BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – A retired and accomplished boxer is suggesting that the combat sport be used as a means of stemming the Federation’s spiraling crime.
With 136 fights under his belt and years of experience representing the Federation in numerous countries around the world, 72-year-old Emile ‘Topsy’ Pyke believes that, should a proper system of training and equipment as well as expertise be in place, boxing would provide a fitting outlet for persons to vent their anger and frustration.
His unofficial boxing career began while at the tender age of five years and, with the absence of modern-day technology and facilities, he drew lessons from nature and taught himself how to be an effective pugilist.
“I began boxing when I was about five years old. One fellow stole me away from my mother and took me to Middle Island to fight with a new little fellow because that little fellow was beating up everybody, and he saw me when I fought a little cousin of mine and beat him. I went and I beat that boy over there.
“Afterwards, I started hitting an old bag right beside my father’s donkey. Nobody told me anything but I learned to bob and weave from a duck. I saw it in New Town and then I imitated it. It taught me to bob and weave. I said that duck looks good and I decided to imitate it. And when the trees were shaking, I used that as well. In those days, we didn’t have any television so I imitate those things and taught myself.”
Officially, his boxing career began when he was 19, fighting and winning his first overseas fight in Barbados. He went the 10-round distance in the first fight and knocked out his opponent in the ninth round during the second fight. His opponent, Topsy said, was left in a comatose state for six weeks.
The seasoned boxer said his wealth of experience has taught him that boxing is an excellent and fitting avenue through which persons could channel their anger, and also a perfect medium through which they could resolve their disputes.
“If I do somebody something and I hit him and box him down, nothing happens. But the moment you go into your pocket and take out a weapon and (use it), that’s trouble. It (boxing) would help them to get rid of their anger and frustration and still resolve their issues. Moreover, when I use to work at Public Works, if those boys had an argument in the week, when Saturday came around and we finished working at 11 o’clock, those boys would punch it out and everything would be finished. And that is how they resolved their issues.”
Less than four months into the year and the Federation has already recorded 12 homicides, the majority of which was committed with the aid of a firearm. The Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force is also making investigations into a number of other shooting and wounding incidents.
Emile ‘Topsy’ Pyke, who was the Federation’s Welterweight Boxing Champion for 15 years and has been knocked down but never knocked out, opined that consideration should be given to the establishment of a facility in which persons could not only be professionally trained but also a place where persons with disputes could vent their frustrations rather than turning to weapons of destruction.
