Leroy Brown, Gleaner Writer

Richard Reittie, the Canada-based boxer who has been named as one of the favourites to become the Wray and Nephew Middleweight Contender 2013, had a rocky passage into the second round last Wednesday night at the Chinese Benevolent Association auditorium, as he was severely tested by Glenroy 'Bumpy' Beckford, who eventually lost by disqualification in the fifth round.

The fighters were evenly matched, and Beckford not only gave a good account of himself in the early stages of the fight, but shook Reittie on a couple of occasions with left hooks to the head. Anyone of those punches could have ended the fight as a wide-open Reittie was visibly hurt on two occasions in the first round.

started holding

After getting hit by some hard shots in the second round, Beckford became 'gun shy' and started holding. This continued, and eventually led to him being disqualified by referee Barrington Graham at one minute and 21 seconds of the fifth round.

This was the third week of the series that is being promoted by MJK Productions and is sponsored by Wray and Nephew, Foska Oats, and TVJ, who do a live broadcast of the event at 9:30 each Wednesday night. Sixteen boxers started the journey, and one is eliminated each week, leading up to the grand finale in June.