Lightning strikes twice ...Another 'Contender' stopped in second round TKO

Leroy Brown, Gleaner Writer

Lightning, figuratively, struck twice in the Wray and Nephew Contender boxing series, when for the second successive week the main attraction ended in the second round.

In Wednesday night's fight, Ricardo Planter from the Green Team score a second round technical knockout (TKO) victory over Patrick Miller from the Yellow Team, at one minute, 10 seconds of the second round, at the Chinese Benevolent Association auditorium.

On January 5, the first week of competition, Milton Anderson from the Yellow Team won by TKO at one minute, 18 seconds of the second round, over Raymond Gordon from the Green Team.

That week, Gordon suffered an injury to his right eye. Last Wednesday, Miller suffered a bad cut over his left eye that caused the doctor to advise the referee to stop the contest, thereby giving Planter the victory.

Hard-punching opponent

Wednesday's fight promised a lot as Planter, who is one of the favoured boxers in the competition, went up against a hard-punching opponent, who had predicted a third-round knockout.

The first round was lively and saw Planter, who is usually a slow starter, attacking early behind a stiff left jab. He obviously took the Miller threat seriously and made sure to seize the early initiative so as to dampen his opponent's ardour.

Miller fought back aggressively and was able to land a few telling punches to the body, but was made to miss when he threw wildly at Planter's head. There was also some fierce infighting and a spirited throwing of punches after the bell.

Both men came out aggressively in the second round and there was some clinching and then more furious fighting at close range. During one of these exchanges, Miller received two bad cuts - over and to the side of his left eye.

Referee Barrington Graham stopped the action and called on ringside doctor, André McDonald, to take a look at the injuries. After attending to the cuts, he had a brief consultation with the referee and it was decided that in the interest of the boxer the fight would be stopped.

This was a great disappointment to the large crowd present, as they were just settling down to what was turning out to be a very exciting fight.

Before the main attraction, there were two action-packed amateur bouts. In the first encounter, Andrew Rowe from Boys' Town defeated Toriano Nichols from the Stanley Couch Gym on points. In the second contest, which produced three spirited rounds of boxing, Anthony Clarke from Bruising Gym scored a very close victory over Oshane Creary from the Heavy Metal Gym.

The Contender series, which is promoted by MJK Produc-tions and sponsored by J.Wray and Nephew, Claro and TvJ, which broadcast the fights at 9.30 every Wednesday night, has brought together 16 of Jamaica's middleweight boxers.

They are divided into two teams and are competing over a 15-week period for prize money totalling nearly $2 million. The winner will take home one million and the middleweight champion title.

The teams will be doing another challenge this week, after which the boxers for next Wednesday's fight will be selected by the team that wins this challenge. So far, the Yellow Team has won the two challenges that have taken place.