The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WHEN the Champion Boxing Club’s 21st edition of the Ray Minus Sr End of the Year Amateur Boxing Tournament is held on Saturday, Lennox Boyce will be in the spotlight as he takes on Trae Davis from Grand Bahama in the welterweight main event bout.

The show, dubbed “The Final Round - 2015 - Fight to the Finish,” is scheduled to begin at 7:30pm in the Nassau Stadium, Fowler Street. Admission is $7 for adults and $5 for children. The show will showcase boxers from Champion Amateur Boxing Club, Freeport Boxing Team, Abaco Boxing Team, Major Pain Boxing Club, Strikers Boxing Club and the Lion Heart Boxing Club.  

Awards will be presented to the most improved boxer, most outstanding boxer, best fight of the tournament, boxer of the year and the Ray Minus Sr Trophy winner.

Minus Jr said he has not seen a boxer more dedicated and disciplined since the days of former amateur boxers like Meacher Major, Valentino Knowles, Tureano Johnson and Jermaine Mackey.

“I could say he is prehaps the number one boxer with the dedication that I have ever trained,” said Minus Jr of Boyce, the welterweight champion. “ Minus Jr said. “Those boxers were dedicated and they had great determination, but someone is just overdoing them right now. He has a lot of talent and is well dedicated. He comes to the gym and trains for about three hours every day except Saturday and Sunday. His development so far, based on the sparring that I’ve seen him do against guys like Carl Hield, Meacher Major, Anthony Woods, the way he responds to the training is very impressive. That right there tells me that he’s definitely on track to being anything that he wants to be. I feel that as long as he remains focused and he has the desire to achieve, all things are possible. I believe with the mindset that he presently has, 2020 he will represent the Bahamas at the Olympics and will come home with a gold medal.”

Boyce, who celebrated his 15th birthday on April 23, said after watching the movie ‘Undisputed’ with Wesley Snipes, he got an interest in boxing as he wanted to learn the rules. He went online to learn the basics and started to perfect his punches at home before his father introduced him to Minus Jr.

The rest, as they say, was history.

“When I went to the gym, Mr Minus just sharpened me up and I got serious into it. I always put God first, but I started excelling,” said Boyce, who has compiled a 8-2 win-loss record. “I’m determined to be the greatest boxer that has ever lived and I know there were some great ones ahead of me, but I’m determined to be better than all of them. There’s a saying that you only get out of it what you put into it, so I’m putting everything into it and so I train hard and pray harder.”

The 11th grader at Anatol Rodgers said he’s not concerned about 16-year-old Davis, whom he expects to be his next victim on Saturday night. “Basically, I just train to take on whoever steps in the ring,” he said. “I have confidence in my skills that at the end of the night, I will be victorious, so I’m not concerned about who my opponent is.”