The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

RAY Minus Jr may have fought three times for a world title and had as many epic fights with Quincy ‘Thrill-A-Minute’ Pratt, but the legendary Bahamian and British Commonwealth bantamweight and light champion now needs the public’s help in supporting him with his medical recovery.

Minus Jr, now retired and working with the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture as a boxing consultant and coach at the National Boxing Gymnasium at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex, has suffered an injury to his right boxing hand that has hampered his mobility and left him disabled.

His daughter, Rayshell Minus-Rolle, is spearheading a curbside souse-out for her father on Saturday, May 1 from 7am to noon at the Jems Plaza on HorseShoe Drive off Nassau Street opposite Commonwealth Bank. “Ray Minus Jr is the Bahamian boxing champion, who has done a lot for the country and he has raised so many young boys in the sport, so we are trying to help him to get his right arm fixed with the extensive physio-therapy,” she said. “He also has dementia, which came on faster because of his boxing, even though it’s hereditary with his family, so we just want to make this cook-out a success and that God will work miracles in his life.”

She noted that Minus Jr has lost a great deal of muscles in his right arm, which has him disabled, so he’s going to need extensive therapy to restore his muscle.

With a target of a minimum of $10,000, Minus-Rolle said they hope to be able to provide the necessary treatment and cat scan, MRI and other medical procedures that he will have to endure in his recovery.

Pratt, former sparring partner turned arch-rival, said because of their close relationship out of the ring, he’s hoping to convince the public to come out and support Minus Jr more than the way they did for their three heated matches.

“I’m concerned about Ray’s health and I would like to see that restored,” said Pratt, who won the last of three meetings. “It seems so funny that this guy whom I’ve known from a teenager, is not doing well. That touched me deep.

“I was telling Ray that he’s the only boxer in the Bahamas that I know who has fought for three world titles and I wish something was in place to assist him. The only wrong that I know Ray did was he stole two fights from me, but I let it go.

“I am here to support him and I’m trying to get the boxing fraternity to come together and assist him. I’m trying to get his health restored. That’s my main concern. I know it’s hard for him to talk about it, but what this guy has done for the country, he really needs the whole Bahamas to come out and support him.”

Minus Jr, whose Champion Amateur Boxing Club’s home base on Wulff Road has been dismantled, said everything is working and his daughter is making sure he’s still eating three meals a day and he can move around so his conditioning is still there.

“I am pretty much happy that I am keeping myself healthy as best as I could,” said Minus Jr, who couldn’t go into details about just how his hand got damaged. “Once you can maintain your weight class, you won’t have to worry about being too heavy.

“But I’m not letting this setback keep me down. I find myself working creatively with a few young guys. So I feel we will have another crop of boxers to showcase very soon.”

Minus Jr thanked his father-in-law Cedric Munnings for allowing him to use his facility for the past 20 years to host his Champion Boxing Club where he was able to groom so many fighters after his retirement.

But after vacating the Wulff Road facility, Minus Jr wanted to relocate his Champion Amateur Boxing Club to his home further east on Wulff Road, but only the framework of the facility is there.

“What’s done is done,” he said. “Right now I’m at the government facility training people. We are about to open the doors and people are starting to come, so we are trying to establish a team of fighters to represent the Bahamas in due time.

“Hopefully, because I love being creative, I will continue to do some training that people love doing. They saw me just put it out there and they were amazed at it. So I want to continue with it.”

The 56-year-old Minus Jr said he’s appreciative of the 50-year-old Pratt joining his daughter and her team in trying to make the event a success.

“The Bahamian people know Ray Minus Jr and a lot of them want to help,” he insisted. “They know that I’ve been there and represented the Bahamas and I did well, so they are excited about it.”

Interested persons can contact Rayshell Minus-Rolle at 468-8916 for more details.