Reporoa prospect Daniel McKinnon (72kg) needed seven rounds to halt underdog Fili Mailata (72kg) for the vacant New Zealand middleweight title at the Auckland Boxing Association\s stadium on Saturday, December 10th.
But Mailata, despite coming in as a late substitute, made a fight of it until the stoppage and earned a good hand from the large crowd.
McKinnon dropped Fili in the second with an overhand right but the Samoan arose and did not seem unduly worried. In the fourth, Daniel again dropped Mailata with a short right hand lead. Once again the Samoan-born fighter climbed to his feet with a broad smile on his face.
Mailata tried to return fire in the seventh with McKinnon appearing to be over-anxious. The former NZ intermediate amateur champion McKinnon missed with a right then bailed Fili up in the corner where he scored with a heavy left hook.
The referee got caught up in the tangle in the blue corner and when he separated the pair, Mailata slumped to the canvas, blood gushing from his mouth. Referee Gary McCrystal immediately stopped the contest and the ringside doctor was called. Fili was found to have a bad gash inside his mouth and an ambulance was summoned.
We later learnt that at the hospital, doctors had to break Fili’s jaw so that they could gain access inside his mouth to insert seven stitches.
The main support was an international amateur bout between Lower Hutt’s Joe Blackbourn (69.2kg) and Mark Peter (71.4kg) of Vanuatu.
Both boxers have victories over New Zealand amateur icon, Kahu Bentson, and on paper the bout looked even. But Blackbourn just ploughed through Peter with single hard blows to head and body. In the second a short right hand lead dropped Peter for the full count.
In the semi-pro windup, Savaia Vaka (78.9kg) and Simon Palmer (78.3kg) threw plenty of leather without inflicting much damage throughout the three rounds. Vaka was the victor.
The programme of pro-am consisted of 19 bouts.
Daniel McKinnon warmed up for his shot at the middleweight title when he took tough “Westie” Chris Rehu apart at the A.B.A. Stadium on November 28th.
Annoyed by Rehu’s spoiling and awkwardness, McKinnon abandoned all efforts to land his favourite left hook but instead concentrated on Chris’ midriff.
In the second round a straight right lead to the face appeared to break Rehu’s nose – showing ringsiders with blood.
In the third, a left hook to Rehu’s ribs (the sound of which could be heard around the stadium) send him on one knee to the canvas.
He climbed back up, only to crumple to a second sustained body attack which sent him to his knees again and referee Peter Flurety called the fight off. Amateurs made up the supports.
On Saturday, November 19th, veteran trainer Ron Foley promoted a pro-am tournament in the Auckland suburb of Pakuranga.
Frank Atu, a former triple Fijian title holders, beat Bob Gasio by points decision in their eight-round heavyweight clash, while former Samoan sevens rugby union rep, Elisara Sii Uta, scored a split decision win also over eight rounds over veteran, Sam Leuii, also in the heavyweight division.
