Moncriffe seeks semi-final spot

Devon 'Concrete' Moncriffe, the man who is seeking to create history by winning the Wray and Nephew Contender middleweight title twice, will try for a semi-final spot tonight when he takes on another Jamaican, Jermaine Bowen, over six rounds, at the Chinese Benevolent Association auditorium on Old Hope Road in St. Andrew. The main bout is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. and will be broadcast live on TVJ. There will also be two amateur bouts, starting at 8.30pm.

There was uncertainty up to yesterday as to who would be Moncriffe's opponent, as plans had been put in place for a replacement, after Bowen suffered a cut over his left eye in training on May 15. The promoters postponed the fight which had been scheduled for May 20, so as to buy some time, and had actually brought in a former contestant, Edmond DeClou, as a possible replacement if Bowen could not make it. Medical advice, however, was that Bowen could fight, and the promoters reinstated him.

Moncriffe, who is 38 years old, won the 2013 version of the Wray and Nephew Contender title and is the No. 1 seeded contestant this year. His first fight in this year's competition against US-based boxer Kevin Placide, who has Caribbean ties, ended in a draw, but in keeping with the rules for the 'Contender' series that requires a winner to move on to the next round, Moncriffe received the nod of the judges 2-1.

Bowen scored an impressive knockout victory over Duke Brooks in the first round of the competition.