By Charmaine Austin, Staff Reporter 
Soldier Maurice Morrison (left) reacts to a blow from Clinton Jones of Smokin' Job Walters Gym during the Jamaica Defence Force's invitational boxing competition at Up Park Camp on Thursday night. Morrison won on points. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer.
BOXING FANS are already looking forward to the next staging of inter-gym competitions after Thursday's orderly and exciting 10-fight card at Up Park Camp.
Lathbury Barracks accommodated the large gathering of spectators, both civilians and soldiers, for four hours of rumbling in the camp and they were not disappointed.
The boxers at the end collected either a gold or silver medal for their efforts with Gilbert Vaz of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) being the most outstanding performer.
Nicholas Walters of Smokin' Job Walters Gym was given the plaque for most gallant loser.
Twenty boxers competed from the JDF, Smokin' Job Walters Gym (SJWG) and the Stanley Couch Gym (SCG).
"We will be doing a series of inter-gym shows to keep the boxers competitive. This is just the first in the series and it has been received very well," said Doreen Brown, assistant secretary of the Jamaica Boxing Board of Control.
The soldiers meanwhile used the JDF-organised event as preparation for the World Army Boxing Championships to be held in Italy from September 11-21.
The card started with a friendly bout between Kemar Ricketts and Oraine Walters before Maurice Morrison won gold over Clinton Jones (SJWG) in a light welterweight contest.
Soldiers Omar Nicholson and Alrick Pryce won the next two fights over Smokin' Job's Christopher Stewart and Rohan Robinson respectively.
Ryan Graham won his lightweight fight over fellow soldier Omar King while Ryan Golding took the light middleweight gold medal over SJWG's Kedan Forrester.
National and former Caribbean featherweight champion Rudolph Hedge survived a spirited box-off with swift Ivan Ellis (JDF).
The following light middlweight bout between Ricardo Brown (JDF) and Damion Swaby (SCG) saw referee Lawrence Bailey stopping the contest after 40 seconds in the second of four rounds after it became evident that the latter could not withstand the soldier's punishment.
Delcardo Phipps stopped fellow soldier Gerrington Richards in their light heavyweight fight before the camp alive with the closely contested lightweight contest between Fernando Anderson and Walters. Anderson won on points.
Light heavyweight boxer Vaz brought the curtain down on porceedings with a points victory over Glen Thomas of Stanley Couch.
