards.
Five more victories set up his second world title fight against Jose Luis Ramirez for the vacant WBC lightweight title.
Again, the nation’s hopes rose only to be dashed a second time as Alli lost a unanimous decision in a 12 rounder in St Tropez, France.
Still the Guyanese warrior soldiered on racking up 18 more wins against a mere two defeats to set up the biggest fight of his career (and his biggest payday) against the legendary Julio Caesar Chavez.
That bout, at the Thomas and Mack Centre, Las Vegas on May 8, 1993 resulted in Chavez stopping the Guyanese in round six for the WBC super lightweight title.
Previously a defeat of Steve Larrimore at the GCC ground Bourda on June 13, 1992, had brought into question who was better Alli or rising star Andrew `Sixhead’ lewis later to become a world champion.
The resulting showdown saw Alli, by then a spent fighter, kayoed in two rounds on September 14, 1996.
But still he plodded on and bouts for the International Boxing Association world super welterweight title against Tim Shocks and for the WBC super welterweight title against Quirino Garcia ended in defeats.
Today, Alli is fighting a different battle.
They say a prophet is never honoured in his own country and Alli just might be that prophet for all the recognition he has received for being a gladiator in the ring and an ambassador for Guyana whenever he fought internationally.
He has received a plot of land from former president of Guyana Bharrat Jagdeo and was honoured by the late Desmond Hoyte with the Medal of Service.
But that seems to be it.
Today his fight is for survival. He grew up poor, hungry and conquered both by the use of his fists and his skill in the squared jungle.
Now, it seems that his destiny is to fight them once more in the twilight of his life. May he win again.
Stabroek Sports salute Terrence Alli and inducts him into this newspaper’s Hall of Fame which aims at highlighting the achievements of the country’s finest boxers.
And Terrence Alli was just that.
(Sports’ Editor’s note:- Terrence Alli is asked to contact president of the Guyana Boxing Board of Control Peter Abdool on cell phone number 640-4464 or Eion Jardine on cell phone number 668-1436 urgently)
