March 16, 2008 — With the Olympics on their minds, four of the territory's brightest boxing stars, along with four V.I. Boxing Federation officials and one V.I. Olympic Committee representative, are in Trinidad and Tobago to train and possibly qualify for the August games.
Though the qualifying matches didn't start until this month, John and Julius Jackson, along with Samuel Rogers and 17-year-old Clayton Laurent, got their training underway with practice bouts held last month in Puerto Rico.
Rogers fought against David Salced in a super middle weight — 155 lbs — class bout. Rogers stopped Salced in the third round and was announced the winner. John Jackson fought against Joshua Rivera in a middleweight –152 lbs — class bout. The match went the full four rounds and ended with a 28:5 decision, with Jackson being named the winner.
Laurent fought against Arnaldo Galarza in a super-heavy weight — 200 lbs and over– class bout. Laurent won the match after Galarza was disqualified in the fourth round. Rounding out the group was Julius Jackson, whose opponent did not show up for the match.
With all boxers leaving with victories, the V.I. National Team was confident going into their qualifying matches in Trinidad and Tobago. On the first day of competition, Joseph took on Mexico's Marco Periban and left the four, two-minute round match the winner, with a score of 16:12.
On the second day, the Jackson brothers were up, with John taking Jesse Bodden of the Cayman Islands and Julius taking on Ecuador's Julio Caesar Castillo Torres. John massacred Bodden, beating him 16:1. Julius, not having similar luck, lost to Torres by a score of 10:3.
With the Virgin Islands down to three boxers — and knowing that his brother's shot at the Olympics would have to be put on hold — John Jackson went into his quarter-final match on day three going up against Argentina's Diego Chaves. John doubled up the score on his opponent, beating him 20:10.
John will now move on to the semi-finals on Monday, going up against Mexico's Oscar Molina in the semi-finals.
Joseph got Saturday going by opening up a can on Columbia's Alex Millares, beating him 23:2. Joseph will compete in the semi-finals Monday against Cuba's Emilio Correa Bayeux.
After sitting around for the first four days, Laurent — the youngest member of the V.I. National Boxing Team — got the chance to show his stuff Saturday, handling Trinidad's Enoch Romeo with a decision of 14:10. Laurent will compete in the semi-finals on Monday against USA's Michael Hunger II.
John Jackson will also compete against Pedro Lima of Brazil in the semifinals on Monday.
