Latest update May 13th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jul 07, 2013 Sports
By Michael Benjamin
The old Guyanese idiom that ‘lil axe does cut down big tree’ could not have been more effectively exemplified than when Dexter Gonsalves faced Revlon Lake for the National Jnr/Lightweight title in the 28th edition of Guyana Fight Night at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH), Friday evening last.
The former pugilist employed a vicious two fisted attack and blasted the latter into oblivion and left those in attendance awestruck by such brutality. Debutant, Romeo Norville commenced his professional career on a winning note with a convincing majority decision over veteran, Eversley Brown in their 4 rounds Middleweight clash and was emulated by Welterweight, Laured Stewart who easily outpointed Anson Green over 4 rounds.
All three judges, Bernard DeSantos, Rawle Aaron and Carlton Hopkinson scored the fight 40-35 in favour of Norville. Leon ‘Hurry Up’ Moore endorsed his sobriquet and needed just 1:20secs of the 2nd round to ‘hurry up’ Errol Trotman while Troy Lewis and Kelsey George fought to a draw in their 4 rounds Catchweight affair.
Following the abortion of the card after a mini storm on the West Coast last week, fans were assured of a firestorm and both principals in the main bout seemed bent on fulfilling that prediction from the very first gong. Gonsalves opened his account with several crisp jabs and right crosses but Lake matched his blows with a few left hooks and looping rights.
Gonsalves, a tall wiry pugilist continued to throw piercing jabs and right crosses while dancing out of range while Lake continued attacking, lashing out with venomous left hooks and right crosses. The fight developed into a brutal confrontation in the third round as both fighters met in centre ring, each unleashing wicked body and head blows.
The tide began to turn at the halfway stage of the third stanza when Gonsalves unleashed several salvoes that slammed into Lake’s face, transforming his countenance into a bloody mess, still Lake continued to advance.
The onslaught continued into the fourth stanza and though Gonsalves stayed ahead he was not having things entirely his way; a determined Lake upped the ante and for the first time in the bout Gonsalves backed off. Lake pursued his man and connected with looping punches that brought the small crowd to life even as Gonsalves quickly reasserted himself into the fray.
The wiry Gonsalves regained control at the start of the 5th frame and pummeled Lake with hard combinations. Once again, the blood began to flow but Lake refused to back off. Gonsalves then unleashed several bombs to Lake’s unprotected head yet Lake determinedly stood his ground and landed a few salvoes of his own.
The action slowed in the 6th round with both pugilists enjoying good moments. In the meantime, the crowd remained on its feet with both gladiators enjoying favourable support. If there is anything to be said about Gonsalves it’s that he is disciplined, fit and focused.
Despite the crowd shouting instructions and egging him on, his ears appeared to be glued to his corner as he adhered to the instructions of his trainers, Joseph Murray and Sebert Blake.
When the bell sounded for the start of the 7th round, Gonsalves bounded out and met his man halfway of the ring. Lake’s face was bruised and battered and though his handlers had worked on the cut, blood still oozed from the wound. However, the Barbados based Guyanese must be given kudos for a brave display. He attacked his man in centre ring and both pugilists exchanged delightful combinations.
The two boxers then went into a clinch when Gonsalves stepped back and clipped Lake with a short punch to his chin. Few saw the blow but everyone witnessed its effect as Lake tumbled to the canvass while Gonsalves sprinted to the neutral corner. Lake attempted to rise but his legs refused to cooperate. Referee, Eion Jardine cradled him in his arms before waving the bout off at 2:40secs of the 7th round.
Stewart was all business from the first gong when he connected with a left jab and right cross that sent Green down for the referee to institute the mandatory count. He rose and resumed combat but Stewart failed to take advantage and Green managed to weather the storm.
The two boxers engaged in close exchanges at the start of the second round and after a vicious flurry had landed on his temple, Green once again took to the canvass. He rose and once again Stewart attacked, bent on finishing it this time.
He dealt his man several crunching blows which Green managed to withstand while retaliating with tame blows. The action slowed in the third round but Stewart still managed to stay ahead as Green found him a difficult and elusive target.
The debutant continued where he had left off in the third round and pummeled his man with several hard shots with Green attempting to seek refuge in a clinch. Stewart would have none of it and wriggled free before landing several combinations that had Green tossing.
He, however, managed to withstand the onslaught until the bell mercifully intervened. Rawle Aaron and DeSantos gave the bout to Stewart 40-34 while Andrew Thorne supported with a score of 39-35.
Brown’s coach had predicted fire and brimstone but apparently his charge was not aware of the plan. As a matter of fact, he could be thankful for Norville’s limited experience. The latter boxer sent his man to the canvass in the second stanza and fans thought that he was on his way to fulfilling an earlier prediction.
This was not to be as Brown managed to weather the storm and despite being woefully outclassed, managed to stay around to the last bell. The ring announcer introduced Trotman as standing 5 feet tall but no one was able to ascertain the truth of this statement as Trotman was hardly on his feet for the duration of the fight.
Moore wasted little time and before the first round was through, Trotman had tasted canvas three times. Moore was merciless and drifted Trotman after several wicked combinations. The referee hovered close by until an especially wicked right hook crashed into Trotman’s jaw and sent him tumbling to port canvass.
He rose just as the referee waved the proceedings off at 1:20secs of the second round. In earlier predictions, Trotman had hinted that he had something up his sleeves quite forgetting that professional boxers are required to strip their shirts. The crowd was left to assume that by doing so whatever was up his sleeve disappeared.
Otherwise, Lewis was his usual indiscipline self, leaving the ring in a huff and generally displaying unadulterated dissent. Indeed it was a fight where neither boxer managed to fully take control as reflected by the eventual scores. Thorne’s scorecard read 40-36 in favour of Lewis while Hopkinson and DeSantos saw the bout at a 38-38 stalemate.
Boxing administrators had promised a firestorm. Earlier they had to contend with raging winds and a mini hurricane that forced a postponement. Last Friday night, the elements relented for the boxers to take over.
Indeed, those pugilists did not disappoint and the CASH suffered a more terrible fate than the Uitvlugt Community Centre Ground with hailstones and fire characterizing the respective bouts.
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