'Concrete' Moncrieffe loses by TKO in Florida

Devon 'Concrete' Moncrieffe, the Wray & Nephew Middleweight 2013 Contender champion, lost to American boxer Wilky Campfort by a sixth-round technical knockout (TKO) in Florida last Thursday night.

The fight, which was scheduled for eight rounds, at an agreed weight limit of 155 pounds, which made it a junior middleweight contest, was one of eleven on a card promoted by Warrior Boxing, at the Hialeah Park Casino in Florida.

It was called off after the fifth round by Kevin Duffus, who trains Moncrieffe, and was his chief second. Duffus told The Sunday Gleaner that he called off the fight at that stage, "for good reasons".

lacklustre event

A Sunday Gleaner source who was there said that it was a lacklustre event, and that Moncrieffe was not his usual aggressive self. Known for his punching power, and going into the fight with a 10-3 record with four knockouts, he was expected to be a threat to Campfort, whose record was 19-1 and included 10 knockouts.

Campfort is a good boxer and Moncrieffe, who is usually an aggressive fighter, was seen as a serious threat, because of his superior punching power. Instead, the source stated that Moncrieffe showed no aggression and indulged in a lot of holding, which drew several cautions from referee James Warren. There were no point deductions, however. The view was offered that because Moncrieffe, who normally fights at 160 pounds, had to lose about seven pounds in the week before the fight, this could have contributed to his poor performance.

The TKO loss also poses a local problem for Moncrieffe. He is one of the Green team contestants in the 2015 Contender series, but under the medical safety rules for the sport, he is automatically suspended from entering the ring, even for sparring, for 30 days. He has to be medically examined, and depending on the outcome, he could be allowed to do light training after a few days. He must not, however, do any boxing for 30 days.

The preliminary round of the Contender series ends on May 7, and he could possibly make it for the final night. That, however, will depend on the recommendation of the doctor as to whether he is in good enough physical condition to fight.