The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

SINCE in mourning over the death of his wife, Bahamas Professional Boxers Association president Patrick ‘the Centreville Assassin’ Strachan said it has been a difficult time trying to grieve over the loss of his long-time friend and collegiate Arthur Clarke.

Clarke’s death came as the boxing community is still coming to grips with the passing of Everette Oswald ‘Elisha Obed’ Ferguson, whom Strachan has called upon the government to amend the wrong and give the country’s first and only world boxing champion his just reward.

Strachan, whose wife Lorraine was laid to rest following funeral services 10am Saturday at St Matthew’s Anglican Church, said he met Clarke about 50 years ago when they were both competing in the amateur ranks.

“We both participated in the Florida Golden Gloves Boxing Championships,” Strachan recalled. “But to me, I thought Arthur was one of our best junior welterweight fighters.

“He was colourful, braggadocious, talk-a-lot and as a professional, he carried the Bahamian flag all around the world, having fought some big name fighters like Terry Marsh and Juan Arroyo. He was what I described as a true boxer, who fought a way to decision you.”

On the local front, Strachan remembers how Clarke took Gimpsy Mike Whymms to a draw in a fight that many, including Clarke, felt that he won.

“Everyone knew that Gimpsy Mike Whymms carried a sledge hammer and he would knock you out with one punch,” Strachan said. “But Arthur was new in town and he took him on and carried him to a draw. I think that fight catapulted Arthur’s career around town.”

Clarke, 60, could be seen at the end of his career on a daily basis through Cordeaux Avenue under the tree near Hanna’s Plumbing where he played dominoes after he retired in 1999.

There, he would engage in conversation on various topics where most of the participants admitted that he made sure he got his point across.

“Oh yeah, he was very opinionated,” Strachan stressed. “You accepted him as he was or don’t accept him at all. He had an opinion and he stuck to it. You have to admire him for that.

“You have a lot of people who have different opinions, but when Arthur had an opinion, he stuck with it. He had his opinion on politics and sports especially and you knew where he stood on those matters.”

Strachan said the good thing was that Clarke stood for what he meant.

Before Clarke passed away, Strachan said he told him that he had food poisoning. Strachan said he advised Clarke to go to the clinic to get some medical attention.

“He told me ‘I’m the great Arthur Clarke. I don’t need to go to no doctor.’ That was Arthur. He always proclaimed that ‘I’m the great Arthur Clarke,’ whenever he fought and whether he won or lost.”

Clarke was trained by the late middleweight boxer Renny Pinder, whom he travelled with for a number of his fights overseas. Pinder also introduced Strachan to boxing in 1970.

Clarke was survived by one daughter, whom Strachan said he always told him that he was going to go to Eleuthera and “take her away from her mother. But I jokingly told him that if he go around “that man’s house, he will get knocked out.”

He will be remembered as one of the Bahamas’ most colourful and flamboyant boxers who didn’t back down from anyone inside or outside of the ring.

As a former amateur boxer, he fought in the Florida Caribbean Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions and as a pro, he was scheduled along with Strachan, to fight on the undercard of the Drama in the Bahamas, featuring Muhammad Ali. But because of some discrepancy with the cash prize being offered, Clarke eventually pulled out. “He felt at the time he wasn’t being paid sufficient funds and you have to respect him for his decision,” Strachan said. “He stood by that. He backed out.”

Clarke, who made his contribution to the sport in the 1970s and 80s when boxing was flourishing in the country, also spent a lot of time training at the famous Fifth Street Gym in Miami, Florida with Muhammad and even Elisha Obed.

Talking about Elisha Obed, like many other people, Strachan still can’t understand why people have not cherished the country’s only world champion in the manner that he deserves.

“It’s a national disgrace the way Elisha Obed has been treated,” Strachan said.

“Elisha Obed became a world champion when we were two years old. We became independent in 1973 and he won a world title in 1975.

“Elisha Obed has been the only world champion we have ever had. Not taking anything away from Mychal Thompson, he has two world titles, but that is a team sport.

“The track and field athletes have won titles, but Elisha Obed won a world title all by himself.”

Strachan said it’s a shame that governments come and go and yet none have been able to fully appreciate Elisha Obed for his achievement. As a matter of fact, Strachan said that he’s even disappointed that no official words of condolences came from the Bahamas Government.

“I was in contact with his daughters and the last I heard was that they were in meetings with the government,” Strachan said. “But I just want to say this to Prime Minister Hubert Minnis, it’s never too late to do the right thing.

“The government has an obligation, even in his passing, to give him the proper recognition that he deserves. It would be very sad if his funeral is held and nothing is said about what they will do for him in his passing.”