The Golden Arrows – One night in the hotbed of the Guyanese fight scene

The sad passing of Guyana’s former world welterweight champion Andrew ‘Six Heads’ Lewis – who it was reported this week died in a road accident– moved me to recall a night spent privileged to have enjoyed a fiesta of fighting at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, Georgetown.

Andrew Lewis was Guyana’s first boxing world champion, retiring with a creditable 23-4-2 record that included Ricardo Mayorga and Antonio Margarito. Twenty of his 23 victories were early finishes and at his peak condition, in 2001, he offered some spark in the welterweight division. He ended his career back in 2008, some way past his prime with a split decision loss to the faded but bigger and still tough fellow Guyanese Howard Eastman.

On 30 March 2012 Lewis was a ringside presence as Simeon ‘Candyman’ Hardy eventually vanquished the tough local Mark Austin in the eighth round of an eight round contest. The seats were rattled hard as the crowd roared, stamped and thumped. The boombox shook with Caribbean sound waves. Hardy was the up and coming star – who would go on to best Eastman twice – but learned the value of patience as his opponent stood firm under rapid fire.

Hardy now fights in America, having relocated to Oxnard to train under Robert Garcia before moving across to the East Coast of New York. Brooklyn to be precise; where Lewis himself relocated to in his prime. Despite a recent points loss, Hardy still has the tools to progress towards the upper reaches – ensuring he maintains his fitness and focus.

That night in 2012, Lewis looked a little over his fighting weight but carried a genial swagger, his sunglasses draped off the back of his dome. He wandered around the sports court, gathering the occasional cry of “Hey, Six Heads!” A broad smile cracked across his face each time, belying his cool demeanour.

There was talk of a comeback at that stage, though at 41 that sounded fanciful. As with all retired, forced or through choice, there would always be a sense of ‘what next?’ One wonders what or where Lewis went after that night as we later filed out into the thick, humid dark air. Hardy eventually boarded a plane to the States, while Howard Eastman – a thread between the two fighters – continues to grind on the fight scene, grizzled but stubborn.

Andrew Lewis – Guyana’s first boxing champion, rest in peace.

Floyd Mayweather creates an 'interesting piece of art' against Manny Pacquiao

As the smoke settles and the armchair boxing fan slinks into the distance, tut-tut-tutting at the apparent demise of the sport, those of us lumbered with an addiction for trading of gloves are left grappling at the aftermath.

It’s a little like the morning after at the gatecrashed house party, scratching the head and gaping at half empty beer bottles. Last night people were looking your way and the spotlight was on. Today, they’re gone.

So let’s clear up.

If you were looking for blood and guts then Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao didn’t live up to its lofty billing as ‘Fight of the Century’. For those that chose to don a ‘boxing fan’ hat for one night only, it must have been like turning up for a heavy metal concert only to be greeted by a classical symphony orchestra/

Mayweather, just like outside of the ring at negotiating table, dictated the fight on his terms, swirling around the ring and popping simple jab and straight right combinations. Timing was the key. 

There was a school of thought that Pacquiao would either elect to try and drown Mayweather in a sea of southpaw flurries as he pressed and pressed forward, pinning his opponent onto the ropes; or that he would try and adopt an in-and-out, get inside score-get back out style in the manner he had his own way with Oscar De La Hoya. 

From my eyes, it seemed that Pacquiao went for the latter approach of ‘thoughtful aggression’. The problem with thinking against Mayweather is that as well as being a grand chess master, this also allowed the pace to slow to his preferred tempo. The result was that ‘PacMan’ seemed intent on unlocking a puzzle with fleeting sights of breakthroughs. As he tried to work out the riddle, Mayweather racked up the points.

Intriguingly, Mayweather didn’t seem to dig as deep as he could – perhaps as deep as some fans might have hoped. That impression was compounded by his father and trainer occasionally becoming exasperated in between rounds.

The result was a fight way more tactical than the casual observer would have liked but for boxing purists it was an admirable display from Mayweather who delicately diffused Pacquiao. The Filipino seemed a little flat and didn’t provide the offensive spark many had hoped for. Yet, he had some minor moments and was never in big trouble. Of course, for this Hall-of-Famer being a game but losing opponent would have felt nothing short of disastrous.

I had the fight 118-110 to Mayweather on my first viewing. On second viewing I had it at 117-111. It was a piece of art that was interesting rather than incredible.

The Coin Flips One Way - Then Another

Last Saturday night we were treated to boxing's two-sided coin - the good and the bad.

Earlier in the evening the coin landed the right way as WBO Light-Heavyweight Champion Nathan Cleverly and Tony Bellew traded a blur of blows in a see-saw battle which soared and dipped thrillingly as the contest went one way and then another.

It really was a special evening of fighting at Liverpool's Echo Arena as hometown favourite Bellew showed he could walk the walk after months of talking, or rather shouting and spitting out fury. He was able to harness his impulsiveness to deliver an impressive performance.

He lost, yes. But showed he belongs at world title level and it was a close contest which could have perhaps gone in his favour on another night. It might be a blessing in disguise for The Bomber, who can learn from what he did right and at times wrong. He should be able to come again at this level - as long as he can maintain the rigours of squeezing himself down to light-heavyweight.

As for Cleverly, he must gain credit. He mixed it up and scrapped with a big hitting unbeaten fighter and he came up with a victory. Let's not forget he went into his opponent's backyard and he appeared unfazed by the heated atmosphere. Rather he seemed to relish it.

Here's to Cleverly and Bellew for putting on a brilliant spectacle. Wonderful.

Later on Saturday night the boxing coin swung back to bad.

'Bad' Chad Dawson earned a hollow victory (which was later overturned and ruled a technical draw several days later) after flinging the crafty fox Bernard Hopkins to the ground in the second round. The referee ended the contest in the second round, ruling Hopkins could not continue after injuring his shoulder in the fall. Dawson was (at the time) given a second round TKO.

There was a mass of confusion in the aftermath that did not nothing for boxing's reputation. Hopkins said the referee had pulled him out and that he was willing to continue. Dawson - who had looked commanding in the short space of time the fight had lasted - was ungracious as he baited Hopkins, labelling him a coward and shouting abuse his way.

It was an ugly contest that turned into a disaster. The milk turned sour.

Well, that's boxing for you.