Night of thrills as nine champs celebrate

There were many highlights on the penultimate night of the 2013 National Amateur Boxing Championships on Saturday night at the Wookbrook Sport Facility.

A record 22 bouts were contested, nine champions were crowned, new talents emerged, one boxer was disqualified for executing a round-house kick and the women boxers showed their prowess. 

For those who are not aware that Candice Pyke won the award of ‘Most Outstanding Female Boxer’ for two consecutive years, 2009 and 2010, they would have touted her victory over Ingle Charles as the biggest upset of the 2013 championships. 

Both boxers represented Magic Boxing Gym and when they stepped into the ring, the crowd was a lot more familiar with Charles – the reigning light welterweight champion. 

Charles looked stronger and more conditioned than Pyke, a former flyweight boxer and mother of a young child. But when the bell rang, Pyke was the aggressor and used some crafty techniques to triumph over Charles by a wide 11-4 margin, thus snatching the 2013 title. 

The Open Class boxers did not disappoint as Aaron Cumberbatch (Cosmic), Lavel Nurse (THA Elite) and Akiel Outram (Cosmic) all defeated their respective opponents by RSC. Outram was the pick of the crop as he showed finesse in picking apart Gideon Prince (Prince Gladiators) who found himself on the canvas. 

Marinus Coutain (Fine Line) and Kyle Ragoonath (Ultimate Gym) won the novice heavyweight and novice lightweight titles respectively in similar fashion. During their quarter and semi-final bouts, both dispatched their opponents by RSC (referee stop contest). And the trend continued as Coutain coolly subdued an aggressive Adam Seedalsingh (Roughouse) with long jabs on the outside and a variety of short quick punches in the clinch. The referee stopped the bout in the first round and Coutain grabbed the heavyweight title. Ragoonath quickly took control of his bout against Aaron Joseph (Golden Fist) and forced the referee to save his opponent from further punishment. 

When Rough House boxer Jean Marc Borel stood on the opposite Magic’s Asad Fabien, many remembered the see-saw battle between Fabien and Omar Simth, another Rough House boxer. In a bout that had the crowd on its feet and both gyms loudly cheering on, it was another roller coaster battle that had Borel winning the light welterweight title by a slim 3-2 margin. Rough House boxers seemed intent on keeping the crowd in suspense as Joash Walkins sneaked a 7-6 victory over Keslon Raymond (Magic).

Young Micah Espinet kept YANS flag flying high as he cemented his place in the youth middleweight final with a decisive victory over Magic’s Kevin Gazette. A toss-up between 12-year -old Fidel Lewis and 10-year old Shakeem George gave the crowd a peak into the nursery of amateur boxing. Although a feisty Lewis defeated George by 13-3, the bout was at no time short of action. Both boys train at the Golden Fist Boxing Gym.

The evening closed on a high note with well-known Stephanie Allen fending off a game and attacking Keitha Charles in the ultimate bout. Charles stood toe to toe with the more experienced Allen in the first two rounds as both young women threw punches almost non-stop. 

In the third and fourth round, the fiery Charles kept Allen at bay with long jabs but could not get her punches to land cleanly and Allen scored a comprehensive 11-5 victory. The daughter of former pro boxer and lightweight national champion, Joseph “Black Mamba” Charles, Keitha showed excellent potential and indicated that she will like to follow in her father footsteps one day. 

Results 

75kg Novice Elite Middleweight
​Joash Cyrus (Ultimate Gym) def Thurion Garcia (SEPOS) Decision (12-7)

91kg Youth Heavyweight
Jealani Garcia (Fine Line) won by walkover vs Dillon Maharaj (White Eagle)

91kg Novice Elite Heavyweight—Final
Marinus Coutain (Fine Line) def Adam Seedalsingh (Rough House)—RSC

91kg Open Elite Heayweight
Azariah Agard (TTDF) def Nick Boodram (Phoenix)—Disqualification

91+ kg Novice Elite Super Heavyweight—Final
Jermeil Guevera (Ultimate) def Joseph Simon (Magic)—RSC

57kg Women Featherweight—Final
Lexcine Duke(Magic) def Shenica Abraham (Magic)—RSC

64kg Women Light Welterweight—Final
CandicePyke (Magic) def Ingle Charles (Magic) - Decision

56kg Open Elite Bantamweight
Aaron Cumberbatch (Cosmic) def Levi Francis (Sand City)—RSC

57kg Junior Featherweight
Christian McDonald (Ultimate) def Jarrel Nunes 
(YANS)—RSC
Raheem Modest (Undisputed) won by walkover vs Malcolm Benjamin (Champs) 

60kg Youth Lightweight
Kevin Coker (Cosmic) won by walkover vs Aderl Braveboy (Moruga)

60kg Novice Elite Lightweight—Final
Kyle Ragoonath (Ultimate) def Aaron Joseph (Golden Fist)—RSC

64kg Novice Elite Youth Light Welterweight—Final
Jean Marc Borel (Rough House) def Asad Fabien (Magic)—Decision

64kg Novice Elite Light Welterweight—Final
David Francique (TTDF) def Keron Bourne (Rough House)—Decision

64kg Open Elite Light Welterweight
Stephen Charles (Black Hawks) def Dion Charles (Golden Fist)—Decision
Akiel Outram (Cosmic )def Gideon Prince (Prince Gladiators)—RSC

69kg Novice Elite Welterweight—Final
Davin Sinaswee (Ultimate) won by walkover vs Brian Gabriel (Fine Line)

69kg Open Elite Welterweight
Joash Walkins (Rough House) def Keslon Raymond (Magic)—Decision
Lavel Nurse (THA Elite) def Ricardo Gittens (Magic)—RSC

75kg Youth Middleweight
Micah Espinet (YANS) def Kevin Gazette (Magic)—Decision
50kg Women Elite Flyweight—Final
Stephanie Allen (Golden Fist) def Keitha Charles (Black Hawks)—Decision

Exhibition bout
Fidel Lewis (Golden Fist) def Shakeem George (Golden Fist)—Decision