RingSide Report

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Ringside Report Looks Back at the Late Former World Title Challenger Patrick Ford (1955-2011)

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By Donald “Braveheart” Stewart

Right now in the UK, we are debating our own legacy. It feels quite strange in many ways having been born of a time where there was little debate about how Great, Britain was that we now are realizing for how little Britain should take credit.

Now, thanks to scandals that include how we have handled affairs like the Windrush Generation or how we took in Asians dumped out of Uganda by Idi Amin and used them in the 1970’s, or now, how we are trying to stop immigrants from fleeing tyranny in the Middle East after encouraging the kinder transporten fleeing Germany a century before, it is a confusing time…

If you don’t get it, that is.

So, when looking for information about a Guyanese boxer who was at the head of Guyanese boxing it was not with a heavy heart but a thirst for knowledge that I was primed. His connection with the UK coming because Guyana was once British Guinea, from 1796 to 1966 and ruled by us from a distance. You see, I get it.

Patrick Ford, 19-4, 12 KO’s fought professionally between 1976 and 1987 and whilst his legacy might include the loss of one Cecil Fernandez who lost his life after facing Ford in the ring in 1979 it also included far more memorable fights like winning the Commonwealth and WBC FECARBOX titles and fighting for a WBC title in 1980 against Salvador Sanchez in San Antonio, Texas, and then in 1981 trying to gain the WBA featherweight title against the legendary Eusebio Pedroza.

Ford made his professional debut on the 23rd April 1976 in his home country, in its capital Georgetown against Roy Smith, winning a 4 rounder on points. It began a long winning streak which saw him box at home whilst his reputation grew away.

His first title – the WBC FECARBOX featherweight belt – came on the 20th May 1980 with a 12 round points win against Enrique Solis. 5 months after came the tragedy of Fernandez who died from injuries sustained in the ring.

The Commonwealth title came his way on the 1st of August 1980 when he beat Eddie Ndukwu and almost a year later with a stoppage win in Ndukwu’s home country of Nigeria. Winning by way of 8th round stoppage cemented that reputation though he had already got a defense of his FECARBOX title against Nelson Cruz Tamariz out of the way in May of 1980.

The first title fight for a world crown came just over a month after winning the Commonwealth title. He went from the heat of Lagos, to the heat of San Antonio as he lost by majority decision against Salvador Sanchez of Mexico – one judge had it a 145-145 draw!
Five months later and it was the legendary Eusebio Pedroza in Panama City. Whilst in his first world title attempt the judges were needed, there was no requirement for them this time as Ford got knocked out in the 13th round and was unable to take away the WBA featherweight belt.
14 months later Ford returned, fought and lost twice – the first close, the second a 3rd round stoppage where he broke his hand. He announced his retirement.

But he wasn’t done. He fought another three times between 1985 and 1987 measuring out one fight per year; he won each of them and each of them were in Guyana.

Interestingly though Ford was part of the former British colonies, he did not find himself ever pulled towards the UK, not even in his retirement. Instead he lived in New York City training amateur and professional boxers at Gleason’s Gym in Brooklyn, New York. On the 13th November 2011 Patrick Ford, at the age of 55, had a heart attack from which he never recovered. He was the very first Guyanese boxer to fight for a world title – managing two – and he gave back to a sport that saw him light it up. We never got him over in the UK and we are a little poorer for that, though it is nice to see that some gems of our colonies were never plundered like other were.

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