by MIKE KING

HOSKINS "BISCUITS" WORRELL traded size for razor-sharp condition and it paid off as he swept aside the imposing William Prescott to land the first prize cheque of $4 000 at the Darcy Beckles Invitational Classic, Sunday night.

Before a modest audience at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, Worrell, the class of the six-man field, came in smaller than at the nationals, but was much better prepared.

The multiple Caribbean divisional champion, was dry, hard and cut. Prescott, owner of the best traps, chest and shoulders in the contest, brought width and density; but Worrell delivered detail and a free-posing round that brought the audience to their feet for the first time on the night.

Worrell's abs and intercostals were glistening; he stood out in the double biceps shot from the rear and no one matched his huge triceps.

"I really put in a lot of hard work. Much credit must go to Jerry Nicholls and Romel Hoyte, those two guys really stuck by me, especially Jerry.

"I came in a little smaller but I was thinking about condition. If I came to match Prescott with size and not condition, he would have beaten me," Worrell said.

Prescott, second best in the heavyweight class at the CAC Championships for the past two years, once more missed out because he may have been a shade smooth in the thighs.

The contest devalued with the absence of reigning Mr Central American And Caribbean (CAC) champ Martinus Durrant, Caribbean light middleweight winner Ross

Caesar, and consistent light heavyweight Ricardo "Cou Cou" Bascombe; it was really a two-man contest.

Laron Gibson, fresh from a silver medal at the World Juniors in Poland, completed a memorable season by taking third place that followed his victory in the first half of the programme in an open contest.

Gibson, this year's Mr Bridgetown, matched Worrell's for sharpness with his abs capturing everyone's attention. He must know he has to bring up his glaringly weak calves.

Patrick Harris was dynamic on stage, as usual but looked a little flat and requires more back width and thigh sweep to be a major contender. He took fourth ahead of former Caribbean lightweight king Anderson "Fish" Bispham and the tall, Antiguan, Olin Martin.

Guest-poser Leo "Battleship" Ingram, thundered on stage with 270 pounds of muscle and was a hit with the fans though he was somewhat smooth. The affable American compensated by going into the audience and showing off his monster arms and massive thighs.

Ingram, 40, heads back today to his base in Atlanta, Georgia.

Former Barbados and Caribbean queen Jenny Beckles and heavyweight stalwart Roger Sealy, along with administrators Winfield Bascombe and Delbert "Kojak" Bannister, were also honoured.