The heads of two rival controlling boxing bodies (there are in fact about five such organisations in NZ), Lance Revill (president of New Zealand Professional Boxing Association) and Gary McCrystal (president of New Zealand National Boxing Federation) clashed in a war of words at the Manurewa Netball Stadium on Friday, March 27th.
McCrystal refereed and sanctioned the South Auckland promotion while Revill supplied and erected the ring.
Revill rushed the ring and delivered a verbal broadside at McCrystal after Gary had called a halt to the brutal battle between Oscar Siale (86.5) and Wayne Orbell (88kg) for the so-called South Pacific cruiserweight title in Siale's favour in the 11th round.
"Why didn't you stop the fight earlier, you are going to get someone killed _ you are an embarrassment to the sport," Revill yelled at McCrystal.
"I don't need that at the end of 11 rounds of a title fight,'" replied McCrystal, "your the embarrassment to boxing because you won't mind your own business. I'll run the NZNBF you run the NZPBA.''
The fight itself before a smaller than usual crowd at this venue, didn't come alive until the fifth round, when southpaw Siale rocked Orbell with a series of lefts only for Orbell to come roaring back with both hands.
The pace continued unabated through the sixth round and after a slow start to the seventh the round ended with both fighters being rocked in the closing minute.
Wayne was forced to clinch repeatedly in the eighth after copping some big left hands off Oscar.
The ninth was almost a replica of the eighth with Siale starting to land almost at will, then in the 10th Oscar sent Orbell crashing to the canvas with a clubbing left hand just before the bell rang. I thought the referee could have stopped the fight then but he continued the count (which he is allowed to do under pro rules).
Early in the 11th Siale landed another big clubbing left hand sending Orbell to the canvas again and his corner threw in the towel. MCCrystal ignored it (which he also entitled to do) and counted Orbell out.
Cue the entrance of Lance Revill. "Someone's going to get badly hurt with him in charge. He doesn't know how to read a fight,' said the former NZ amateur and professional champion.
"I spoke to both Orbell's cornermen after the fight and they had no complaints,'' summed up McCrystal.
The main support between Rico Chong Nee (86kg) and Rasheed Balloch (84kg) was a hard slog. Balloch dropped Rico in the second round with a short chopping right. A cut inside Rico's left eyebrow which first appeared in the opening round and got steadily worse as the fight progressed finally forced the referee to stop the contest in Balloch's favour at the start of the fifth round.
Iona Tana Lipine (aka Iona Tana Puna and a few other names) and Jamie Waru swung away lustily without doing much damage. What punches that were landed were generally by Lipine. Weights: Lipine 69.4kg, Waru 69.8kg.
Vai Aki (68kg) making another comeback outpointed veteran Paz Veijo (69.9kg) over four rounds. Paz is an interesting character to observe at ringside, he actually throws more punches during his entrance and introduction than he does during the fight. Nevertheless he still made it difficult for the Samoan boxer.
Other results:
Mose Sone Toleafoa (85kg) drew Chris Toevai (84kg) 3rds; Kevin Kurusa (115kg) w tko Ben Ngasima (105kg) 3rds (badly damaged eye); Oscar Talemira (115kg) drew Lightning Lupe (105kg) 4rds.
There wasn't a big crowd in attendance at the Te Awamutu ASB Stadium on Saturday March 28th to see New Zealand champion Daniel McKinnon (76.5kg) in action against Fale Siaoloa (78kg).
Saturday night promotions are up against televised rugby union and league and in this case international cricket.
It was a pretty tame affair until the sixth round (as an official judge I had McKinnon winning at this stage by just one point) when McKinnon opened up with both hands and chopped Siaoloa down as he was trapped against the ropes. Fale sprang to his feet before the referee could start a count, then stumbled into the corner where referee Faiyez Khan gave him a standing eight count. At the completion of the count and as Khan waved the fighters to resume, the Samoan's legs suddenly went haywire and he staggered into the ropes. The referee immediately stopped it.
One must feel sorry for former NZ amateur flyweight champion Frank Tanavasu. Four times he has lined up to make his professional debut and four times his opposition has pulled out on him. On his fifth attempt 41-year-old Manu Emery (60kg) turned up to oppose him and the only time Frank's gloves touched him was at the ref's instructions and at the finish when he congratulated his opponent on his points win. Frank weighed 59kg.
The bout between A. Magele and D. Marson given on some websites as a pro bout was in fact an amateur contest. Kickboxing made up the rest of the programme.
