Leblond takes first Contender semi-final spot

"I am now aiming for a spot in the final," said a happy and exuberant David Leblond, who represents Team Canada, after he had beaten Team Jamaica's Donovan 'Police' Campbell in the first quarter-final bout of the 2018 Wray & Nephew Contender series, at the Chinese Benevolent Association auditorium on Wednesday night.

Campbell's corner called off the fight after the second round as their boxer, who took the bout as a last-minute substitute, was receiving a pounding from Leblond.

The Canadian should have gone up against Jamaica's No. 1 seeded boxer, Michael "Wasp" Gardener, but Gardener failed to make the weight for the fight, which is 147 pounds, and Leblond refused to fight him if he did not do so. On Monday last, at a special weigh-in ordered by the Jamaica Boxing Board, Gardener weighed 155 pounds and was advised that he had to take off the excess by 4 p.m. on Tuesday.

NO WEIGHT LOST

At the official weigh-in at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, he came in at 151, and was given two hours to make the weight. When he returned to the venue and weighed in again at 4 p.m., he was still at 151. He said then that he had run in the sun for about an hour and thought that he had lost some weight and was surprised that this was not so. He conceded then that he had done his best, and there was just nothing more that he could do.

A substitute had to be found, and Campbell, the Contender champion in 2012, was drafted and made a gallant effort for two rounds. Leblond lived up to his "fast and furious" nickname, and for six minutes, he attacked relentlessly and slipped easily under the jabs thrown by his opponent. At the end of the second round, Campbell's trainer, Earl Foskin, decided that his boxer could not continue.

Campbell told The Gleaner afterwards: "I just could not find my rhythm. I am sorry that I did not have a few days to prepare. If I did, my performance would have been much better."

Next week, the quarter-finals continue with Jamaica's Devon Moncriffe, who won the title in 2013, going up against Canada's No. 2-ranked Waseem El Sinawi. There should be no weight problems, because in the preliminary round, Moncriffe weighed in at 145 and El Sinawi at 1461/2 pounds, at their first try.

The winner of the competition takes home $2 million, the runner-up $500,000, third place $250,000, and fourth place $200,000.

In the amateur bouts, which were in the welterweight division, Kimani Dennis defeated Raheem Pitter and Marvin Shirley defeated Cleveland Stephenson.