The night St Louis kayoed Stevenson
By Eion Jardine
The scene of kid gloves, brawny bodies and screaming fans was like so many others except for what happened in round eight of the fight which lasted 20 seconds.
It all started at the British Guiana Cricket Club (BGCC) ground in the twilight dimness of May 29, 1953 when Ivelaw Stevenson of British Guiana matched gloves with Boswell St Louis, a seasoned campaigner from the little island of Trinidad and Tobago.
With some 1,500 yelling spectators rooting for their man to go in and win, with dramatic suddenness a right cross which travelled hardly more than eight inches exploded on the lower jaw of Stevenson, and ended the scheduled 10 rounder.
It was the national lightweight champion’s first defeat.
Following is a round by round report of the fight as reported afterwards by the local daily.
Round One
As the bout opened both men were watchful and danced around feeling each other out. St Louis with both hands well up, was just outside a left lead while Stevenson was very fast with three lefts to the midsection which St Louis took on his elbows.
Another left lead to the face was followed by four lefts and rights to the chest as the Trinidadian moved in slowly in a slight crouch.
Very watchful and very impassive, Stevenson connected a light left to the nose.
St Louis traded a short right to the body at the bell.
Shortly before referee Wheating had to warn St Louis about his punches curling around Stevenson’s back.
Stevenson’s round.
Round Two
St Louis scored with a left cross to the head then they exchanged a very brief flurry of lefts and rights to the face and chest.
St Louis sent some short jabs to body and over in Stevenson’s corner, they exchanged lefts to the side of the head.
St Louis walked into a light left hook followed by a right cross which was short and, at the bell, Stevenson was warned for rabbit punching which brought a loud protest by the crowd.
Stevenson’s round
Round Three
The Trinidadian was wild with two left hooks and he crowded Stevenson into a neutral corner from which the BG boy received a short left to the face and another left to the midsection.
In the corner, there was a spirited exchange of lefts and rights. In close, they electrified the crowd by a brief toe-to-toe session before tying each other up.
St Louis, boring in head low, got in a good left and right with Stevenson, with back to the ropes, receiving a series of short blows on his forearms.
St Louis’s round
Round Four
At the start of this round, St Louis boxed Stevenson into a neutral corner where an exchange of hard lefts to the chest took place.
Stevenson, indulged in lunges with his left to the face to which St Louis essayed hard rights to the body in reply.
In St Louis’s corner, there were some rough work with both men getting in some solid rights to the face just before the bell.
Round even
Round Five
St Louis opened up with a brisk attack to the chest and body as Stevenson danced away keeping out of danger.
In St Louis’ s corner, he came in with some long rights which Stevenson rode but in a neutral corner, he nailed the local boy with two hard rights and a one two to the chest from which Stevenson slipped away jabbing with a long right.
St Louis followed him up with a short, two fisted body attack at the bell.
St Louis’s round.
Round six
St Louis came out attacking getting in a right to Stevenson’s face as the latter danced around the neutral corner.
He kept tossing long rights overhead and short lefts at the local boy when suddenly Stevenson swayed his body away in reverse.
The crowd was brought up standing when Stevenson carried a two-fisted attack to the Trinidadian and he was later covering up and trying to hold on.
With the local fans delightfully yelling their man on, Stevenson scored with a right to the head and a left to body at the bell.
Stevenson’s round
Round Seven
The local boy was on his feet and had to be restrained by the referee as the bell went landing a right and left to the face at once.
St Louis fought back and it was toe-to-toe in the centre of the ring. Blood began to run from a cut on St Louis’s left eye and the referee stepping between the men at some infringement.
At the bell it was a left cross to the face and a right in the direction of that damaged left eye.
Stevenson’s round.
Round Eight
Stevenson eager to get at his man had St Louis backing away from the start of the round but St Louis was still watchful even moving in as Stevenson danced around in the centre. The local boy landed a right overhand to the face and was short with a left and got in another right to the face with a short left to the chest.
Moving around to the left to get in another right, Stevenson exposed himself to one of St Louis’ s short, piston like rights, which got him on the jaw and down he went. At the count of five he rolled over onto his back and tried to get up, shaking the cobwebs loose from his brain.
But he could not make it and it was all over.
St Louis had won dramatically by kayo after 20 seconds.
Stevenson went on to defeat St Louis twice afterwards in the same year.
Next week: Calvin Garraway and Wilfriedo Miro
