The first night of the double championships, staged by the Guyana Amateur Boxing Association, had a healthy injection of young boxers, with eleven of the 14-bout card being Under-16 encounters.

Boxing out of the newly formed Harpy Eagles Club, Murray Jnr, disposed of gym-mate Neville Grannum who retired 35 seconds in the second round of 60-64 lb division.

In another all-Harpy Eagles encounter in that division, Jamal Cozier gained a unanimous decision over Steve Adams.

But the fight of the night was the electric performance of the little Energiser, Michael Jordon of Forgotten Youth Foundation (FYF), who pounded Deon Duncan of Harpy Eagles with almost non-stop shots to head, forcing standing eight counts in rounds one and two.

Jordon became a little weary in the third and final round but danced away from Duncan’s long-range shot for a unanimous decision in the 55-59 lb division.

The other fight in that division went to Jonathan Soodoo (Harpy Eagles) with a unanimous decision over Orlando Allicock (FYF).

Harpy Eagles came out in numbers but lost their first fight in the night’s opener, when Dexter Jordon (FYF) unleashed a series of shots to Stephan Gouveia’s head, forcing the mandatory counts in all three rounds. Jordon gained a unanimous decision in the 50-54 lb division.

The second fight was a surprise 2-1 win for Ryan Frankler (FYF) over Sherwin Young (Harpy Eagles) in the 70-74 lb division. Young landed some solid shots to head seemingly undetected by the referee who did not institute the mandatory count. One shot in the first round sent Frankler down but the referee ruled a slip.

Young continued landing shots despite a toe-to-toe fightback by Frankler, but the referee counted the aggressor instead. Frankler was even warned for holding in the third round. In that round, too, the referee ruled a slip for Frankler.

Frankler came back in the last bout of the night to lose 2-1 to Mark Wright (Harpy Eagles).

But Harpy Eagles tasted their first victory when Edward Skeete punished Collin Mentore (Guyana Defence Force) with solid straight lefts to head, interspersed with rights. Mentore was counted twice, then retired 1:30 minutes in the first round.

After a bruising 80-84 lb division bout, Damee Allicock (FYF) out-pointed Collin Garraway for a unanimous decision.

In the 100-104 lb division, Simeon Hardy (FYF) forced two counts over Roy Sandiford (Harpy Eagles) in the first round, with straight rights to head. Sandiford did land some good shots to head towards end of the round.

But in the second round, Hardy was scoring at will, with lefts followed by solid rights and he continued dominating in the third for a unanimous decision.

In the other fight of that division, Dexter Gonsalves (Harpy Eagles) used his reach well over the shorter Tavel Fowler (GDF), forcing a count in the second round, then flooring his opponent in the third after which the referee stopped the contest in 37 seconds.

The first Open bout went to Seaburn Duncan (FYF), a unanimous decision over Jon Henry (GDF) in the Lightweight division. Duncan sent Henry to the canvas with a solid right to jaw and a count. Duncan landed some stiff jabs at will in the second round.

Perhaps the pounding also affected the floorboards of the ring as they crashed to the ground. When the boards were fixed, Henry came out fighting but his shots lacked power, then Duncan stunned him with a vicious left hook, just before the bell. Henry was counted again in the third round, during toe-to-toe exchanges.

The floorboards again fell during the first round of the following bout in the same division. Very few shots were thrown between Carifta Best Boxer Henry and Revlon Lake, both the GDF.

Henry had some fancy foot movements but no shots. It was in round three that Lake attacked sending Henry back-pedalling. Lake was the more active in the fourth and final round, to gain a unanimous decision.

Marlon Rodney (GDF) needed 1:46 minutes in the second round to dispose of Alva Beckles (FYF) in the Light Heavyweight scrap.