The main event at Auckland Boxing Association’s monthly pro-am tournament at their stadium on June 29th was all over in 1min 40s of round one.
A clash of heads between Kololo Faitua (aka Cruse) 83kg and Sosaia Vaka 80kg resulted in a badly cut eyebrow for Vaka and a cut high on Faitus’a forehead.
Referee Logan Bragg took one look, called the doctor and after a thorough inspection the fight was stopped and declared a technical draw much to the disappointment of the ABA fans as the fight looked to be developing into a real slugfest.
There were a few boos and catcalls but the big crowd had nothing to complain about. They had been entertained by a first class amateur undercard and treated to non-stop punching display from big semi-pro heavyweight, Joey Wilson 125kg, who battered Mike Russ 104kg non-stop till the fight was halted in the third.
To be fair to Russ, it must be pointed out that he came in as a last minute substitute.
Best amateur bout of the evening saw Taniela Pomale 40kg, coached by Lollo Heimueli at the Balmoral Gym win a unanimous decision over Cameron Hetaraka 41kg of Mosquera’s Gym.
Kitione Lave, “The Tongan Torpedo” the heavyweight fighter who changed the face of New Zealand boxing died in Auckland on June 2, aged 72.
Before Lave arrived from Tonga, New Zealand heavyweight had previously thrown a couple of punches then fell into a clinch, but that all changed with the arrival of Kitione who came out with both hands blazing, winning six fights by knockout in a row. After he decked his opponent he would then run around the ring punching the ring posts. The Auckland Town Hall was packed to the rafters on each occasion.
Clever Australian heavyweight, Ken Brady was the first to halt the whirlwind progress, when he outpointed Lave at Western Springs Speedway before 12,000 fans in 1954. He fought two rematches that same year, losing one by TKO in Melbourne but winning the third by a 12th round knockout at Carlaw Park.
Lave headed to England in 1955 making a inauspicious start where he was knocked out in a round by Johnny Williams.
But he then scored some impressive wins including a KO of Don Cockell, a fighter who had lost a world title challenge to Rocky Marciano.
In 1957 Lave fought Joe Bygraves for the Commonwealth Heavyweight Crown, losing on points over 15 rounds.
That was probably the highpoint of his career.
During his 10-year career in which he fought in New Zealand, Aussie, Britain, the South Pacific, Italy, Germany, US and Singapore he’d packed in 72 fights for 51 wins, 44 by KO, a great record especially considering the standard of the opposition.
