Terrence Alli: A ‘king’ dethroned in his own land

May 06, 2019 News

– mocked by villagers he once helped, down and out former boxing champ desperately needs assistance

By Alex Wayne

Boxing fans still remember the days when former world contender Terrence Alli proudly displayed the Golden Arrowhead on his trunks as he represented Guyana against all contenders with his fists.
But for years, Alli has been on the proverbial ‘ropes’; broke, in poor health, and pleading for financial assistance from those who have seemingly forgotten his exploits and have cast him aside.
When Kaieteur News spoke with him two weeks ago, Alli revealed that he is barely surviving on a minimal 9,000 monthly, courtesy of the government.
As a boy, I remember sitting on the floor with other family members in our small cottage, eyes glued to the small black and white television, intent on watching Alli’s many boxing exploits.
If there was a power failure, there was a mad scramble to fetch a car battery to which my brothers would rig up some fixture to allow us to continue watching the fight.
Many villages on the East Coast of Demerara would erupt in cheers when the decision was in Alli’s favour, since he was a champ who always voiced his allegiance to Guyana.
Most of Alli’s relatives were residing in Calcutta (where I also lived, so I was even more proud to be able to chat with Ali on his many visits to Guyana. It was his custom to come to the village once annually (from the USA) to host a special event at which he entertained and gave accolades to young, aspiring boxers. It was an event that everyone anticipated.
This may be the only event of significance that the retired boxer may have remembered, since there were never any big celebrations or motorcades to herald his arrivals.

FLASH BACK: Guyana’s Terrence Alli (right) exchanges punches with the legendary Julio Cesar Chavez for the WBC World Super Lightweight Title. (Photo credit: Holly Stein/Allsport).

A ‘king’ dethroned in his own land
Today, it’s sickening to see how Ali is treated in his own village of origin. The young men would sit by the roadside and taunt him mercilessly, much to the annoyance of villagers. And the residents of Calcutta Village should be ashamed of themselves to allow this to continue without intervention. They young men now make mock of his past successes, telling him he wasted his time for Guyana, among many other derogatory remarks.
Ironically, many of his ridiculers are actually persons with whom he shared his expertise during their youth. I was very saddened when I recently saw him at a small snackette in Calcutta, where young men there were making a mock of him and offering him alcohol to recite moments of his past winnings. I could see he was greatly saddened by what was going on, and the scar made from the treatment he has received locally has certainly left its damage.
“I am so sad, and this has certainly affected me…I am not saying that anyone has to give me anything, but the way I have been treated here in Guyana leaves me to think that my representation for the country at an international level was just a waste of time. I have made advances to the relevant authorities to assist me with at least getting a training centre on the ground to pass on my talents, but this has been to no avail. And the way I am being treated by my own villagers is just devastating… I have become nothing but a mockery here. I am like a king dethroned in his own land.”
Many may want to think that his exploits overseas had made him very wealthy, but the fighter said this is not so. “All my fights on ESPN, I never made over $7,500 and I had to take care of my family, kids, wife, a house, pay mortgage, rent; so I never made no big money until I fought Chavez where they had wanted to pay me $100,000 and I had to get a lawyer, then I ended up getting over US $300,000. That’s the biggest money I’ve ever made.”

Terrence Ali (third from left seated) drinks his sorrows away with villagers from Calcutta

“I had three big fights, three world title fights and I made $60,000 in one and I think $40,000 in the other. I can’t remember properly, but Chavez fight is where I actually made money,” Alli recollected. I know I deserved better recognition. Former President Bharrat Jadgeo gave me a house lot on my return, but I hadn’t the funds to build anything on it. Besides many companies in Guyana used my name for promotional purposes without my consent when I returned…This was just so disappointing.”
Alli returned to Guyana in the early 1980’s after being diagnosed with the dreaded Parkinson’s disease. It is an ailment that plagued legendary heavy champion Muhammad Ali, and may have been caused by absorbing blows to the head.
He had occupied the home of his late parents in Recess Village, but got the shock of his life when a relative allegedly evicted him from the premises with the help of the police. He claimed he had done repairs on the roof of the home, with funds he had received from former Prime Minister Samuel Hinds.
Alii, now 58, made his debut in 1979 against Winston Goodridge, winning on points, and it was the perfect start for the man many felt had placed Guyana on the world stage long before Andrew ‘Six Head’ Lewis won the country’s first World Title in 2001.
Alli finished his career with 52 wins (25 by knockout), 15 losses and two draws.
He was two-time United States Champion, two-time North American champion and rated number one in the world, and had the most wins on ESPN.
He will forever be remembered as one of the best fighters Guyana has ever produced despite the fact he has never won a world title.