Rocky wannabes were all so brave

White collar boxing has established itself in the Cayman Islands and long may it continue and thrive.  

The annual show at Treasure Island two Saturdays ago attracted hundreds for an action packed evening that promised much and certainly didn’t disappoint. Billed as ‘Proving Ground’ most of the fighters on the bill certainly did that, proving themselves in front of friends, family and work colleagues in one of the toughest and most demanding of combat sports. That’s why it’s called white collar boxing, because it is mainly office types involved.  

Everyone went home a winner in a sense just for having the guts to get into the ring for three two-minute rounds and all the months of hard work and sacrifice was totally justified. Organised by Chris Dinan and Lachie Hewitt, the plan is to have a show around Easter time as well as an end of the year one and on the strength of the entertainment for this it will be a roadblock again.  

Some of the proceeds also went to a good cause, the Cayman Islands Diabetic Association, so the punches taken were not totally in vain.  

There were five pulsating white collar boxing matches, a kick boxing contest and a Muay Thai demonstration so punters got every penny’s worth of their $25 entrance fee.  

The first boxing match pitted R 

obert Mahadeo against Nico Mellett which was a humdinger and set the tone for the rest of the night. Both fighters put their hands up in triumphant at the end but Mahadeo’s slightly more accurate punching clinched it. Both had tremendous support which helped create a fantastic atmosphere.  

Adam Cockerill had plenty of supporters too and he got a huge reception coming into the ring to clash with the much heavier Jarladth Travers. Having been on TV and featured in this paper, expectations of a Cockerill win were high. But oh dear, Travers upset the Rocky script. 

The Irishman had obviously boxed before, unlike Cockerill who looked a complete novice. Travers jabbed and hooked at will, sending Cockerill down in each round for standing counts. But to his credit Cockerill took his licks bravely, showing admirable fighting spirit to still be standing at the end. Travers won clearly on points but at least Cockerill lasted to the final bell.  

The Muay Thai demonstration featured Gary Tierney, David Kay, Anthony Fernandes and Grey Brett. They whetted everyone’s appetites for future Muay Thai bouts. 

The show’s main event was next, the kick boxing contest between Omar Dixon and Bruce Coulson. Dixon is more a kicker than a boxer and Coulson went into the battle intending to use his superior boxing technique for victory. But as soon as the bout started it was evident that Dixon’s all round martial arts skills, honed by trainers Bob Daigle and Master Steve Graham, were going to win him the fight. Coulson, with his karate black belt brother Tim in his corner, could only absorb punishment throughout but he too had the satisfaction of lasting three – albeit painful – rounds.  

Luke Willingdon took his boxing match on short notice but the chef could not cook up a victory against Geoff Baker who was totally fired up from the vocal support he had. Baker got the verdict.  

Another close and hard fought match next was between Alistair MacDonald and Ryan Bloom. That too generated plenty of excitement with MacDonald taking the honours in a close fight.  

The final contest had two work colleagues squaring up and they went toe to toe throughout. Brian Rando and Dermot O’Kelly slugged it out as the crowd bayed for their favourite. O’Kelly had a group of cheerleaders rooting him on and their energy alone must have given him the extra boost to have his hand raised to a roar of approval. But Rando clearly got the cleaner punches in and deserved the verdict so a rematch seems appropriate. O’Kelly’s bloodied nose had to be attended to by Dr Angella Glidden.  

Great show, fabulous fights, a resounding success all round.  

Promoter Dinan said: “All the White Collar fights were at a high standard and most people we believe were surprised at the level of skill displayed. We hope that perhaps we will see some rematches, a few of them were that close on the night. 

“Since Proving Ground started in 2005 the event has been constantly evolving. Each show has been different and as an organiser we are always looking to improve various aspects of the show. I want to thank our event fans and supporters again for being there and for offering us feedback. We want people to enjoy the event every time.  

“There are a number of very talented athletes coming into Proving Ground and their fan base is growing and we want to continue to support them. I believe with adequate sponsorship much more will be possible. 

“Cayman’s first kick boxing match was something to see. Omar and Bruce had some very serious exchanges. Both of them have participated in Proving Ground before and it was good to see them both back in action. Omar really shone and made it difficult for Bruce to maintain any defence. Omar is a very fast and powerful striker. 

“Lachie and I thank all of the event staff, the judges, our ring girls, referees, Furious (the MC) and our sponsors for an excellent job. We really appreciate the Treasure Island Hotel, Harry Lalli and Jason Moir for hosting Proving Ground. We’re also grateful for the support of Jesse from AVS and National Security Services and Massive Equipment Rentals for making the night safe for all of us. We could not have done it without all their support.  

“Also a very special thanks to Tommy Ebanks, Donnie Anglin, Bob Daigle, Paulino Rodrigues, Jimmy Crooks, Troy O’Neil, Peter Lewison. Thanks also goes out to Rogue Gym, Xtreme Sports and CayBrew for sponsoring this event and supporting our fighters. 

“Congratulations to all the fighters and coaches for all their hard work before and during the event. We have to say that each fight was well fought. We thank the Caymanian Compass and News 27 for all their coverage.” 

Lewison is in action himself on Saturday at the D. Dalmain Ebanks gym as the main bill and as the promoter in only his second pro fight. Dinan said: “We’re supporting Peter in his boxing match and encourage the public to do the same. We really appreciate the support we got for the Cayman Islands Diabetes Association by purchasing tickets. 

“We had over 500 people in attendance and I can say that the feedback has been very positive. We are sure that our next show in April will be even better. Anyone interested in competing can sign up for both training and the event at Rogue Gym, behind Big Daddy’s next to Treasure Island. Rogue Gym has a number of very talented coaches and trainers who teach all skill levels. Don’t be afraid to stop by.” 

Anyone interested in white collar boxing, should go to www.roguegymcayman.com or call 324-1800