boxer Michael Holmes (right) of Bruisin Gym in Stony Hill, St Andrew, punches the Cayman Island's Eric McField, in the feature bout of a six-fight card at Falken Motors, Dunrobin Avenue, on Saturday night. Holmes' ring record now stands at 8-1.- Anthony Minott/Freelance Photographer

The Bruisin Gym in Stony Hill is emerging as a force to be reckoned with in local amateur boxing circles.

This was the view of an official from that outfit, Richard 'Stumpy' Walker, whose fighters made a good showing on the Jamaica Boxing Board of Control (JBBC) sanctioned six-fight card on Saturday night at Falken Motors, 34 Dunrobin Avenue.

Walker said his fighters had made an impact in this the first year of the gym's existence, having met and beaten boxers from many of the island's top gyms.

One-year anniversary

"Our outfit, which marks its one-year anniversary later this month, was borne out of street-fighting," said Walker. "We channelled that energy into legitimate boxing through good organisation and now have close to 30 fighters.

"Right now we are looking forward to the upcoming national championships in November and I can tell you, our boxers are going to impact," he added.

The Gym's Michael Holmes defeated Eric McField from the Cayman Islands to win the feature bout on Saturday night's Free I Entertainment-sponsored card.

Unfortunately, the middleweight open contest ended prematurely - 38 seconds inside the third and final round - when McField called it a day.

The visiting fighter claimed that he was affected by the smoke emanating from a jerk chicken stand on the premises and was unable to continue.

Although using his height and jabs to good advantage over his shorter opponent in the first round, McField was behind on points when quitting. Holmes came on strongly in the second round with some well-placed shots to the body and had clearly gained the ascendancy in the early stages of the third round, copping the gold medal for his efforts.

A disappointed McField disclosed that this was the second time he was meeting Holmes. And on the first occasion in Grand Cayman, confessed that he was badly beaten by the Jamaican.

Determined

"I came here more determined for this fight and was holding my own when the smoke really took its toll on me," said McField.

Two Bruisin Gym boxers faced off in the night's fourth contest (novice middleweight) and this resulted in victory for Julian Brown. He defeated Michael Gardner in an action-packed bout.

The Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) fighter, Omar Nicholson, stopped the Bruising Gym's Christopher Haughton in a welterweight contest, while Shaqueil Linton from Stanley Couch Gym in central Kingston outboxed Jeffrey Bodden from the Cayman Islands in lightweight action. Referee Barrington Graham stopped the fight in the third round after Bodden had received his third standing count.

In the night's second fight, the JDF's Shantez McInnis outpointed Adrian Matthews of the Stanley Couch Gym in a light welterweight contest, while later on the card, Ricardo Gardner gained a walkover after the doctor advised his opponent not to fight.

The card was promoted by Free I Entertainment's Justin Robinson, who is the nephew of JBBC president, William Tavares-Finson.

A new promoter to the local boxing scene, Robinson said he was encouraged by this initial effort and had learnt from the experience.

Kingsley Goodison, a director of the JBBC with responsibility for boxers' welfare and gyms, said the undertaking was "not bad for a start" and moreover was timely with the national championships approaching.