By Leroy Brown From Jamaica Gleaner

A declaration that boxing fans will be able to see regular shows, by both professional and amateur boxers over the next 12-month period, was made by Boxing Board president Stephen Jones on Wednesday as he officially launched a Pro-Am Boxing card scheduled for Saturday, November 5, at the Barbican Beach Sports Complex on East Kings House Road.

The card will have two professional bouts, with the feature being a six-rounder between Sakima Mullings, the Wray and Nephew 2014 Contender champion and Courtney McCleave from North Carolina. The other fight between two Americans will be announced early next week he said. The joint promoters of this section of the card will be I-Fight Promotions led by Chris Joy from the USA and Creative Sports led by Donald Lyeow from Jamaica. The Jamaica Boxing Board will be promoting the amateur section of the card, which will see five Jamaican boxers going up against boxers from the Cayman Islands.

Speaking at the launch at the Usain Bolt Tracks and Records complex at Market Place in St. Andrew, Jones said that the boxing board now has a network of partners who have pledged to work with the board to foster both amateur and professional boxing.
The two promoting companies he said, were firm in their promise to get that section of the sport moving once more,  and the board was in touch with several sister overseas boxing associations, who have agreed to have home and away cards, so as to get their amateur boxers ready for competition. The Jamaica versus Cayman dual meet, he said, was preparation for a Caribbean tournament that will take place in Barbados in December.

Solidifying the pledge, Junior Lincoln who represented I-Fight Promotions,  pointed to the fact that his principal Chris Joy,  had fallen in love with Jamaica’s boxing, and not only would he be bringing good boxers here, but he would be inviting celebrities such as members of the Floyd Mayweather camp to attend his shows as an added attraction. .

Speaking for the sponsors, David Shirley, chairman of the KLE Group under which the Usain Bolt Tracks and Records fall, and who also has links with the Barbican Beach complex,  said that his companies were pleased to be associated with the promotion. Boxing he said was one of the sports with which they wanted to be associated, and they would do everything to help it to move forward over the next 12-month period and beyond.

IMAGE: Mullings

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