Honours shared in slugfest
Fans cheer as hometown favourite Fiso gains split decision win in first NZ-Samoa series
It was a case of taking a sip and passing on the Pacific Giants Nations Cup as New Zealand and Samoa shared the spoils during the inaugural amateur boxing promotion in Hastings at the weekend.
“We finished this three-all so maybe we should play a game of paper, scissors and rock [to decide who should win] next time,” a grinning trainer/owner of Hastings Giants Boxing Academy, Craig McDougall, said after the 12-bout promotion, in conjunction with the Hawke’s Bay Youth Trust and with the support of Tremains, ended at the Hastings Sports Centre on Saturday.
But McDougall emphasised the event wasn’t so much about the winning and losing of the silverware as it was about fostering and sharing relationships between Kiwi boxers and overseas opponents.
“We are going to spend three days in camp now so we’re going to spend a lot of time learning and developing from each other,” he said as the Samoa boxers intend visiting schools in Hastings where Pacific Islanders are in bigger numbers.
The New Zealand v Samoa series, which followed six other fights on the card, didn’t require much interpretation for fans in distinguishing the visitors from the Marist Boxing gym in Apia who were guaranteed the blue corner.
Amid much fanfare, hometown favourite Saili Fiso traded blows with Henry Tyrell, of Samoa, from the opening bell of the 3x3-minute, 75kg elite division feature bout.
The 27-year-olds exchanged blows in the first round when the referee cautioned Fiso for holding as Tyrell, boasting a Commonwealth Games pedigree, slipped to the canvas.
But the Hastings barber, of Samoan heritage but born in Auckland, made his intentions clear midway in the second round when he had the crowd in raptures. He had pinned Tyrell to the ropes.
The visiting Samoan, who keeled over at the end of the round, was spent but the bell had saved him — although it seemed the referee had given the bloke in the blue corner a bit of a breather when he separated Fiso.
Tyrell showed his class when he came out in the third round looking remarkably refreshed and Fiso sucked in a few big ones as the pair landed wicked blows.
However, the judges awarded a split decision to Fiso, who has been trying to master the art of ring craft under the tutelage of McDougall in not going out too hard against seasoned campaigners in the hunt of a knockout at an elite level.
Tyrell shrugged his shoulders in disapproval of the decision during the ring announcement and didn’t come out from the changing room for a request to talk to the media.
Fiso agreed he had made his charge too early but he didn’t feel he got carried away by the vociferous support from the crowd.
“I think I pushed too early so I tried to come back a bit more relaxed [in the third round], trying to tag him to sort of slowly break him down instead of that big rush.
“The coach [McDougall] had told me a lot but I got too excited, to be honest,” Fiso said.
“It was my toughest fight so far and he was a really good opponent,” the boxer said, although he qualified that by adding that his majority decision loss to Ryan Scaife at the nationals in Christchurch this year was the yardstick because the Hutt Valley Commonwealth Games representative didn’t give his rivals much space to move or breathe.
“This one was really like a chess match where I had to think, so it was a good experience and big ups to Henry Tyrell for giving me the experience,” Fiso said, revealing the blokes from his parents’ country of birth were tough as nails.
Host member Hadley McDougall and Darius Poulava got things rolling in the 3x1.5-minute 45kg cadet division.
McDougall, 12, gave as good as he got but Poulava claimed a split decision.
Senoa Hall had too much power for Shirahn Lee, of Ruahapia, to win after the referee stopped the bout in the first round of the 60kg youth grade.
Hall rained a flurry of punches on Lee, who often found himself backpedalling towards the ropes.
It was a split decision for Samoa in the next 3x3-minute bout when Iosefo Folesi came out with a hiss and roar over Sam Burdett-Clark, of Smiling Tigers Christchurch, but looked spent in the final round as the latter stalked him around the ring to catch a few flush shots with his longer reach in the 64kg elite division.
Parity proved elusive in the 3x2-minute clash between Egelani Taito, of Whanganui, and Vili Moli in
I think I pushed too early so I tried to come back a bit more relaxed [in the third round], trying to tag him to sort of slowly break him down instead of that big rush. Saili Fiso
the 81kg elite section.
Taito provided a crisp tempo although Moli, perhaps wisely taking on board advice from his minders that he was behind on the scorecard, tried to land a few uppercuts and hooks in the final round.
However the judges weren’t convinced, returning a unanimous verdict in favour of the red corner.
Eric Tuia took an eight count in the second round before his trainer threw in the towel against a composed Titi Motusaga, of Auckland, in the 91kg elite division of the 3x3-minute bout.
The penultimate 3x2-minute fight between Chris Siotaliva’a, of Ruahapia, and Michael Seko was scratched after the latter, an Australian-based Samoan pugilist, injured his shoulder and withdrew.
Craig McDougall said the feedback was great and there was wonderful support from the Samoan community.
“When Saili was hopping into the ring you could hear how many people support him locally so we’re very excited our community has got behind us.”
McDougall saluted the army of volunteers which teed up the event and helped pack up and clear the venue.
“I don’t think anyone will walk away from here today saying, ‘I’ll never come back to that’. I think they’ll be excited about when is the next one.”
He said it was the turn of the Giants academy and other Kiwi boxers to reciprocate with a trip to Apia.
“We have got other countries in mind but first we’ll go to Samoa in early March or later in the year.”
McDougall said the name of the cup was chosen specifically to enable any South Pacific country to compete against a Kiwi contingent.
“We’re really looking at developing a culture of an Oceania region so that we can compete on the international stage and do well.”