Bess relieves Rogers of local Heavyweight belt, Dharry, Allen also win

May 30, 2011 Sports

By Michael Benjamin
Kurt proved that Mitchell Rogers is second to ‘Bess’ when their bout for the local heavyweight title concluded at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) Saturday evening last with a sensational stoppage in 1:49secs of the eighth round..
Elton ‘Coolie Bully’ Dharry also endorsed his sobriquet when he overcame a game Dexter ‘The Kid’ Marques and eventually stopped him in 2 minutes of the seventh stanza to take the Bantamweight CABOFE title while Edmond DeClou emerged victorious over Winston Pompey in a super/middleweight affair.

Elton Dharry

In the night’s opener, Ray Sandiford commenced his professional career on a winning note when he captured a unanimous verdict over Cecil Smith. Lennox ‘Pretty Boy’ Allen looked rusty as he overcame Quincy ‘Lightening Struck Hitman’ Jones to take the super/middleweight CABOFE title moments before Ray Sandiford commenced his professional career on a winning note with a convincing victory over veteran pugilist, Cecil Smith.
The largest crowd at a boxing card in recent times watched as both Bess and Rogers engaged in the feeling out process soon after the first gong sounded. In a round that lacked real action, Rogers surged ahead after connecting with two simultaneous right crosses just before the bell sounded. Both men continued to demonstrate respect for each other into the second stanza and once again it was Rogers that broke the monotony with several right crosses that had Bess backing up. The crowd began to get fidgety when the pattern of the two preceding rounds spilled into the third with neither of the pugilists anxious to take unnecessary chances.
The real action started in the fourth frame when Rogers, who by now had worked himself into a nice rhythm, connected with a trademark right cross. Bess retaliated with a one two combination of his own that constrained the muscular Rogers and forced him back into his shell.
The boxers reclined into another bout of lethargy in the fifth round and Bess was guilty of chasing behind his opponent instead of employing a tactical ‘quartering’ strategy. Rogers continued to dominate the proceedings into the sixth frame with Bess aimlessly trudging behind him and blocking up to stave off the long ranged blows.
Rogers developed into a nice rhythm in the seventh stanza and his head and body combinations were a joy to behold. During this period also, he connected with a vicious right hook to Bess’ midriff and the lanky Bess drifted backwards.
Rogers, by now brimming with confidence attacked and slammed home a vicious body shot and then converted the left hook for good measure. His overconfidence got the better of him when he threw caution to the wind and attacked Best in one of the neutral corners. Cornered with no possible means of escape, Bess lashed out and the blow thudded into Rogers’ jaw and all two hundred and twenty seven pounds of the former heavyweight king crashed to the canvass.

Mitchell Rogers

The referee ordered Bess to the neutral corner while he tolled away the count. A game Rogers attempted to beat the count but his rubbery legs refused to cooperate. While referee Eon Jardine tolled away the count, Rogers valiantly grabbed onto the ropes to retain some equilibrium. When the referee reached the end of the count Rogers was valiantly grabbing at the ropes to retain some equilibrium. In the end, it mattered not whether the referee had counted to one thousand, Rogers, valiant as his efforts were, could not have beaten the count.
Marques bounced around the ring and scored with stinging jabs and right crosses while Dharry, who exhibited great quartering techniques, patiently pursued him. Unlike the preceding bout when the action picked up after the third round, Dharry started his road to the title with stinging combinations, while Marques displayed adroitness, slipping and squirming while unleashing sporadic combinations. Both fighters enjoyed great moments in the second round with first Dharry landing three crunching blows to Marques’ body and head before the locally based pugilist responded with several lightening combinations before dancing to safety.
The battle of wits continued with both boxers patiently on the lookout for false moves on which to capitalize. The situation reached fever pitch when the bell sounded and both boxers ignored the chimes and kept pummeling away on each other forcing the referee to tear them apart before issuing a stern warning.
When the action resumed in the fourth round Marques continued to jab and dance out of range, while Dharry patiently pursued him, scoring with occasional bombs. Dharry then dominated the latter part of the round after landing a wicked right hook to the body and following up with a thunderous left hook.
The ‘Coolie Bully’ demonstrated remarkable patience as he methodically pursued Marques who retaliated by boxing circles around his adversary. Dharry then successfully lured Marques to the ropes and the two engaged in a ferocious exchange. However, the former fighter got the better of the exchanges when he closed off with a straight right and a left hook before Marques climbed back onto his bicycle.
The turning point occurred around the sixth round when Dharry began to enjoy some successes. Clearly tired after spending most of the night boxing around the ring, Marques paused for some respite and Dharry pounced with a wicked combination. Marques appeared hurt but his determination took over and he responded with combinations. Only this time, Dharry refused to back off and a vicious left hook pushed Marques to the ropes. He attempted to squirm away but Dharry skillfully thwarted his efforts with several ramrod punches. The referee demonstrated great leniency when he failed to intercept even after Marques had received more than fifteen unanswered punches.
In all fairness to the third man, most of Dharry’s punches were landing on Marques’ highly held guards. At one time Dharry affixed the referee with an incredulous stare and one sensed that he was beseeching the third man to call a halt to the proceedings. When this did not happen Dharry took control of the situation and a wicked left hook and straight right sent Marques to the ground where the referee tolled away the count.
Allen and Jones had both promised to win by knockout but neither demonstrated that kind of propensity as the crowd was forced to raise a slow hand clap to spur them into action on many occasions. When that ploy failed a large section resorted to boos but that also failed to elicit the fiery performances promised by both pugilists at the pre-fight press conference.
In the end, the crowd had to contend with a lackluster performance by both principals that saw Allen prevailing by a unanimous verdict. Judge Trevor Arno saw the bout 120-108 in favour of Allen, while Francis Abraham scored the bout 119-109 also in favour of Allen. Clairmont DeSouza also had Allen ahead, 118-110.
Otherwise, DeClou came to fight and had Pompey on the back foot for most of the duration of the bout. Only this time the Lindener ensured that the margin was so wide that the judges had no other alternative but to award him the bout. Judge Orin Hart had it 55-59 for Pompey, while the other two officials, Rawle Aaron and Clairmont DeSouza scored the bout 58-56 and 59-55 respectively in favour of DeClou.
The GBBC had promised 46 rounds of fistic action. Several boxers had promised less. In the end the crowd was treated to 37 rounds of fistic fury as some of the boxers failed to convert their boasts into action.