Lennox Blackmoore’s Lagos Breakthrough
On October 1, 1977, Lennox Blackmoore defeated Jonathan Dele on points over fifteen rounds in Lagos, Nigeria, to capture the Commonwealth lightweight championship. The victory established him as a pioneering titleholder for Guyanese professional boxing.
From Guyana’s lightweight title to Lagos
Blackmoore began his professional career in 1974. In Guyana, he worked his way into the lightweight championship picture, including a series against Terry Greene. Stabroek News reports that Blackmoore first stopped Greene in the 14th round of a 15-round contest, then won their later title fight on points. Those domestic results led to an opportunity abroad for the Commonwealth (then British Empire) lightweight title.
On October 1, 1977, Blackmoore faced reigning champion Jonathan Dele in Lagos, Nigeria. Stabroek News: Commonwealth title win. The 15-round contest went the distance, and Blackmoore won on points. Stabroek News identifies him as the first Guyanese to claim the Commonwealth belt. BoxRec’s championship chronology lists his reign from October 1977 to October 1978, when Hogan Jimoh took the title.
A world-title challenge against Aaron Pryor
Blackmoore moved up from lightweight to junior welterweight, also known as super lightweight, for a challenge against Aaron “The Hawk” Pryor. Pryor was the WBA champion. The fight was held in Las Vegas on June 27, 1981, and ended in the second round when Pryor stopped Blackmoore by technical knockout. This was a challenge for the WBA light welterweight title, not a title win for Blackmoore.
Blackmoore continued boxing after the Pryor bout. Stabroek News reports a professional record of 25 wins and five losses, with 14 victories by knockout. His final recorded professional victory came in 1986, when he stopped Wayne Harris in nine rounds for a Guyana title.
A second career as a trainer
Blackmoore remained part of boxing after leaving the ring. A 2020 Stabroek News profile credits him with becoming the first Guyanese trainer to produce a world champion: Julio César Green, who won the WBA middleweight title in 1997. A separate profile reported his work with world champion Vivian Harris. That coaching legacy extended Blackmoore’s influence beyond his own Commonwealth championship and world-title bid.
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Lennox Blackmoore, Boxing, Boxing History, Championship Results
