[kenyan_cheena]

FORWARD THINKING ALLIANCE

Thursday 29 August 2002

Back on Tuesday night Cuba's Ariel Reyes made a victorious start to his Heavyweight Boxing Federation career, KOing Denmark's Mikkel Randeris in the 4th round of their Qualifying League bout. Today Reyes and his fellow Florida Alliance members Elmer Ray and Romy Alvarez boarded a plane for Japan where, in a week's time, another of their entourage Terone Haynes will be competing in the final of the South-East Asian Boxing League tournament. At home in Hastings, Florida, Haynes was also due to fly to Japan today along with two of the other Alliance members, Oliver McCall and Tommy Gomez.

While it has been a busy August for the group it has also been a disappointing one. It started nicely when on the first day of the month Haynes defeated the Australian Jack Beckerman via 4th round TKO to qualify for the South-East Asian tournament final. But then the group's leader Elmer Ray was comprehensively defeated by Floyd Patterson on the 9th with a place in stage two of the World Championship tournament up for grabs. What made the loss even more difficult to take was that it occured in front of his fellow Florida natives at Miami's American Airlines Arena. The following week saw Romy Alvarez win his debut Qualifying League bout before, one night later, Tommy Gomez came heartbreakingly close to prolonging his stay in the World Championship tournament when his bout against George Chuvalo was declared a draw. Gomez needed a win and as a result he missed out, Jacksonville's Ray Mercer taking 2nd place. If they hadn't already had enough disappointment during the month Oliver McCall tasted defeat for the first time on the 21st, surprisingly defeated by Tommy Morrison in a bout that determined 1st place in Group Three of the 1st Defense tournament.

So including Reyes' win on Tuesday, the Alliance went 3-2-1(2) for the month. When asked at Heathrow Airport about the underwhelming mark, Elmer Ray was more interested in focusing on the future.

"Y'all, jus' a huge fight for T nex' week," he said. "All he have to do is 'void losin' and he be in the World Rankin' tourney. By the time it all over he be up to sixty in the world, no doubt. Won't take too long 'fo' he knockin' on the top ten af'er that, see? Week after that is the bigges' of 'em all, my cuz Jimmy steppin' in 'gains' Leonard, y'all. Jimmy been back home trainin' his ass off, man. Religious-like, y'all. Think he could fight tomorrow and give the guy all he can handle. Romy gon' be back in the ring, too, and we confident he be 2-0 once that done."

Ray was also questioned about his failure to qualify for stage two of the World Championship tournament.

"Ain't thought much on it, bein' hones'," he said, frowning. "Been puttin' all my en'gy into pumpin' up m' brothers, see? The Florida Alliance ain't jus' Elmer Ray, man. Y'all should be knowin' that. We all strivin' fo' success and I be tryin' my hardes' to make sure we keep pushin' t'ward that."

While Haynes, Alvarez and James Ray are all in action during the next three weeks, Elmer Ray, McCall and Gomez have to wait until October before they lace up the gloves again. Ray and Gomez will both be competing in the Continental Americas Championship tournament while McCall continues his quest for a shot at the HBF World Championship in stage two of the 1st Defense tournament, which kicks off October 27...