Impressions: Boxing Takes Over Kingston

Words by Jesse Serwer, Photos by Martei Korley

Back in January, we told you about The Wray & Nephew Contender, an adaption of the boxing reality TV franchise The Contender aiming to “herald a new age of boxing in Jamaica,” a place that once was quite rich soil for pugilism. Well, the show, which airs in primetime on Jamaica’s TVJ, hasn’t just been successful, it’s been one of the most talked about sporting events on the island the last few months. After four months of build-up, the series comes to a climax tonight with a title match between underdog Devon Moncrieffe and Rikardo Smith. We even have it on good word that none other than Vybz Kartel will give a performance as part of the event! A few weeks ago, on April 6, LargeUp’s own Martei Korley was present at Kingston’s Chinese Benevolent Association Auditorium to capture Moncrieffe’s knockout of the tournament’s No. 1 seed, Tsetsi Davis. Check out the full tale of the tape after the jump…