Copa Maya Boxing comes to Belize
It’s no “Boxing after Dark” but hey, tonight is still Fight Night. It’s the seventh annual The Copa Maya Boxing Tournament and for the first time ever, it’s being hosted by Belize. Our boys are facing off competitors from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. The regional boxers met up with the national selection earlier today, don’t worry there were no blows but there was plenty of big talk. Janelle Chanona reports from the City Center.
When you look at your competitors today, what do you think?
Arlington Pandy, Boxer
“Just another, just like I’m working out or something. They don’t move me.”
In the late seventies, early eighties, boxing in Belize was center stage and every weekend the Bird’s Isle was packed to watch greats like David Dakers, Fitzroy Gysseppe and Chester Audinette but then boxing TKOed and Belizeans had to turn on the television for a good spar. But now the younger generation is eager to take back the ring and boxing just might make a full-fledged comeback.
Peter Thomas, President, Belize Amateur Boxing Association
“It is growing considerably and in particular since we had the great opportunity of getting a Cuban trainer here who is a well organized person and our Belizeans have been doing a good job but with the Cuban, we’re getting a little more done.”
Gustavo Torres, Vice President, Belize Amateur Boxing Association “If in the future, we should establish professional boxing in Belize, we need to have a strong amateur base, then we can talk about making that transition to professional boxing in the very near future.”
This is Jose Chavarria’s first tournament and he’s ready to make a reputation for himself.
Janelle Chanona
You have a Belizean role model that you look up to?
Jose Chavarria, Boxer
“Not actually. Mike Tyson, he no Belizean, from foreign.”
Janelle Chanona
You won’t bite off anybody’s ear tonight, right?
Jose Chavarria
“No, no. I won’t bite off anybody’s ear. Maybe knock off their head but no bite off their ear.”
For Peter Thomas, boxing is not just a beating someone else up.
Peter Thomas
“Boxing is a sport that is a mind sport, one and one and you develop the boy’s mind and body and it can keep him off of crime and the streets, doing stupid and derogatory things.”
Moses Sulph, Boxer
“You win and you lose. The thing that keeps you in this sport is that you know what you want out of something. And if you want something out of something, you have to always…there will be failures but if you are a good person, you going to get up after the failures and be victorious again.”
For the regional teams, they want to impress their homeland brothers and sisters.
Valiente Humberto, Head Coach, El Salvador
“There’s a big Salvadoran community living here in Belize, he knows that and would like them to come out and support.”
Carlos Alberto Lopez, Head Coach, Guatemala
“They are very pleased to be in Belize. That they’ve had warm welcome. Their boxers are training very hard and their looking forward to a good fight.”
Dean Rivers-Greenwood, Head Coach, Honduras
“We never win last time, we got only got experience. I don’t think in this type of sport; we got to worry about just winning. We keep the boys in competition, don’t matter if they lose.”
Janelle Chanona, in Boxing Ring
Now you know I would have loved to step into this ring to see how I match up with those guys but unfortunately, there aren’t any support services for women boxers in Belize. Peter Thomas says it’s the “protective measures” keeping women out of the ring.
Peter Thomas
“If you look at boxing in the United States, women boxing in the United States, they have protective shields to their breasts. I would never allow a lady to go in there with a brassiere to fight. Because she would be injured permanently and I would not be able to help her and I couldn’t sleep at nights.
If the day come that we can do that, I’d be glad to have ladies in the game because I think women are very serious people.”
Even though it’ll be a while before a female steps up, starting tonight, there’ll be some serious boxing happening inside the City Center.
Peter Thomas
“We must remember that competition doesn’t only winning, Competition means one against one and when we get through, we’re still buddies.”
If you are interested in slipping on some gloves, the boxing association says you negotiate with a local coach in the neighborhood gym and get started. Tickets for the matches this weekend are $10.00 for reserved, $5.00 general admission and $3.00 for children. The tournament gets under way tonight, with fights tomorrow as well. Finals are on Saturday. Over twenty-two boxers will be competing in eight weight categories. Winners will be awarded gold, silver and bronze medals.
