Cayman’s top boxers star in London

Hopkin Ebanks | Dariel Ebanks (Cayman Sports Buzz file photo)

Hopkin Ebanks and Dariel Ebanks are impressing in their build up to the AMBC Continental Championships, qualifiers for the AIBA World Championships later this Summer, according to reports coming from London, where the boxers have been based for training camp over the past month with national team coach Ryan Barrett.

Both boxers have been working long hard hours at The Gumshield Gym in Eltham and the hard work is already paying dividends. This past weekend the pair set off on a 400-mile round trip to Devon to compete at a local boxing show at the Exmouth Pavilion.

Hopkin Ebanks (file photo)

Hopkin faced off against Thomas Hunter, who boxes out of the Finchley ABC in London, and is coached by the same coach, Sean Murphy who trained heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua.

Reports say Hopkin demonstrated fast hands, good boxing skills and produced some nice combinations to keep Hunter in trouble throughout, picking him off with some nice shots at will.  Hopkin was a clear winner on points, his second win in as many fights during this camp.

Dariel came up against local hero Oliver Kitchen, a very popular fighter in Devon who had a big following in the sell out crowd of over 500.

Kitchen came out strong in the first round with his movement causing Dariel some problems.  Adjustments were made at the end of the first round, and as the second round wore on Dariel began to find his range.

The Caymanian fighter landed several great body shots, and a mean uppercut that dropped Kitchen towards the end of the second round with the bell saving Kitchen. In the third, Dariel picked up where he’d left off in the previous round, and midway through the third, Dariel sent Kitchen to the canvas with a smashing left hook.  Dariel won the fight on points and for the second time in as many weeks. He was also awarded Boxer of the Night for the second straight week.

“Dariel was struggling to find his range in the first round, so we told him to close the gap down, and once he did that he took over the fight,” said Barrett.

Dariel Ebanks (file photo)

“[He] was fighting a good kid here, a bit of a local hero who sells lots of tickets, so I’m pleased to see him win so convincingly in front of a very partisan crowd. To get Boxer of the Night for the second show on the trot speaks of how well Dariel is doing over here,” the coach added, noting “both our fighters are doing Cayman proud.”

A French team arrives in camp this week along with London-based St Lucian, Ryan Charles, as the quality of sparring opposition is ratcheted up.  Also arriving in Camp will be Cayman’s young female star, Chambria Dalhouse as she begins her preparation for the Youth Commonwealth Games in July.  The Cayman contingent are due to take part in another event this weekend in Luton, Bedfordshire.

“Our young Boxers are doing so well in England under the tutelage of their Coach Ryan Barrett.  We are very proud of what they are achieving, and are hugely grateful to Mike Laurenson and Elite Marble & Granite for making this training camp possible through their generous support,” said Ann Marie Byrd, the president of the Cayman Islands Boxing Association.

L-R: Ryan Barrett, Dariel Ebanks and Steve Barrett (Gumshield Gym)

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.