Tuesday of this week, November 13, marked the 37th anniversary of the one true world boxing championship won by a Bahamian. On a night in Paris, France back in 1975, Elisha Obed stopped Miguel de Oliveira to capture the World Boxing Council's version of the junior middleweight title.
That achievement remains the centerpiece of the many ring accomplishments of Bahamian fighters. Presently, the once feared Obed is not doing well physically. He last participated in a functional capacity in a boxing environment back in 2008 when the Pan American Caribbean Boxing Organization sponsored his trip to Jamaica to be a special guest at the first Caribbean Sports Icons Awards.
Obed even then was obviously operating at a much slower pace than during his prime years, but he was still fully aware of the scene and interacted easily with other boxing legends and luminaries of the sport.
Today, he has slowed considerably more, but the rich legacy of the sport he loved dearly continues.
The rather nice history of this small Caribbean nation in professional boxing goes on through the valiant efforts of heavyweight Sherman Williams, light welterweight Edner Cherry and super featherweight Meacher Major. They are the most active of current Bahamian professional boxers.
Still adding prominence to the boxing scene however are former greats Gomeo Brennan, Wilfred Battling Douglas and Leonard 'Boston Blackie' Miller. The chief commonality for them is a topic that comes up when I chat with each of them.
Gomeo Brennan defeated both Douglas and Miller.
Brennan is 73, Douglas is in his early 80s and Miller is some years older than the listed 71. He is probably closer to Douglas than Brennan.
The question of Miller's age adds to the country's boxing lore.
Brennan resides comfortably in Miami and maintains constant contact. He has expressed a willingness to be included in the development process of the sport. The same is the case with Douglas who has made Grand Bahama his home for about 40 years now.
Miller has set the standard for giving back to the sport. Miller more than any other top boxer has remained a fixture in the development process. As a result, in the near future, he will be given the high honor of having the new boxing facility in Flamingo Gardens named in his honor. The details for the occasion will be disclosed very soon by the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture and the Bahamas Boxing Commission. It will be real neat for Brennan and Douglas to be among the invited guests.
Their presence will be ample proof of the continuance of the excellent legacy of the sport in this country.o To respond to this column, kindly contact Fred Sturrup at sturrup1504@gmail.com.

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