Wayne Calladine lands a left cross on Lewis Donnelly. (Picture by Steve Sarre, 0649515)
A COMBINATION of blood, sweat and tears helped Guernsey’s Amalgamated Boys’ Club emerge triumphant on Saturday night at the big open boxing show at Beau Sejour.
In front of a significant but not sell-out crowd, they staged a stunning fightback after trailing a strong North of England select team by five bouts to two. They secured the last seven and subsequently the match 9-5 overall.
That included victories for several debutants and knock-outs. Nobody exemplified the spirit, endeavour and passion better than newcomer Renate Gouveia in a pulsating light middleweight tussle against Jamie Buchanan.
Both boxers traded some brutal head and body blows as they went hammer and tongs at each other. The crowd warmed to the courage of the home boxer, as he showed he could take as well as give a decent punch, before leaving the hall in a flood of tears.
Gouveia’s flurry of punches led to a second round stoppage as his opponent’s legs turned to jelly after a peach of a right hook to Buchanan’s chin left him seeing stars.
‘This is my first proper legitimate boxing fight. It was amazing and I did not expect that to happen,’ said customer services manager Gouveia, 22, who has tried kick-boxing.
‘I just went for his nose. I just saw red and went for the red like a raging bull. My legs were getting shaky as well and it was a test of whose chin was better.
‘It was emotional. I went to tears for about 10 minutes – I just burst out. I’m proud of myself,’ he said.
Another debutant, Cimandis employee James Jamouneau, 24, showed he can be a butcher inside the ring as well as in his day job.
A spectacular start to his boxing career resulted in him gaining a first-round knock-out win that left welterweight Gavin Brown gasping for air over the ropes and pleading for no further punishment.
‘I just went in with the left and right and it was game over. He said, “No, that’s it”. I was nervous to start with but when it got down to the crunch, I was fine. I feel marvellous,’ said Jamouneau.
Scott Edwards’ lightweight contest with Carl Ford was another bruising encounter.
But roared on by a vociferous crowd, Edwards, a 25-year-old stonemason, was deservedly given a unanimous points verdict in his first fight. He bravely went looking for his opponent and had knocked him on his backside on the canvas in the third round with a deft right hook in a cracking bout.
‘It feels amazing, it is a big-time buzz and it’s the best thing I have done,’ said Edwards, sporting a left eyebrow gash.
Reputed North of England light heavyweight champion Lewis Donnelly was put down twice by self-employed carpenter Wayne Calladine before the bout was stopped in the first round.
‘I beat him before on points in February 2007 on my 23rd birthday. I have been training on nothing but strength through the summer and said I was going to drop him tonight and I did,’ said Scotsman Calladine, 24.
St Peter Port schoolboy Gage Demore, 15, has his sights set on a professional boxing career.
He stopped Hamza Hussain in the third round of their lightweight clash after a flurry of blows to the head, to give him a 7-7 record in 14 fights.
‘Every fight is hard and I have been training hard for three months. It was a good confidence booster for me because I have the Junior Novice ABA Championship [in the UK] on 26 October,’ said Demore. ‘I hope to get to the final – that is my dream.
‘This was the best I have ever boxed and the coaches have helped me a lot and all the boys up the club. I want to be the only pro from Guernsey and be successful.’
Featherweight and Les Beaucamps student Adam Baker, 15, won a split decision against Mikey McDonnell for his 13th victory in 17 fights.
‘I lost my first three, won 12 in a row, lost in Blackpool, then had this win. It was not the best performance and I was lucky to have that. I honestly thought I had lost,’ he said.
Guernsey stonemason James Woolnough, 18, won a unanimous decision in his light middleweight battle against Tommy McGuckin, who now plans to turn pro as his amateur career ends as he approaches his 34th birthday.
The pair had shared the spoils in their previous two fights. Both fighters showed mutual respect and swapped vests at the end of their final bout.
Bill-topper Tom Duff did not let his legions of fans down thanks to a classy middleweight performance against Isle of Man’s David Crellin.
An excellent right cross in the third round saw his opponent receive a count, as he hurt him several times, before winning unanimously.
‘It was a good experience, because I was top of the bill and I was a lot more nervous before,’ said the 29-year-old electrician.
‘Because I did not know anything about him I just tucked behind my guard for the first half of the first round then I figured him out and never felt threatened.
‘It was the best achievement for me in boxing,’ he said.
Guernsey’s Jack Gilvear, 12, a St Sampson’s High student, had gained the home side’s first victory of the night on a split decision. It was his third win in four fights.
‘It was a good fight and I enjoy boxing. It is amazing and feels great to win.’
Despite brave displays, 11-year-old schoolboy debutants Damien Albin and Thomas Bowring both lost their fights and St Sampson’s student Tom Maunder’s bout was stopped in the second round.
Debutant Ben Le Huray, 16, from St Peter Port Secondary, was stopped in the first round in his little-and-large, light-heavyweight mismatch.
Grammar schoolboy Joshua Harvey, 16, fought bravely before losing a unanimous verdict in a bloody match at welterweight.
Youngster Jack Waterman, 16, will have to wait a little longer for his first bout after his opponent failed to travel.
ABC coach Graham Guilbert was delighted with the overall outcome.
‘I was so proud of all of them. I was more worried sleeping last night about the first-timers. I didn’t want anybody hurt – it’s a hard old game,’ he said.
‘A lot of them had a lot of nerve and bottle and I’m over the moon. They have all put in a lot of work and grit. Scott Edwards is a timid sort of lad but very fit and he turned it on.’
Article posted on 6th October, 2008 - 2.29pm
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