The just-concluded Wray & Nephew Rum Punch Boxing Series has been hailed a success and has provided a platform to highlight Jamaica’s developing boxing talent.

The inaugural series concluded last Friday with a nine-fight card at Skateland in Half-Way-Tree that exposed a new wave of boxers looking to make a name for themselves internationally.

Among those in the audience to witness the emergence of new talent was 2015 Wray & Nephew Contender champion Kemahl Russell, who believes the Wray & Nephew Rum Punch Series is a step in the right direction for boxing in the country.

“This is the best thing for Jamaica’s boxing right now, especially for the amateurs. They can get more exposure, more fights. That’s all that matters, getting more fights so you can get more experience so that you can go abroad and perform and be better fighters,” Russell said.

Russell, who won the Junior North American Boxing Federation title in March 2018, identified a young talent whom he believes is going places — Daniel Hylton.

Fighting for the Stanley Couch Gym, Hylton, a light welterweight, defeated the Jamaica Defence Force’s (JDF) Marvin Shea by split decision, was named Surrey winner, and awarded the Top Boxer Trophy.

“He has been boxing since he was 10 years old and he has sparred with everyone including me. He is one of the next upcoming professionals who is going to make it big for Jamaica. There are a handful of boxers here now that are of Olympic quality, and he is one of them that can go pro right now,” Russell said.

Other winners for the closing Rum Punch night included lightweight Juezier Heron of the Stanley Couch Gym who won by unanimous decision over Antonio Webster of the Savanna-la-Mar Gym. In the welterweight class, Roshane Bailey of the Seaview Gardens Gym defeated Jermaine Brown of St Thomas Gym by unanimous decision.

Among the middleweights, Todd Milford of the JDF Gym got the win over Ricardo Givans of Sugar Olympic, who retired. He praised Wray & Nephew for providing the opportunity for boxers like him.

“They are doing a lot and I appreciate everything they have been doing for the past few years. Every boxing series I have been there. I love it,” said the 27-year-old Milford, who was fighting for the first time in a tournament of this nature.

Tomere Pearson of the G C Foster Gym was declared the winner over Kirk Clarke of St Thomas Gym, who also retired. Akeem Francis of FF Peace Gym was also a winner over John Lewis of the Sugar Olympic Gym.

Welterweight Damion Williams of the JDF won by unanimous decision over Akeem Allen of G C Foster Gym, while Renaldo Beckford of St Mary Gym defeated Omar Headman of Sugar Olympic by majority decision.

In the lone professional fight, Jamaica’s Richard Holmes won by technical knockout over Winston Pompey of Guyana.

At the end of a very successful event, promoter Andrew Boland said Wray & Nephew has demonstrated what is possible when sports get the necessary financial support.

“Wray & Nephew has put up and shut up a lot of people. At the end of the day this is for the upcoming local talent of Jamaica, and Wray & Nephew stepped up and did it,” he said.