The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

RASHIELD “Raw” Williams, the lone Bahamian competing at the IBA Men's World Boxing Championships in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, won his first bout with a convincing second round decision yesterday.

Williams, competing in the men's 67 kilogram class at the Dubai Tennis Stadium, forced the referee to stop the fight 30 seconds into the second round after he unleashed a barrage of shots over Jason Wulf from Samoa. 

The fight was almost called off because the officials were calling for another country, but Williams' coach Geddet Williams, an IBA star one international coach from Grand Bahama, was relentless in getting him in the ring and they allowed the fight to proceed.

He became the second Bahamian boxer to win a bout at that level, while Geddet Williams made history as the first female coach. Valentino Knowles broke ground as the first Bahamian to win a bout in 2009 with Andre Seymour as his coach. "He was a very strong opponent," Rashield Williams said. "He could hit. He tried his best to do what he could do, but I was the stronger man. In the second round, I timed him and gave him a body shot and he couldn't take any more from there."

Rashield Williams, a 36-year-old professional boxer, will be back in action on Saturday when he takes on Asadkhuja Muydinkhujaev from Uzbekistan in the round of 32. He said he's not holding any punches back when he steps into the ring.

"This is high-level fighting here," Williams noted. "Under IBA, they know that they are only going to bring the best from every country, so you have to be ready to compete."

Vincent Strachan, the president of the Bahamas Amateur Boxing Association, said he was very pleased with the performances of the Bahamian contingent in Dubai where there are cash incentives being offered from $10,000 to $300,000.

"We're hoping that he can continue in the same vein," Strachan said. "There were a lot of problems getting into the ring. When he got in, his opponent's hand was raised by a walkover, but coach Williams was very relentless until they agreed to go on with the fight. Rashield stopped him in the second round."

Rashield Williams, sporting a 13-3 win-loss record, last fought on April 25 when he won over Nestor Gonzalez in La Guaira, Venezuela. He is the National Boxing Association welterweight champion.

Geddet Williams, a coach at Sir Jack Hayward High School, made her international debut in Bangkok, Thailand, last year as the head coach for the Olympic Qualifier.

The tournament will end on Thursday, December 11.