TT held against the ropes

LOCAL professional boxing debutants, Tevoy Barret (77kg) and Akiel Outrum (69kg), were given a rough welcome to the pro division by their respective Latin American opponents when the TT Boxing Association (TTBA)/ Fine Line Fight Factory’s “Spanish Invasion” card punched off, at Pleasantville Indoor Sporting Arena, on Saturday night.

In the feature match, a super mid-weight four-round clash between Yuray Cisnero (Cuba) and Barret, Cisnero used the opening two rounds to absorb the majority of Barret’s strikes, before exploding in the final two.

Both fighters evenly traded blows throughout the first round, with Barret seemingly holding a slim advantage. However, Cisnero shifted gears in the third and fourth, pressing the TT athlete against the ropes and injecting some well-timed punches. Barret showed grit throughout but was outclassed by the Cuban in the final two rounds.

Similarly, Outrum started strongly against Veneuelan Eduardo Medina in their super welter-weight meeting. He displayed crafty feet while dropping his guard and even laughing at his opponent. In the first two rounds, he was able to outwit Medina. Outrum connected some well-targeted blows against the South American which brought favour to the chanting home crowd.

Medina seemed to hold his best for last, working multiple body shots to the local, gaining confidence and momentum as the bout wore on. In the final segment, Medina threw Outrum to the ropes on three occasions as the local braced a flurry of combinations.

After the final bell, the judges ruled in favour of the Venezuelan 38-38, 36-39, 37-38 while the Spanish supporters shouted “conquistador” in celebration. Like the TT pair, Cisnero and Medina were also on their pro debuts but were able to secure crucial wins.

Meanwhile, US-based national Jewel Lambert (Golden Fist) made it two-wins on the trot against compatriot, Faith Ramnath (Faith Gym), in their three-round women’s flyweight 51kg bout. The pair slugged it out in the opening five minutes as Ramnath sought revenge from last year’s National Championships’ loss.

Ramnath injected some good shots but Lambert showed more fight and rallied to the end to secure another important win over the 17-year old. Female referee, Latoya Providence, also did a fine job officiating this women’s bout.

Meanwhile, TT Olympian Nigel Paul also fell victim to Cuba’s Carlos Castillo Rodriguez in their super heavyweight 91+ behemoth clash. After round one, Rodriguez clearly looked the better boxer, showing more tenacity than a swinging Paul.

Paul did register some accurate punches but missed several big shots to which Rodriguez capitalised on. Even though the home crown rallied behind their representative, it was not to be, as the Cuban continued to dance around Paul and pull off a much-deserved win over the 2016 Olympic athlete.

In the welterweight 69kg division, Tyrone Thomas (Golden Fist) recorded a comfortable victory over Stanley Brooks (Biomel). After a one-sided opening round, the referee was forced to stop the match one minute and 48 seconds into the second period as Thomas rained an array of body shots onto a staggering Brooks.

Additionally, TT’s Cam Awesome also lost on points after three rounds against Cuba’s Herich Ruiz Cordoba (91kg). The dreadlocked Awesome packed a punch but Cordoba’s stealth and agility proved superior on the night.

Also, Anthony Joseph (World Class) won via a split decision against Rondell Phillip (Rough House) in the bantam weight 56kg division.