Trevor Thonson starts year with KO win

Former Jamaica amateur lightweight boxing champion Trevor Thonson, who is now doing well as a professional, has started the year with a bang, as he knocked out Mexican Kevin Beltran Aguirre, in the fifth round of a fight scheduled for eight rounds at the Muhammad Ali Museum in Louisville, Kentucky, last Saturday night.

This victory takes his record to 10-0 with nine knockouts.

Trevor and his twin-brother Chann, who are aspiring world champions, were born in Canada of Jamaican parentage, and have strong local roots. They always box in Jamaican colours and acknowledge their Jamaican ties. Trevor told The Gleaner after the fight that he was happy to start the year on a positive note as his goal this year is to get into the World Boxing Association top 10, which is the stepping stone to a world title fight.

His opponent on Saturday had a 5-1 record going into the fight, along with a reputation for being tough and a very good infighter. There was no doubt that he came to fight, as he matched Thonson punch for punch when the fight started, and made him work hard for points. Thonson said that he realised early that his opponent would be very competitive and decided that he would build his attacks behind the jab.

As the fight progressed, he served up a mixed bag of jabs and hooks to the body and head with both hands, and gradually gained the ascendancy. His punches, particularly those to the body were decisive, but Aguirre did not back off, and it turned into an exciting encounter at close range, up to round four. Thonson stepped up the pace in the fifth round, using double hooks and double jabs to the head and body, and after two minutes of furious action, Aguirre was put down by a hook to the body.

He took the mandatory eight-count and then came back for more combat, but Thonson cooled him off quickly with a flurry of hooks to the head and body with both hands. A solid overhand right to the head landed cleanly, and Aguirre went down in a heap. The referee stepped in quickly and waved the fight off at two minutes 33 seconds of the round.

Speaking from his Las Vegas base yesterday, Thonson told The Gleaner that he was very happy with the victory and will be going back into training after a few days rest, as he wants to keep in top shape, so as to be able to fight again within the next 60 days.

“This is an important year for me and I want to keep busy,” he ended.