Third Gloves Over Guns/Jamaica vs Panama Fight Card launched
The third Gloves Over Guns/Jamaica vs Panama Fight Card was launched yesterday at the SDF Office in Kingston.
It will feature three bouts involving Panamanian and Jamaican amateur fighters plus five match-ups of local amateur boxers.
The fight card is scheduled for this Saturday at the Stanley Couch Gym — which is situated in Parade Gardens, one of the six communities where Gloves Over Guns fight cards will be held — with the first bout set to start at 7:00 pm. The other Gloves Over Guns designated communities are Tivoli Gardens, Fletcher’s Land, Hannah Town, Trench Town and Denham Town.
This third fight card in the Gloves Over Guns boxing series comes after the first in Denham Town last October and the second in Montego Bay last November, which followed the signing of an MOU between the Montego Bay Cricket Club and the Jamaica Boxing Board for a boxing gym to be housed in Montego Bay.
Stephen “Bomber” Jones, president of the Jamaica Boxing Board, was happy to announce the fight card. He said that the designated communities have been enthusiastic to have the shows in their area as they believe that they help to improve the relationship among the people. Jones also welcomed Chris Johnson, who hails from Falmouth where he is setting up gym facilities to teach the sport to young people. Johnson is a Jamaican who represented Canada in the Olympics where he copped a silver medal as a middleweight boxer in 1990.
Panamanian Ambassador Alexis Sandoval said, “The boxers who come from Panama are in good form to do the fight and expect that the evening will be a success. I am grateful for the interchange between the two countries and that it will involve other sports and not only boxing.”
Two of the fighters who will be on the fight card spoke at the launch. Arnold Anderson, a 16-year-old welterweight, who will be taking on one of the Panamanians, said: “Boxing is my favourite sport in the world and I am very confident for this fight this Saturday. I have been training very, very hard so that I am well prepared for this competition.”
He encouraged the public to come and see the ring general in heated action on Saturday.
The other boxer, Jermaine Brown, will face off with another Jamaican boxer was was eagerly awaiting the fight. “I am looking forward to that fight on Saturday because it will be a great push for my career and help me advance to the national team. I have been preparing for the fight but not necessarily this one because I did not know until recently,” he said.
He was, however, optimistic that he will do well on Saturday because he is rough, but technically good.
Caribbean silver medallist, schoolboy boxer Ramone Chung will also be on the card. He expects to give a good account of himself as well.
Coach Napier, who has been preparing the fighters, said: “The preparation going into this tournament has been very good.” He also said that the Jamaica boxers will be drawn from several gyms, including Stanley Couch, Sugar Olympic, Dream Sports and St Thomas Boxing Club, as well as Fight For Peace.
The fight card is sponsored by Lasco in the amount of $200,000 plus ICool water and IDrade hydration fluid. Danielle Cunningham, marketing manager for Lasco, said: “We have been supporting the initiative for a little while now. We have been donating beverages — Idrade and ICool water and as we have developed our programme at Lasco Chin Foundation and our investment into sports we have said that since we have been with them, we want to continue and we want to grow it, so we are definitely invested now with our $200,000 sponsorship as well as our beverage donation for the event.”
Deputy Superintendent of Police Eron Samuels endorsed the Gloves Over Guns programme and the fight card. He was a part of the inaugural event in Denham Town where he saw the positive effect of the programme in the community. He also hoped that the programme will be established all across the island through the police youth clubs. DSP Samuels added: “I am endorsing the Gloves Over Guns programme. Actually, I am a volunteer now with the Jamaica Boxing Board because I have seen the impact that the Gloves Over Guns programme had in Denham Town, and I see it as an avenue that we can bring about some social change within the country. It’s exciting to see the youngsters finding an avenue to push their energy rather the gun. I know that it’s something that will work and we have seen it work. We have seen persons coming in and wanting to learn to box.”