By James Blears

To round off 2022, an Agreement between the World Boxing and the National Institute of Genomica INMEGEN deep in the south of Mexico City, to work together side by side for sports and health in Mexico, but…it was “The Kid,” who was the undoubted emerging star of the final WBC Martes a Cafe of the year!

Frankly, where does time go? The elderly are fond of saying, that the days pass slowly but the years go by quickly!  Honestly, for the grizzled group of veterans, propping up the impetuous younger generation of the World Boxing Council, the faces seem to get ever younger. A prime baby-faced example of this is Demian Morales, who`s Dad Ramses is an accomplished photographer and the co-host with Jesus Lopez, of successful boxing programme Round Uno.

Just like Dad, Demian has a good eye for a picture or a portrait,  stays calm, even when throngs of people come up and descend,  to cuddle, tickle or tell him what a lovely lad he is, and he possesses a shy, rare, but beaming smile.  He`s cutting his teeth, as the youngest member of the WBC media pack, at the grand old age of one year and two months.

We`re told, there`s no such thing as a free lunch, but most scribblers and snappers can seldom resist scrabbling a breakfast gratis. Well sated, they then look on wistfully and with visible dismay at the empty bread basket which the waiter purposely plonks down on the table in front of them… for tips! Some of them have to wait with trepidation, for it to fill up with loose change, before they can break the large denomination note they`ve gingerly placed in its epicentre. Agony of agonies!

Responsibility comes to most of us, even hitherto carefree Ramses, who aged thirty-eight, is proving to be an attentive, loving and conscientious Dad. Tactile, embracing and lots of kisses…even for Demian! Will wonders ever cease?! Demien was wrapped tightly to Ramses` chest and once unravelled from the Mummy folds, he critically surveyed his surrounds, sussing out the Press pack throng, with a discerning, unwavering rather stern and sometimes withering glance, keeping his opinions to himself and patiently waiting for the main course to be dished up. A taciturn young man.

Clad in a practical Lincoln green jump suit with a yellow front saying REX, denoting he`s media royalty status, the young Prince was rather partial to bread, pineapple, melon, mango and yoghurt, washed down by sweet luke-warm milky coffee. Dad was also doing quite well, balancing the lad on his knee, even when Demian stood up for a better view. Ramses was eating his own more meagre breakfast one handed, mostly southpaw style. Good man, for giving Mum, who`s normally on shift twenty-four seven, a well- earned and long overdue morning off.

But Demian never succumbed to gluttony! He didn`t lose sight of the task at hand, often holding Dad`s hand, and grabbing his cellular, only occasionally letting it slip from his grasp and grip. Journalists and photographers often do that…don`t they?   He maintained a beady eye and a penetrating, unwavering all perceiving glance, intently scanning the faces of the assembled throng, who were doing a poor job of feigning jolly nonchalance, as Master of Ceremonies Francisco Posada read out the list of winners, and the huge pile of generous prizes, inexorably and nail bitingly diminished.  The best to last…or nothing at all?

The WBC Press boys and girls are a tight knit group of friends and have together breathed a collective sigh of relief, as the pandemic and its ravages have slowly diminished and even more gradually  passed. A breath of fresh air, to see a keen youngster, who`s showing so much promise and enthusiasm in covering the events of Boxing`s top and best organization.

At the end, scrumptious bottles of delicious red wine were scrupulously being handed out to each and every person by Michel, but Demian declined!  In fact,  it was palpable and downright indifference! He preferred his bottle of milk. Is this going to be the way of the new generation?

God forbid!