Look to the Olympics for boxing’s revival – Sharpe
G.C. FOSTER boxing coach, Wayne Sharpe, is one of the country’s biggest but unacknowledged contributors to local boxing, according to two of the nation’s most accomplished fighters in recent times, Sakima Mullings and Ricardo ‘Big12’ Brown.
Sharpe, who has coached Mullings to a Contender series title, Tsetsi Davis to three finals, as well as top contender Kemahl Russel, said the sport is in decline and that if things continue down the same path, it will soon be dead.
The man who guided Brown to a Pan Am bronze medal, which eventually led to his Olympic qualification, said his passion is for developing amateur talent for the Olympics, and sees this as an area that can spark reinvigoration.
In order to rekindle the nation’s passion for the sport, Sharpe insists Jamaica needs continuous representation at the Olympics to inspire young people to get involved in the sport again.
“My passion in boxing is to create Olympians. But boxing is backward in this country. We haven’t had an Olympic champion yet. Jamaica needs more Olympians for more kids to gravitate towards the sport,” he said.
He is distressed by the lack of promotions taking place locally, arguing that the sport would be more relevant if national gyms staged shows more regularly.
He also thinks more shows locally would keep boxers and fans engaged and also motivate youngsters to join gyms.
“If we have more boxing shows, we will have more fighters. We need more shows like Contender. There are four national gyms now, before there was only one. Now you want each gym to be putting on shows,” he said.
He noted that since former promoter Chris Brown passed in 2019, no one has filled the void he left.
NO IN-HOUSE PROMOTERS
“No one is doing what he has done because there are no in-house promoters. He was doing four to six shows a year. Now there’s nobody in Jamaica promoting Jamaican boxing.
“There is a guy (Vernon Lynch of Boxing Showdown Promotions) looking to get pro fighters here to grow. Hopefully, they can put on three to four shows and get boxing going in Jamaica, but unless they can, boxing is dead,” he stated.
He lamented the lack of a boxing programme in the schools but believes programmes like the Gloves over Guns series is one of the few positives keeping the sport alive at the amateur level.
“Those things will help boxing change. They are having it in Kingston and here (G.C. Foster) too. If they come here and the kids come here too, all the better. As long as that is going on, we will have more boxing and that is the mission,” he continued.
Sharpe has two very promising prospects in his camp and is waiting for them to claim national honours before making the next step.
“I want them to go to the nationals to prove they are the best in Jamaica and then go on and represent their country. But once they get that opportunity, they will be gone,” he said.