Ninvalle commits to supporting former Guyanese boxing champ

President of the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA), Steve Ninvalle, on Monday met with former Guyanese Welterweight champion, Terrence Halley, popularly known as ‘Terrence Alli’, and made a presentation of hampers, cellphone and cash to the former national athlete.

Ninvalle stated that the GBA took a decision to help the former prized fighter following reports of his needs. According to Ninvalle, the GBA is currently working on improving other areas of Halley’s life and will make a formal announcement when that materialises.

Halley never won a world title, but for many, more so the ‘old school’ boxing fans, his name will forever be etched in their memories as the fighter who carried the ‘Golden Arrowhead’ around the world, one ‘back flip’ after another.

Alli started his professional career in 1979, and at the end in 1997, he finished with 52 wins (the most by any Guyanese fighter), 15 losses and two draws, but will be forever remembered as one of the best fighters Guyana has ever produced – to never win a world title.

His first shot at a world title was in 1985 against Harry Arroyo for the IBF World Lightweight Title, but he was knocked out by the American.

Mexican great Jose Luis Ramirez and Alli fought in 1987 for the vacant WBC World Lightweight Title, his second title fight, but the Lindener lost the fight by Unanimous Decision.

Ramirez would later surrender that title to Julio Cesar Chavez – Alli’s final shot at a world title.

Guyanese at home and abroad were glued to their television screens to witness the classic showdown, hoping that Alli could take down the man who at the time had defended his title against the likes of Hector Camacho, Angel Hernandez and Meldrick Taylor.

However, Chavez was too good throughout the fight before putting the prized Guyanese fighter down 42 seconds into the sixth round of their 12-round encounter.

The now 62-year-old is a former two-time United States Champion, two-time North American champion and rated number one in the world.

The life and career of Terrence Alli embodies both the glory and the tragedy that often lurk not far from one another in the world of boxing. He was an exciting, eccentric and socially-conscious fighter who became the world’s top super lightweight contender.

Perhaps sadder still, by all accounts he feels he has been forsaken by the country that he always proudly represented with such patriotic vigour, even when he had to go abroad to advance his career. (Guyana Boxing Association)