Barbados’ Ajayi Jones shines on boxing card

Barbados’ Ajayi Jones secured victories in his fights against Terrence McIlroy from the British Royal Navy and Austin Bayan from Canada to come out on top of the Bantamweight Division at the end of the Barbados Boxing Association’s (BBA) Ronald Wilson Invitation tournament at the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex on Friday and Saturday.

On the Friday, Jones came up against McIlroy and the close contest ended with Jones winning 3-2 in the decision.

However, on Saturday, Jones came out firing on all cylinders and after the third standing eight count, the referee stopped the contest in the second round giving Jones the victory in the match as well as victory in the Division after he walked off with the gold and the title of the Best Male Boxer in the tournament.

Jones rocked the Canadian Bayan with a number of flush punches and it was only a matter of time before the referee stopped the fight.

There was an impressive display of boxing from Sophie Goulbourne from the British Royal Navy as she dissected her opponents to lay claim to the welterweight women’s division.

She first defeated Maddy Swanson from Canada with a landslide victory on both days and was crowned the best female boxer.

Also winning his contest was Barbados Justin Edwards who came away with a 4-1 victory over the British Royal Navy’s Kane Stephenson.

The spectators were given both ends of the talent pool with some impressive all round boxing and then some fights that looked like an all out brawl at times with no thought for the art form that is boxing.

There were 25 fights cards over the two days and participants were also from Guyana and Haiti.

The super heavyweight fighters form Canada (Danilo Miljevic) and British Royal Navy ( Callum Basso) also had an impressive display of boxing, with both fighters exchanging punches and combinations and going the distance.

Some if the fighters who took part in the tournament were Alex Gould (Belfielf), Kane Stephenson (British Royal Navy), Lemar Tull (Shaka School), Nathan Weithers (Fight N Fit), Kemar Gaskin (Briar Hall), Mariko Clarke (Shaka School), Kelsi McPhee (Canada), Makayla Thomas (Barbados), Sophie Goulbourne (British Royal Navy), Maddy Swanson (Canada), Joe Pomphrey (British Royal Navy), Dennis Balledera (Canada), Aiden Thompson (British Royal Navy), Alex Matheson (Canada), Karn Mann (Canada), James LePoidevin (British Royal Navy), Kiomel Miller (Barbados), Neil Brooke (British Royal Navy), Shakaun Lashley ((Barbados), Luke Chapman, Jordyn Conrad (Canada), Kathreen Sterling (Haiti), Chloe Jenkins (British Royal Navy), Alesha Jackman (Guyana), Ju-Sean Shepherd (National Gym), Nayib Griffith (Fight N Fit), Tyreed Taitt (Belfield), Adam Howe (British Royal Navy), Granville Gittens (Barbados), Robert Forest (British Royal Navy), Janick Lacroix (Canada).