The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

ALL-OUT Boxing Club will honour two of the greatest Bahamian boxers this weekend during their inaugural Sherman ‘the Caribbean Tank’ Williams and ‘Pretty Boy’ Floyd Seymour National Pride Boxing Championships.

After two intense days of amateur boxing competition that began on Thursday night and concludes tonight at St George’s Gymnasium, an awards banquet will be held on Saturday night at the Church of Ascension Parish Hall when Williams and ‘Pretty Boy’ Seymour will be honoured.

The black tie affair, sponsored by the Bahamas Boxing Federation and the Grand Bahama Boxing Association, is being held by All-Out Boxing Club to continue the legacy that was produced in Grand Bahama.

Jermaine Gibson, president of the Grand Bahama Boxing Association and CEO and host for the All- Out Boxing Show, said they have been working along with the schools to put on the boxing extravaganza.

“We are excited because we’re mixing the old with the new,” Gibson said. “We want the young kids to know the heritage of boxing and where it came from, especially here in Grand Bahama.

“One of the things we want to teach is pride, not just pride, but national pride. So that’s where we’re calling it the National Pride Show over the two days of boxing followed by the awards ceremony.”

Gibson said they will be showcasing Keino Greene, a 15-year-old, who went to Florida for an international tournament last year and returned home with the gold. Also expected to compete is Joshua Smith, Clarence Hepburn and female sensation Tara Rolle, who won a gold at the Bahamas Games last year in New Providence.

“We need to have more programmes like this because the kids are now getting into gangs,” said Gibson, who noted that they have more than 200 competitors who are apart of the All-Out Boxing Club.

“I myself was threatened to join a gang while I was in school, but I was able to resist it. A lot of the kids are not able to resist this peer pressure, so we as adults have to stand in the gap and help them to deal with conflict resolution.”

As for the award banquet, Gibson said they want to give Williams and Seymour their flowers while they are alive as they honour them now, rather than waiting until they are deceased. He said they will both be inducted into the Grand Bahama Boxing Association’s Hall of Fame.

In response to receiving the honour, Williams said he is delighted to be recognised for his many achievements, which include his pre-Olympic Games qualifier in 1996 in Halifax, Canada, where he won the silver medal at the tournament.

Williams was the alternate for the region, but he missed the opportunity as only the champion got the chance to compete in the games.

In 2013, Williams got a chance to fight for the heavyweight championship of China. He won the fight and came home with three belts, including the Chinese heavyweight, WBO and Asian Pacific titles.

On his return to his residence in Florida, Williams was honoured by the city of Key West with a massive celebration and float parade. He continues to work with a number of young boxers in Florida. Williams, who amassed a 45-15-2 win-loss-draw record, also held the WBC CABOFE title.

He had his most recognised fight on January 22, 2011 against former world championship champion Evander Holyfield at the The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs.

The fight was ruled a no contact after Holyfield’s left eye was cut as a result of an accidental clash of heads in the second round.

Over 30 years ago, the 51-year-old Williams got his amateur boxing career started at the YMCA Gym in Grand Bahama and now he’s pleased to be going back home to be honoured in such a special way this weekend.

Seymour, who competed at the 1992 Olympics, turned to coaching after those games and has made some remarkable accomplishments outside of the ring. He has coached American boxers who have gone on to excel and was named the Bahamas national boxing coach in 2010 where he coached two boxers to bronze medal performances at the Central American and Caribbean Games.