The sport of boxing undoubtedly stole the show when the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs staged its fifth annual Women in Sport Festival on Saturday at the Eastern Regional Complex at Tacarigua.The biggest crowd for any event staged on Saturday was reserved for an exhibition bout which involved current world flyweight champion Ria Ramnarine and Soca diva Fay Ann Lyons.
But while Ramnarine is a seasoned boxer whose career is well-chronicled, the performance of Lyons, daughter of Soca superstar Austin "Super Blue" Lyons and wife of Ian "Bunji Garlin" Alvarez was an eye-opener as she wowed the crowd with her fancy footwork, speedy left and right combinations and her deft bobbing and weaving which suggested that she could have a promising career in the ring.
Predictably, the bout ended in a draw.In the main fight between Lorissa Rivas of Trinidad and Tobago and Pauline London of Guyana for the World Boxing Council Cabofe light heavyweight crown, Rivas proved too good.Rivas, who lives in Las Vegas, Nevada has the good looks and allure of a top flight model which masks her perfect physical conditioning.
She took less than three minutes to put an end to the challenge of London who was visibly hurt by an overhead right that forced referee Tommy Thomas to stop the fight. Rivas is being groomed by international match-maker Boxu Potts for a world title fight later this year and could face Russia's unbeaten world champion Natascha Ragozina who is also a model and an actress.