The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

IN preparation for the Central American and Caribbean Games this month in Veracruz, Mexico, Rashield Williams has decided to go to Washington DC to train with assistant team coach Floyd ‘Pretty Boy’ Seymour instead of joining his teammates in Havana, Cuba.

Williams, 25, has been selected along with welterweight Carl Hield and middleweight Godfrey Strachan to represent the Bahamas at the games, scheduled for November 14-30.

The team will be coached by Andre Seymour, assisted by Floyd Seymour. It’s almost the same team that competed in August at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.

Missing from the team this time around is super heavyweight Kieshno Major.

For the past month, Williams has been working out under the supervision of Floyd Seymour, who has been impressed with his work ethic.

“Training has been going great. He’s been in the ring with about 20 guys from about 5-6 different gyms,” Seymour said. “He’s been in the ring with a world champion, Lamont Peterson, the IBF light welterweight champion, who has given him a lot of advice. So it’s been great.

“The first week was a challenge because these guys over here, once you are a fresh guy from any country, when you come over here, the guys are eager to take you on in the ring. So he had to do what he had to do to survive and get better. He’s been working on his style and his stamina.”

After watching Williams lose his only match to New Zealand’s Leroy Hindley in the light welterweight division in Glasgow, Seymour said they were concentrating on improving on his deficiencies and he has been more than pleased with his progress.

“Ras (as he affectionately calls him) has been going eight rounds in the ring easy and asking for more,” Seymour said. “So I’m excited to be working with him.”

Seymour, who has been in the US running a boxing gym and physical fitness programme, said he’s been training with his cousin Andre Seymour as his assistant for a number of international meets. He said at the games, he has been trying to work on the boxers’ style, but it’s not enough time to make any drastic changes.

“So we decided to do something a little different with Ras. Instead of sending him to Cuba, we decided to let him come up here with me,” Floyd Seymour said. “We also have a guy from Barbados, Cobia Breedy, up here. I run a camp up here just about every other month, so we just talked about it and Ras agreed to come.

“He came here last month and he’s fitted right in and was able to get a lot done. I think the Bahamas will be pleased with what he will do at CAC. For the past month, this boy has been grinding it out and working his butt off, running miles and miles and staying in the gym late at night.”

Before he leaves on November 19 for the games, Floyd Seymour said he intends to continue to sharpen up on Williams’ skills so that he can be ready.

“By him being up here, he was able to spar with 20-something guys. That’s like when he goes into the ring, he always has to fight a different opponent,” Seymour said. “Every opponent comes with a different experience, so he has to adapt to their ability. Unlike Cuba where they only spar every other week, over here we’re sparring 3-4 days two times a week with three or four different partners.

“By him sparring with the different opponents, it’s great for him because he’s getting a lot of experience and exposure. He’s had to be able to adapt to what’s going on in the ring and I’m confident that he’s done all of the necessary work to get him ready for the games.”

As for the games, Floyd Seymour said he has high expectations for Williams.

“Ras is up here for a month, training with guys like Cobia Breedy, who just turned professional and won his first match in four rounds,” Seymour said. “Ras is in the ring with Breedy and the rest of the different fighters like Lamont Peterson. What it does is by being around these calibre of fighters, it makes you want to raise your level.

“So as far as Ras is concerned, I watched this kid grow up in a month. The Olympics is in 2016 (in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). But right now, the focus is on him to go to Mexico and win a medal. The Olympics is around the corner. We have a bigger goal, but these games is going to be a stepping stone to get him ready.”

Seymour said he’s trying to instil in boxers like Williams to put in the work and he has been pleased with the effort that he has witnessed since they started working out together. Hopefully Seymour said, it will result in an outstanding performance from Williams in Mexico.