SPORTS SECTION E
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MONDAY, APRIL 7, 2025
Hield, Williams making waves By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
BAHAMIANS IN NBA PLAYOFF PUSH – SEE PAGE E3
RASHIELD WILLIAMS, left, and Carl Hield - with their title belts - hoist the Bahamian flag in Venezuela on Saturday night. realised the knockout power that he possesses as he took care of Larez with an overhand left shot in the first round. It was a reverse from his overhand right that he knocked out Jhon Cadavid in his last fight on February 5 in Santa Marta, Cartagena, Colombia to defend his World Boxing Association’s FedeCaribe title. As he improved his winloss record as a pro to 11-0 with as many knockouts, Hield said he just went in the ring and did what he had to do. “I am just realising that I do have the power to knock out someone with just one punch. “I am just figuring it out right now,” said Hield, who has a wealth of experience as an amateur with more than 50 fights under his belt.
“In the last three fights as I got more adapted to the professional style and sitting down more on my punches, the knockout can come so easy with just one punch.” The 38-year-old Hield said he is delighted to be making history with Williams as they perform on the same stage in the international arena, winning title fights. “We’re hoping that by the end of the year, we can bring a world title fight to The Bahamas,” said Hield, who hopes to return to the ring on May 31 for his next fight. “I’m trying to be as active as I could getting the wins and the titles so that I can get this world title shot.” In dedicating the fight to his deceased mother, Norma Hield, he thanked
his sponsors Beer Pressure Bar, West End Construction and Repair, Strikers Boxing Club, Rolling Type Importers Limited and Rigger 242 Life for their support. Williams in 10 rounds It took Williams a little longer to get past Gonzalez, whom he noted was a “boxer,” who did a lot of movement as a “technical” fighter with a 30-6 record. “It was a little bit of a challenge until my corner gave me the go ahead to take him out,” said Williams as he improved to 13-3 with the win. “I didn’t expect it to go this long. I dropped the guy about seven times, but he kept getting up.” With Hield in his corner, Williams said he felt he had all the extra push he needed to add to his National Boxing
By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net JUNIOR athletes made their performances count when they needed them the most at the 2025 Splice and Connect/Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) CARIFTA Trials over the weekend at the original Thomas A Robinson Stadium. Track and field athletes were already rounding into top form throughout the season but, over the weekend, they did what they had to do to book a spot to the 2025 CARIFTA Games slated for April 19-21 in Trinidad & Tobago. The under-17 girls’ 200m event had three qualifiers dip under the CARIFTA standard of 24.65 seconds. Grand Bahama’s Keyezra Thomas was first in the event with a blistering time of 23.99 seconds to qualify for her second CARIFTA Games appearance. She was pleased to make the mark and outlined her expectations for Easter weekend. “It was a good race. I thank God for giving me the strength to finish the race. It was a good race. I liked the competition and I hope that me and my partner can go to Trinidad and do something big for our home,” she said. Brion Ward, representing DTSP Wolfpack, has been a premier sprinter all season. She clocked 24.08 seconds for the second spot in the event. Star Tracker’s Deryn
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hey have been training and travelling partners since their amateur days and now Carl ‘King Flashy 242’ Hield and Rashield ‘Raw’ Williams are making waves together in the professional ranks. Thanks to Ronn Rodgers of the Strikers Boxing Club, the dynamic duo got a chance to compete for another pair of titles in their respective weight divisions on Saturday night in Macuto, La Guaira, Venezuela. While Hield needed just one round to dispose of Felipe Larez for the National Boxing Association’s Latino super welterweight title, Williams had to go 10 rounds before he finally got the decision over Nestor Gonzalez for the FedeBol AMB title. Hield in one round In adding to his World Boxing Association’s FedeCaribe title, Hield finally
ATHLETES QUALIFY AT THE CARIFTA TRIALS
Association welterweight title. “He’s like my brother. We had the opportunity to fight on the same stage again for another title. It was a pleasure to do it with him,” Williams said. The 35-year-old Williams assured the Bahamian public that there’s still more left in the tank as they continue to progress in their pro careers as a package. SEE PAGE E8 “We want to rack up all the titles we can get,” Williams said. “Me and Carl want to make history together. We are the only two professional fighters doing anything, so we want to do it together.” Hopefully they can 1 S. C return home and put onUCLA 72 another show for the Bahamian crowd as they did in Page 6 FINAL FOUR December.
NCAA TOURNAME
NCAA,
April 4
CHARISMA TAYLOR, TERRELL MCCOY AMONG THE TOP PERFORMERS IN USA MEETS By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net OLYMPIAN Charisma Taylor and high school sensation Terrell McCoy were among the top Bahamian performers during a series of meets in the United States of America over the weekend. Meanwhile, in the debut of the newly formed Grand Slam Track in Kingston,
Jamaica, fellow Olympic hurdler Denisha Cartwright and sprinter Terrence Jones produced varied results in their specialties. Pepsi Florida Relays At the Percy Beard Track in Gainesville, Florida, Taylor won the women’s 100m hurdles Olympic development race in a time 12.02 seconds, beating out a field that saw Brandee Johnson, competing
THE SPORTS April CALENDAR BASEBALL/ SOFTBALL RELOADED INVITATIONAL THE Reloaded baseball and softball programme for boys and girls is scheduled to hold its fourth invitational tournament April
18-21 at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex. The event, organised by Stephen “Bishop” Beneby, is being sanctioned by the Bahamas Baseball Assocation, headed by Clarence “CJ’
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unattached, take second in 13.14. Taylor, 25, is on her quest to the World Championships in Tokyo, Japan, in September. She’s coming off her double appearance in the hurdles and the triple jump at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Terrell McCoy, an 11th grader at The Bolles School, was third in the girls’ shot put with a heave of 42-feet, 8 3/4-inches or 13.02 metres on her fourth try. In surpassing the qualifying performances for the CARIFTA Games in Trinidad & Tobago over the Easter holiday weekend, McCoy had throws of 39-8 (12.09m) on her first attempt, 39-5 1/4 (12.02m) on her second, 39-11 1/2 (12.18m) on her third and 41-3 1/4 (12.58m) on her sixth after scratching the fifth. J’Nia Simpson, also an 11th grader at Temple Catholic, won the event with 44-8 1/4 (13.62m). Julia Lemmon, a 12th grader at
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