Shane Cameron (104kg) returned to ring action against Jonathan Haggler (105kg) at the Sky City Convention Centre on Friday April 11, and turned in another crowd pleasing performance in stopping the big American in the seventh round. It was Cameron’s 20th win in 21 fights, 18 of them by knockout and with the victory he won the WBO vacant Oriental and Asia-Pacific heavyweight title.
Despite Cameron’s eyebrow surgery Haggler opened a cut over his right eye in the third and opened the other in the fourth. Haggler was blowing hard by the end of the fifth after some toe-to-toe encounters with Cameron. At the end of the sixth trapped on the ropes Haggler looked all-in.
Staggering out for the seventh the Yank went down more from exhaustion than Shane’s punch and just couldn’t get up as the referee, Bruce McTavish completed the count.
In a battle between national champions Lee Oti (67.3kg) drew with Aussie light middleweight champion Frank La Porto (68.3kg) over six rounds. In the first La Porto appeared to slip near the ropes but the referee ruled it a knockdown. Oti has a bad habit of continually pulling up his boxing trunks and every time he did Frank would clock him. La Porto finished strongly in the last round and looked to have won comfortably but the judges scored it a draw.
In another debatable decision Pakistan, Kashif Mumtaz (76.5kg) appeared to win every one of the six rounds against Fale Siaola (76.1kg) using a pinpoint left hand although Saiola did take the fight to his taller opponent.
Judges finally got it right when they awarded West Australian, Mark De Mori (104kg), a unanimous six-round decision over former world rated American, Ed Mahone (104.1kg)
In the other prelim former Olympian Soulan Pownceby (83kg) out pointed Supri Moimoi (86.1kg)
Daniel McKinnon, NZ middleweight champion, went through the whole repertoire of punches in his kit but didn’t seem to hurt Samoan, Niusillia Seiuli, when he outpointed him over six rounds at the ABA Stadium on Thursday March 27. In the fourth Seulli (82.9kg) appeared to clip McKinnon with an inside right and Daniel went down temporarily but the referee ruled it a slip. In the fifth round and accidental clash of the heads left McKinnon (79.8kg) with a cut eye. McKinnon won a unanimous decision.
The other half of the double bill saw a real good fight between Sosaia Vaka (75.2kg) and Prince Hamid (75.5kg). After a quiet first round, Sosaia landed a short right and Hamid briefly touched down. The referee ruled it a knockdown much to Hamid’s disgust and he cam back to pick up the pace and win the following two rounds. In the fifth Vaka cut loose and appeared to hurt the Prince but didn’t follow up. Both stood toe-to-toe in the final round. Judges awarded the fight to Vaka, no doubt the controversial knockdown cost Hamid the fight.
Hari Venka (70.6kg) has had over 100 amateur bouts, but never met anybody with the antics of Paz Viejo (71.4kg) in a four rounder. Paz ducked and dived, skimmed and skivvies throughout the four rounds to make the Indian boxer look ordinary although Venka still did enough to win a unanimous decision.
Adrian Taihia (76.8kg) smashed Jade Hughes (75.5kg) to the canvas 18 seconds into the opening pro fight of the pro-am card. I thought the referee should have stopped it at this stage but he waved it on and Adrian crashed another right hand into the hapless Hughes and it was all over.
At the Maurewa Netball Stadium on Friday March 28, one of the most exciting heavyweight fights seen for years between Bob Gasio (98.6kg) and Sinela Fifita (111.4kg) had to be called off at the end of the fourth round when an all-out brawl erupted when a supporter of one of the boxers entered the ring. The incident set off a fight between 50 spectators, mainly Samoans and Tongans. When order was restored Gary McCrystal, President of the New Zealand Professional Boxing Federation, decided to call the contest and go to the scorecards. The judges ruled Gasio a close winner.
Paz Veijo and Niusillia Seiuli backed up from the previous night. Under the Federation rules this is allowed although most overseas commissions have at least a seven day stand- down. I thought a draw would have been a fair decision but the judge gave it to Paz on a unanimous decision.
Oscar Scale (82.5kg) caught Kololo Faatua (81kg) with a perfect timed left hook 48s into the first round and Kololo was out before he hit the canvas. Referee Khan counted to five then waved it off.
Dion McNabney (69kg) and Lonatana Pula (68.3kg) gave a good display of boxing skills with the harder punches of Pula earning the four-round decision.
Other bouts saw Lisi Mauala (67.2kg) outpoint Christina Tai (59.4kg) and Etisoni Vea (92.3kg) do similar to Junior Pati (111.6kg) both over four rounds.
