The WRO Asia Pacific 12-round cruiserweight title fight between Mohamed Azzoui and Derrick Whitley hold at Auckland's Sky City Casino on Friday, June 8th, was a drab affair with Azzoui producing what positive work there was to take the judges' verdict.
Algerian-born Azzoui fought curiously, for he is an ex-Olympian, yet he fought in a style reminiscent of a tent boxer, coming forward in a semi-crouch with his gloves held high covering his face and his elbows tucked in to protect the body, but failed to deliver the entertainment of the old tent fighters, American Whitley tried his best but was never really in the hunt.
Peter Kariuki, who fought under his real Kenyan name – Hariz Hariuki – will never have an easier win than the one he scored this night against last minute substitute Karli Jacobus in defence of his PABA and IBF Pan Pacific, supermiddleweight titles. Jacobus had sparred regularly with Peter when the Vanuatu boxer was based here three years ago so he knew he was in for a hard night. Kariuki dropped Jacobus in the first round with a left hook while he was switching stances. In the third, Peter again dropped Karli with a left hook this time to the body followed by a right hand to the head. Jacobus could have got up, the capacity crowd was glad he didn't.
Referee Mike Lambdin was the subject of controversy when he ruled that Tyrone Brunson was a first round TKO winner over Jamie Waru in a catchweight scrap, with just six seconds remaining till the end of the round. The muscular American – who had weighed in 3.4kg over 6W middleweight limit, resulting in a cash forfeiture to Waru -threw plenty of punches at the Maori boxer as he sought to equal the world record of 18 first round knockouts but couldn't drop him. The ref's stoppage caused an angry reception from many in the crowd who thought the ending was premature.
Former rugby league player, Monty Betham, needed just two minutes and 50s to stop semi-pro boxer Aaron B&W in what was like a scene from the movie “The Harder They Fall." Bartlett, at 35 years of age and a record of two wins in seven fights at supermiddleweight, was making a comeback after four years at the cruiserweight limit. Monty dropped Aaron with a left uppercut then shortly after Bartlett went down again from what I thought was a push, but when he got to his feet staggered alarmingly into the ropes and referee, Gary McCrystal, immediately stopped it.
Best fight of the televised section (the programme went out live to a huge TV audience) was the women's lightmiddleweight contest between local Daniella Smith and South African, Sandra Almelda. Smith showed some effective left hand punching to score a close win over four rounds. Almelda, having her first orthodox fight, showed plenty of courage and was always trying to rally under pressure.
In the non-televised part of the programme, ringsiders reckoned the return middleweight fight between Steve Heremaia and Fili Malaita was the best of the card. Heremaia won a spirited four rounder.
Heavyweight Jason Reti, a former kickboxer, won over four rounds from Junior Pati.
New Zealand middleweight champion, champion, Daniel McKinnon (79.1kg), returned to the, ring on June 8th, beating a boxer billed as Fale Savelino (77.6kg) over six rounds at the Manurewa Netball Courts. Talking to Fale after the fight he informed me that his correct name was Fale Siaoloa and that he had recently been fighting in Samoa. McKinnon used a spearing left jab and some heavy body shots in a hard-fought bout, but little was seen of his vaunted punching power, possibly because Savelino proved a pretty durable fighter.
American Tyrone Brunson (74kg) – here to build up a world record for first-round knockouts – fought somebody named Lee Hunter (78.1kg). Hunter was billed from the ABA Gym but nobody from there had ever seen him. Also no record under the name Lee Hunter can be found for him. Brunson duly knocked him down three times in the first round before the referee stopped the fight.
Mike Lloyd (89kg) – no relation, my kin come from the Riverina – came in against Junior Pati (102kg) with the result you’d expect from that weight difference. Pati knocked him flat in the second round with a right hook followed by a straight left and Lloyd was out for several minutes.
Promoter of the show, Ofisa Vili (79kg) won a split decision via a useful straight left over four rounds against crowd favourite Paz Veijo (78kg).
At the ABA Stadium, Auckland, on May 31st, Supi Moimoi (86.2kg) outpointed Frank Asiata (87.1kg) over six rounds in a tough but unspectacular fight. Both boxers are seeking a shot at Monty Betham.
Amateurs made up the supports.
Brazilian heavyweight boxer Jucimar Francisco Hipolito climbed into the ring at the Waitakere Trusts Stadium on Thursday, June 28th with all the zest of a condemned man mounting the gallows reports Jim Mahoney from ringside,
From that point it was obvious local fighter Shane Cameron was in for an early night. And Cameron, New Zealand’s top resident heavyweight, duly made suitably short work of it. A right hand over a left lead and Hipolito was down for the first of three knockdowns, the last one which featured a short right and a bit of a push and it was all over 1m 29s of the first round.
"Every fighter has to have his Cecil Coffee," Camerons manager Ken Reinsfield told me after the fight, referring to David Tua's effortless first round kayo over an outclassed Coffee in December 1994. "This was Shane's. We're not making excuses – this guy was the best we could get at the last minute," Reinsfield said.
The previous Sunday, Shane scheduled opponent American, Kelvin Davis, had jumped of Auckland's Greenhithe Bridge in bizarre circumstances, apparently confused by New Zealand’s right-hand drive rule. He injured himself so severely that a last minute replacement had to be called for.
In the earlier bouts, there had been a couple of good matchings but the punters – most of whom were not boxing fans – took little notice of them. In the main support, Chauncy Welliver and Samoan Seiaute Mailata threw plenty of punches in the first round but unfortunately the big American southpaw broke his left hand midway through the second round and had to settle for a six-round draw with Mailata.
NZ light-middleweight Lee Oti fought brilliantly against local supermiddleweight champion Soseia Vaka. Finding himself outmuscled by the bigger fighter, Oti moved better than I've seen him, winning a six-round points decision.
The promotion – benefiting the Child Cancer Foundation – started well with Indian light-middleweight Harry Venka winning a unanimous decision over Dion McNabney in a spirited four-rounder.
In a heavyweight four, Joey Wilson kept his jab in veteran Sam Leuli's face to take the decision.
Cameron's International Boxing Federation Pan Pacific, World Boxing Association Pan African and World Boxing Organisation Asia Pacific belts were at stake. Luckily for Auckland boxing fans, in June a Samoan amateur team kept them happy, providing top notch international boxing in a two-part series against local sides.
The Samoan team took on an Auckland selection on June 21 and a New Zealand selection on June 30. Both tournaments were held at the Auckland Boxing Association's Eden Terrace stadium (dubbed by some boxing experts as NZ's Leichardt Statium).
Unlike many amateur who concentrate on scoring points the Samoans specialized in power punching.
The audiences for both nights of boxing included many members of Auckland's big Samoan community including David Tua and former great Ali Afakasi.
The Samoans defeated Auckland 8 bouts to 2, and NZ by 5 bouts to 3.
