Every Wednesday night the traffic, the crowds and the vendors all seem to have one aim, one destination and one main focus: making it to the Chinese Benevolent Association as what goes down inside weekly is entertainment of the highest calibre with outcomes no one can predict, though that doesn’t stop some from trying.
I Indeed the glory days of boxing have returned with a huge punch over the last few years thanks to the Wray & Nephew Contender series as Jamaicans cannot seem to get enough of an interactive show that is part reality and part sport. Those who cannot make it to see it live are glued to their television sets and are blowing up the social media sites not only about their favourites but about every jab thrown because in typical Jamaican fashion, everybody has become a boxing expert and knows exactly how to deliver that knock-out punch. Buzzz Magazine got in on the actionas boxing has become our newest pastime. Its popularity is holding firm as fans, sponsors and new boxers are lining up to get in the ring so… let’s get ready to rumble!
Jamaica has a rich history of great boxers which led to the sport’s popularity in the 1970s and 80s. Lennox Lewis (of Jamaican parentage) knocked out Donovan Ruddock to take over the number one position in the WBC rankings and was eventually declared WBC heavyweight champion. He was the undisputed champion after defeating Evander Holyfield by unanimous decision in 1999. Ruddock himself who hails originally from St. Catherine Jamaica but fought under the Canadian banner, had an impressive fight record and faced heavyweight champion Mike Tyson twice. Other notable world champions include Oneil Bell, who captured the vacant IBF cruiserweight title on May 20, 2005; British-based Lloyd Honeyghan, who was WBA/WBA and IBF welterweight champion from 1986 to 1987 and Canada-based WBC welterweight champion from 1988 to 1989, Otis Grant, who won the World Boxing Organisation’s middleweight title in 1997.
Boxing’s resurgence has made believers out of doubters as Contender now has a broader base of fans than boxing did back in its hey-day of the 70s and 80s. In that epoch, ring legends such as Trevor Berbick, ‘Shrimpy ’Clarke and Mike McCallum, the ‘Body Snatcher’, made mince meat out of any opponent who dared to set foot in the ring with them. Their popularity was heightened by the fame of international icons like Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson and this ensured that millions were hooked on the sport.
Wednesday nights heat up quickly as Patrick Anderson, Kamila McDonald-Alcock and the rest of TVJ crew brings live action that have many on the edge of their seats. Before the Contender, local boxers had to seek greener pastures overseas to gain enough recognition to even be on the radar to get a title fight. The Contender series is therefore a godsend to young, eager and dedicated fighters looking to make a profession out of boxing.
Thanks to the Wray & Nephew Contender series, Jamaicans cannot seem to get enough of an interactive show that is part reality and part sport
The Wray & Nephew Contender series features 16 professional boxers who compete for a share of prize money worth close to three million dollars with the winner walking away with a whopping two million dollars and the title of Jamaica’s Ultimate Middleweight Contender. The runner-up will pocket $500,000. Sixteen of the best middleweight boxers are identified, selected and then divided into two groups (Green Team and Yellow Team) with each group being assigned a coach to oversee training and provide mentorship. The Jamaica Team is led by Coach Carl Grant and the Caribbean team by Coach Andrew Boland. Weekly team challenges determine the winning team that then earns the right to decide which two boxers from the opposing teams will fight live on TV.
2014 has opened doors to the rest of the Caribbean thereby adding diversity and regional recognition which set the stage for a showdown of epic proportions. Several of the English- speaking territories are competing against us on our home soil and though home court advantage can be a factor and patriotism is high, in the end it is the best fighter, regardless of his island home, that will have his hands raised in victory by the referee. Last year’s Contender winner Devon Moncrieffe has also been contracted to assist with the development of young Jamaican boxers in this season’s series so it will be very interesting to see him working and mentoring his group of men including the 2013 runner-up and the man who gave him one hell of a fight for the title, Tsetsi ‘Lights Out’ Davis.
While those seeing the action live get to see the ring girls, the comedian with the ring side action and also enjoy all the giveaways, viewers at home get to enjoy the previews and challenges that feature how the fighters are chosen, their weekly tasks with trainer Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn and all the flexing and smack talk each fighter does before their big entry.
Gary Dixon, Marketing Director of J Wray & Nephew recently stated at the launch of the series that boxing is good not only for the contestants but for the nation – each year millions have something to look forward to that is part entertainment, part sport and part showmanship and the sum total is much appreciated by all. “I am very pleased to announce that through our Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum brand, we have committed $6 million to the Jamaica Boxing Board of Control’s ‘Road to Rio’ campaign and we look forward to cheering on our boxers at the summer Olympics.”
Chlöe E. Da’Costa, of Brand Manager for Schweppes, part of the WISYNCO Group, said they were thrilled to be on board as their brands are exactly what people who love the Wray & Nephew Contender series love and appreciate. “Based on the feedback from our consumers, Schweppes Grapefruit and Wray & Nephew have been the preferred mix and have formed a marriage in the grassroots of Jamaica, making us the real contenders. What Schweppes and WN (Wray & Nephew) both have in common is that they are made in Jamaica. Wray & Nephew Contender is such a hit and it connects on the grassroots level and speaks to all communities in a positive, uplifting way. We find it very important to be in these types of events because that’s who have supported us.”
“There is no other brand that can offer so many different products under its portfolio: Ginger-Ale, Bitter Lemon, Tonic and Soda water, making us ‘uncontended’ in this category. Approximately 600 bars across the island will have a ‘special’ for the duration of the Contender series. On Wednesdays you are able to purchase a cue of White Rum and a 20oz Schweppes Grapefruit for $500.” Indeed the Contender series is a hit, not just within the boxing circles, but with Jamaicans and Caribbean people all around.