The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

ALTHOUGH he has left for the US to continue his professional boxing career, Meacher ‘Pain’ Major said he doesn’t want to forget his roots.

Major, who got started boxing as an amateur at the age of 12 in 1993, will be coming home to honour his long-time mentor and coach Ray Minus Jr.

Major is planning to host an event at Minus Jr’s Wulff Road Boxing Square, starting at 7pm Friday, February 8. “I always appreciated what Ray Minus Jr has been doing for the sport of boxing,” Major said. “For years, he’s the only one who has been putting on the amateur boxing shows and keeping boxing going in the Bahamas. But yet still he hasn’t received any kind of recognition.

“I called a few of the guys, whom I call the first generation of boxers that he developed, and I asked them to come out and assist me because we can’t wait for the government to do anything for him. We just want to put something together to honour him while he is still alive.”

Major, who is in the US preparing for his first pro fight for the year, said when he was home for the Christmas holiday, he noticed how Minus Jr continued his amateur boxing shows.

“So I really want to show him my appreciation for what he has done for boxing, what he is doing and what he hopes to continue to do for the sport,” Major said. “He has really helped to get a lot of our young people off the street. I know he really inspired me to get into boxing.

“But I really don’t know if I will ever have the passion and the commitment that he has had. Even when he was going through his personal problems, he never neglected the sport of boxing. He just kept pushing every day. So I just want to show my appreciation and do something for him before he dies.”

Major said he’s encouraging all of the former amateur and pro fighters who came up through the ranks of Minus Jr to prepare themselves to give a short speech as they show their gratitude to Minus Jr during the night. He is also encouraging any sponsor or persons in the community who want to make a contribution to prepare themselves as well.

“We want to have an awards ceremony so that we can show our appreciation to Ray for what he has done,” Major said. “I just felt that he is being left out, so I came up with the idea and I called a lot of the fighters like Jerry ‘Big Daddy’ Butler, Elkin Butler, Elkano Saunders and a lot of the other guys who came up through the ranks.

“We just have to try and do something to show our appreciation to him. He’s the only person who is really doing anything for boxing. I don’t see anybody who has the passion and commitment to the sport of boxing, whether as an amateur or pro, like Ray Minus Jr does. So I just want us to come out and show him our appreciation.”

Major said he’s expected home on Fabruary 5 and he will be contacting as many persons as he can at that time to come out and lend their support to the event.