Female boxer Moore to make Wray & Nephew Fight Nights debut

The reigning American Boxing Confederation Caribbean champion Sherikee Moore of Jamaica will highlight the first female bout set to take place at tomorrow’s staging of the exciting Wray & Nephew Fight Nights Series, which is slated for the Ebony Vale Community Centre in St Catherine.

Seven other enthralling bouts are slated to take place on the night, but all eyes will be on the first female fight of the series. Six professional boxers and 10 amateur boxers will take their enthusiasm and determination to the ring to secure needed wins to advance their careers. The card will feature at least three boxers from the neighbouring GC Foster Boxing Gym.

Stephen Jones, president of the Jamaica Boxing Board, has high praises for the series which is sanctioned by his organisation.

“From a boxing board perspective, we knew that the Wray & Nephew Fight Night series would create a platform capable of elevating the sport to levels never before seen in the Caribbean. What we didn’t realise is how quickly the impact would be felt since its inception. Female boxing has been the fastest-growing discipline in sport since first introduced to the Olympics in 2016, so it’s imperative that we place just as much emphasis on the opportunities provided for our females as we do our males, so having a female bout on the upcoming card will not only entertain but will certainly inspire other females to come on board to make a name for themselves and ultimately their country,” Jones shared.

Moore, a 21-year-old GC Foster College student, is set to compete against another female boxer, Shanika Gordon from the Jamaica Defence Force, and by all indications, the fight is expected to bring tremendous excitement as the females will get a chance to showcase their talent and duke it out in front of what is expected to be a jam-packed venue.

Moore has been boxing for nine years and was introduced to the sport after a summer boxing camp at the Olympic Gardens Community Centre.

The first-year massage student has since garnered a record of five wins and two losses in her seven bouts to date, and the featherweight novice is grateful that the Wray & Nephew boxing series is giving her the platform to showcase her talent.

FEMALE BOXERS

“I think this is a great opportunity not only for us female boxers as we get a chance to show that there are not only male boxers but there are female boxers who are thriving in the sport,” said Moore.

The opportunity provided by the Jamaica Boxing Board and title sponsors Wray & Nephew, who embodies the statement ‘FI WI culture’, has truly been a masterstroke, according to Moore, who will just be boxing in her second fight since late last year.

“Internationally, there are just three of us that box and I feel that more females should be getting into the sport. This kind of initiative spearheaded by Wray & Nephew could not come at a better time because as females it is hard to get fights in Jamaica.”

Pavel Smith, marketing manager Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum, is proud the series will host its first female bout.

“The sport of boxing, like Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum, a ‘Fi wi Culture’. The Fight Night series was developed to elevate Jamaican boxing talent and skill. We heartily welcome this first female exhibition as the series expands into parishes across the island,” Smith said.

Moore, who trains at the Suga Knock Out gym in Olympic Gardens, says she has benefited tremendously from getting into the sport on a personal level.

“Since I have been boxing, I have grown more confident and I have started to communicate with others better. I was a shy person, but the sport of boxing has helped me to be more confident and I have gotten better,” Moore noted.

Moore says she will be ramping up her training in the coming week in preparation for the bout, and she hopes to one day take her skills to the highest level.

“I see myself becoming a professional in a few years, and one of my other goals is to represent Jamaica at the Olympics. For that to happen, I will need more experience and exposure, and I must say a big thank you to Wray & Nephew for giving us the avenue on our journey and ultimate goal,” Moore shared.