Ebonyvale Fight Nights throws up intense bouts

SPANISH TOWN:

In a thrilling night of boxing at the Ebonyvale Sports Complex in Spanish Town, the third Wray and Nephew Fight Night lived up to its reputation for excitement and fierce competition.

With a line-up featuring five amateur bouts and three professional matches, fans were treated to a spectacle of athleticism and skill.

The Jamaica Defence Force Gym left an indelible mark on the evening, winning two of the five amateur fights and one of the three professional bouts.

Not far behind was the Stanley Couch Gym, which made its presence felt with one win among the amateurs and one among the pros.

The professional category witnessed intense battles, including a memorable draw between Renaldo ‘Sleepy’ Beckford of the Oracabessa Gym and Cleveland ‘Nature Boy’ Stevenson of the Heavy Metal Gym. The judges’ scorecards reflected the closely contested nature of the bout, with scores of 39-36, 37-39, and 38-38.

In the second professional bout of the evening, Jonathan ‘Mufasa’ Hanson delivered a commanding performance, securing a unanimous decision victory over Kevin ‘Busboy’ Hylton from the Negril Gym.

However, it was the final professional bout that stole the spotlight, promising excitement from the very first round. The JDF’s Ian ‘Impact’ Darby faced off with Fabian ‘Truck’ Tucker of the Suga Olympic Gym in a bout that had the entire crowd on their feet. Tucker’s aggressive start drew cheers from the spectators, but he soon found himself on the receiving end of Darby’s relentless punches.

Darby’s dominance continued into the second round, using his jabs to set up devastating hook shots. Tucker, showing incredible resilience, absorbed punishment without offering much in return.

In the third round, Tucker managed to land some punches, but Darby’s superior fitness and conditioning shone through. The final round was yet another showcase of Darby’s prowess, capping off a memorable fight.

UNANIMOUS DECISION

In the end, the three judges were unanimous in their decision, scoring the bout 40-36, 40-35, and 40-36 in favour of Darby.

“Initially, I told everyone that the ‘Impact’ would be teaching ‘Truck’ how to box, and what I did was to try to break him down,” Darby told The Gleaner after the fight.

He continued: “As you could see, he started very sharp, and I showed him that when the ‘Impact’ is around, you must slow down. We didn’t want to rush a knockout, but if it had come, we would take it.”

In the amateur section, the only female bout on the card saw Shericka Moore from the Suga Olympic Boxing Gym going up against Shanica Gordon from the JDF boxing gym. Gordon was the aggressor from the start and dominated the fight before securing a technical knockout.

Moore was knocked down twice in the first round but managed to answer the bell for round two. She, however, took a lot of punches, forcing referee Anthony Fuller to stop the fight at one minute and 18 seconds into the second round.

Also, in this section Errol Pusey from the JDF Boxing Gym scored a unanimous decision over Kevon McKenzie of the Tallawah Boxing Gym, Sanji Williams from Suga Olympic Boxing Gym knocked out Demar Haslam of Wushinkido Dojo in one minute and 20 seconds of the third round to secure a victory, Jaden Eccleston from the Performance Lab Gym scored a technical knockout over Roberto Williams of Funrobics (Portmore) in round one of his fight while Daniel Hylton of Stanley Couch Gym won a unanimous decision over Suga Olympic Gym's Akeem Allen in the final fight on the amateur card.

Jamaica Boxing Board President Stephen Jones said the third Wray and Nephew Fight Night was a testament to the enduring appeal of boxing, delivering excitement, drama, and unforgettable moments for fans and participants alike.

“We will continue to rotate around the island to give the people the best boxing and have the boxers use this platform to build a career, knowing it is not just for entertainment,” Jones told The Gleaner.

He said the future of female boxing is great and the only female bout on the card will not be a one-off affair.