Rembering Reggie Forde
—The late boxer Reginald Ford, who died February 2 this year, never refused an opponent and fought six world champions during his relatively short professional career
The late Reginald `Reggie’ Forde lived for boxing. Boxing just wasn’t a sport for him it was a passion. Ford and his younger brother, the late Patrick, just could not get boxing out of their system.
There has been lots of debate over the years as to which of the two brothers was the better boxer.
Patrick, as most would know, fought twice for the world championships and lost both encounters to Salvador Sanchez and Eusibio.
`Reggie’ Ford, fought six world champions during his relatively short career.
Born 11th June 1953 in Alberttown, to Allan Ford and Beryl Braithwaite, Ford attended St Ambrose Primary School and later Oriental College.
He had an outstanding career as an amateur boxer after he began following the game when he was just 10 years old.
His idol was his brother-in-law, the late Lennox Beckles, who would drag him along to gym workouts.
Then one day a good friend, `Pirate’ Alexander, donated the use of his bottom house for a gym.
That facility became the Salem Boxing Gym, which ultimately became one of the top boxing gyms in this country and a household name, along with Dowden’s Gym and many more at the time.
Ford eventually became the welterweight champion of Guyana in 1975-76. He is, to date, the only Guyanese boxer to participate in four major international games, the Commonwealth Games in Edinburg, Scotland in 1970, The Pan Am Games in 1971, the Olympic Games in 1972 and the Central American and Caribbean Games in 1974 medalling at two of the four games, a tremendous achievement given the state of amateur boxing at the time.
Ford won a bronze medal at the Pan Am Games and at the CAC Games but lost to former World Champion Allan Minter of Great Britain at the Olympics.
Most amateur boxers turn professional after participating in the Olympic Games, widely considered to be the pinnacle of the sport.
Ford was no exception.
His professional career, however did not pan out the way that he had expected.
Rather than be given a fight that his management knew that he would win in an effort to ease him into the pro ranks, Ford began with a debut defeat to a boxer by the name of Bobby Watts at the Civic Auditorium, Pensacola, USA.
He went the distance over 10 rounds but did not get the decision probably because Watts had just beaten a boxer by the name of Marvin Hagler.
Ford also lost his second professional bout, a much tougher fight than his debut fight considering the fact that he came up against one of the all-time greats. The fight was against Hagler at the Arena, Boston, USA and Ford, who did not have a manager at the time, was knocked out in three rounds by the `Marvellous One’.
Most fighters would throw in the towel in the fach of such setbacks but Ford had a steely determination to be the best that he could be.
Thus he began his path to redemption with a trainer in tow and won four straight fights.
Among his victims were John LoCicero, Manuel Melon, Morris Watkins and Charles Dione.
His first six bouts were in the USA but his next stop was Denmark.
On September 4th 1978 Ford had the opportunity to win a title for himself and country.
The fight for the Commonwealth middleweight title took place at Randers Hallen and Ford suffered a fifth round TKO to Ugandan Ayub Kalule, his opponent.
He returned to his homeland and, one month later on October 31 1978, he defeated Trinidad’s Eddie Marcelle. He then challenged Kenny Bristol for the middleweight title of Guyana, but lost on points over 15 rounds.
That loss was followed by another defeat this time to Luis Resto and though he won against Don Morgan, he suffered defeats to Mark Harris and, in a return bout, to Marcelle, although that bout did not take place in Guyana but at Sparrow’s Hideway, Trinidad and Tobago.
Following a draw against Brian Mueller in Guyana, Ford racked up wins against Trinidad’s Edmund Carter, Hunter Clay, Dave `Boy’ Green and Kirkland Laing. The latter two fights took place at the Royal Albert Hall, Kensington, England.
In the fight against Dave `Boy’ Green, Ford entered as a substitute and, as a result of the late notice, he was forced to lose six pounds on the day of the fight in order to make the weight which made his win even more remarkable.
“When Green was going forward with both fists flying he looked good. But he was wide open to counter punches and time and again Ford found his way through Green’s defence,” newspaper reports stated of the fight.
A fight against former world champion Mike `The Body Snatcher’ Mc Callum proved his undoing and following that knockout defeat, Ford went on to lose his last seven fights to Juan Domingo Roldan, Mueller, former world champion Mark Medal, Nicky Wilshire, Bertram Buchanan, Troy Worthan and former world champion Matthew Hilton.
Following his retirement from the fistic sport with a record of 10 wins, 15 losses and one draw, Ford was involved in coaching young boxers at Gleason’s Boxing Gym, boxers like Chris Smith and the Lorcy brothers from France who later became world champions. He also trained Shawn George of the USA, a nephew of Blackmore. He was also the trainer of Vivian Harris when he won the 1997 New York Golden Gloves title. Reginald Ford leaves to mourn his 10 children and three sisters. Condolences go out to his extended family from the Guyana Boxing Board of Control, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport. Rest in Peace Champ!
Sports Editor’s Note: Reginal Ford will be buried today at Forest Green Park Cemetry, 535 Texas Road Morganville New Jersey, United States of America.
Viewing will take place at John Funeral Home, Liberty Avenue, Brooklyn New York from 9am-10am followed by service in the Chapel.
A cautious England spared India the ignominy of a follow-on but set them a daunting 420-run victory target in the opening test at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium yesterday.
England, who had posted a mammoth 578 in the first innings, bowled India out for 337 but opted against enforcing the follow-on at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium.
The tourists walked out to bat instead and were bowled out for 178 an hour before stumps, baffling many by their refusal to declare which would have given them more time to bowl out India.
The hosts finished the penultimate day on 39-1, still 381 behind the target, with Shubhman Gill batting on 15 and Cheteshwar Pujara on 12.
“Obviously, we’re ahead in the game,” England bowling coach Jon Lewis told a video conference.
“We played some really good cricket in this game. We’re confident that we can create enough chances to win the game tomorrow.
“I think we’re in a really strong position.”
Earlier yesterday, Washington Sundar led India’s rearguard resistance with an unbeaten 85 before he ran out of partners.
The all-rounder added 80 runs with Ravichandran Ashwin in a spirited seventh-wicket stand to take India, who had resumed on 257-6, past the 300-mark.
Jack Leach had bled 94 runs in 17 wicketless overs on Sunday when Rishabh Pant smacked him for five sixes.
The left-arm spinner finally tasted success when he dismissed Ashwin for 31 and went on to claim the wicket of Shahbaz Nadeem (nought) as well.
James Anderson had also toiled without success on Sunday but claimed the last two Indian wickets, leaving Sundar stranded 15 runs from a maiden test century. When England came out for their second innings, Ashwin dismissed Rory Burns with the very first ball and went on to claim 6-61 as England batted on with a safety-first approach.
Ishant Sharma dismissed Dan Lawrence to claim his 300th test wicket and Joe Root, who had smashed 218 in the first innings of his 100th test, made 40 before Jasprit Bumrah trapped him lbw.
Ashwin then ran through England’s batting order, dismissing Dom Sibley, Ben Stokes and Dom Bess before finally removing Jofra Archer and James Anderson in the same over.
India lost opener Rohit Sharma early, with Leach spinning one past the bat to hit the off-stump.
Ishant said India, having chased down 328 in their previous test against Australia in Brisbane, were optimistic about victory.
“It all depends how we start tomorrow,” the paceman told the broadcasters.
“If we get a good start, I’m sure that we can chase this down, because we have a fearless batting lineup.
“So we’re obviously very positive about this.”
CHATTOGRAM, Bangladesh, CMC – Former West Indies fast bowler, Ian Bishop, has described the Kraigg Brathwaiteled West Indies Test squad as “heroes” for their decision to tour Bangladesh, especially after several first choice players backed out due to COVID-19 fears.
Speaking during commentary in the first session on the final day of the opening Test here, the well respected international television cricket analyst said regardless of the outcome of the series, the highest credit needed to be afforded the players for their courage. Brathwaite is leading an under-strength side in the two-Test series here following the decision by several first players to decline selection over concerns about the local COVID-19 situation.
“I am saying this without any fear, whatever happens to these young guys on this tour – however they lose – I won’t criticise them at all. There’s no criticism for them from me,” the 53-yearold Bishop said before West Indies went on to pull off the fifth highest successful run chase in
Test history by overhauling 395 to win by three wickets on Sunday.
“The one session [on the third day] with the last three wickets [of the first innings] the other day, I’ll criticise that. When (Kemar) Roach, and (Rahkeem) Cornwall and (Jomel) Warrican threw their wickets away, I thought that was bad. I expect more of those guys.
“But apart from that, all this is for me is learnings for these young men, who have chosen to come here.
“They’ve taken a game into the fifth day here. The last time West Indies were here, the games lasted three days. These guys have taken it into the fifth day.
“It is small consolation [but] to me, these guys are heroes. They’ve chosen in a pandemic to come down here and should be applauded, whatever the shortcomings.”
Ten players, headed by Test captain Jason Holder and white ball skipper Kieron Pollard, opted out of the tour due to what Cricket West Indies labelled “COVID-19 concerns and personal
fears”.
Selectors were then forced to call up a plethora of debutants across both the one-day and Test squad, leaving the travelling contingent short of experience.
Four uncapped players were named in the 15-man Test squad and left-hander Kyle Mayers, one of three debutants in the first Test, struck 40 in the first innings before returning to stroke an astonishing unbeaten 210 to spearhead West Indies’ run chase.
He shared an historic 216-run, fourth wicket stand with another debutant, Nkrumah Bonner, who made 86, to play the platform for the victory. Speaking afterwards to CWI Media, Bishop said the victory, coming in a period of disenchantment in the Caribbean due to the coronavirus, underscored the magnitude of what had been achieved by the inexperienced side.
“What the West Indies team has achieved is significant for the team, a team that was missing a number of what we call the senior or first choice players,” Bishop pointed out.
“But they showed character, they showed a level of fight that West Indian people have been asking and requiring for a long time.
“And to be able to tell the story of a bunch of young men who have achieved what was thought to be impossible, the entire region should be so proud – a region like so many parts of the globe that has been decimated by the pandemic, job losses, loss of life, loss of businesses.”
Bishop, who played 43 Tests and 84 One-Day Internationals between 1988 and 1998, said the squad’s commitment and performance had been the perfect example of character.
And the Trinidadian said their example served as inspiration for Caribbean people everywhere that “all things were possible”.
“I pray these young men under the leadership of Kraigg Brathwaite and coach (Phil) Simmonds and his management team, lift the spirits of the Caribbean people and Caribbean people across the globe – the diaspora – to understand that all things are possible,” Bishop stressed.
“These young men deserve all the plaudits. They braved the pandemic when others feared to tread. I cannot speak highly enough of the character shown.
“The entire unit has given a feeling which I think is shared the world over by neutrals, not only West Indians. Let us lift them up and give them the due praise that they deserve.”
ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Shimron Hetmyer starred with a high quality half-century but it was Guyana Jaguars’ spinners who strangled Barbados Pride before rain ended their misery, and sent them to a 56-run defeat under Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method here last night.
Initially chasing a modest 236 in the second match of the newly minted Regional Super50 Cup at Coolidge Cricket Ground, Pride’s target was revised to 232 off 47 overs following the second of two rain breaks.
However, they had reached 91 for five in the 30th – already facing a required run rate of over eight runs per over – when rain returned to ruin any further prospects of play.
Off-spinner Kevin Sinclair picked up from where he left off in the last Super50 two years ago, snatching two for 17 from 7.3 stingy overs while Chandrapaul Hemraj provided the early momentum for Jaguars by conceding just 27 runs from 10 overs of left-arm spin after being thrown the new ball.
Opener Zachary McCaskie laboured 60 balls over 25 and Test batsman Shamarh Brooks got a start with 21 but Pride lost four wickets for 23 runs in the space of 30 deliveries, to lose their way and fall behind on the scoring rate under DLS.
“We were a little slow out of the blocks. Obviously the Guyanese bowlers bowled really well up front,” Pride captain Jason Holder said afterwards.
“I still think we could have manoeuvred the strike a lot better than we did and that kind of hampered us in the way we started.
“We kept wickets intact, yes, but then we lost two wickets after the rain break which really pushed us back a little bit further and I got out shortly after that as well.
“There was never much momentum going through the middle overs and it’s just unfortunate how the game ended.”
Opting to bat first, Jaguars were propelled by the irrepressible Hetmyer whose top score of 80 came from just 52 balls while all-rounder Romario Shepherd, punching at eight, belted a cavalier unbeaten 58 also from 52 deliveries. Hemraj chipped in with 35 from 26 balls but there was only single digits for the remaining top six as off-spinner Ashley Nurse (3-44) and Holder (3-53) grabbed three wickets apiece to restrict Jaguars to 235 all out in the 42nd over.
“[A total of] 235 is not what we were looking for – it’s just below par here, 260 being par batting first,” said captain Leon Johnson.
“But I thought the bowlers did well. We knew that 190 was the score that teams batting second usually get, so obviously we backed ourselves and we executed well.”
He added: “Nine overs [were] left [in the innings]; that’s 54 balls – a lot was left out there. A lot of the batters didn’t apply themselves.”
Hemraj played freely at the top, hitting five fours and a six as he added 48 for the first wicket with fellow left-hander Assad Fudadin (5).
Once Fudadin picked out long off with Nurse in the ninth over, Nurse and Holder combined to run through the top order and Jaguars lost five wickets for 40 runs off 45 deliveries.
Hetmyer put on an exhibition of strokeplay, striking eight fours and four sixes as he galloped to his eighth List A fifty, while adding 55 for the sixth wicket with Anthony Bramble (14).
When Hetmyer was seventh out in the 28th over, skying to Nurse at mid-off off Holder, Shepherd arrived to thump halfdozen fours and two sixes to gather precious runs towards the end.
A straightforward target then became complicated once openers McCaskie and Justin Greaves (6) struggled up front against Hemraj and Shepherd, and when Greaves holed out to mid-wicket off Sinclair in the 10th over, Pride were going nowhere at 21 for one.
McCaskie and Brooks tried to repair the innings in a second wicket stand of 35 but with the partnership requiring 60 balls, pressure built and was only released when Brooks had his off-stump pegged back by seamer Nial Smith in the 20th over.
Shepherd then hit McCaskie in front in the next over, Sinclair shattered Roston Chase’s stumps for nine in the 24th over with one that turned before left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie got the prized wicket of Holder caught and bowled eight balls later in his first over, the all-rounder tapping a short ball of little merit back down the pitch.