Future Of Professional Boxing In The Pacific Looks Bright

Final discussions for the propose Pacific International Boxing Championship (PIBC) will take place in Apia this week. The meeting is hosted by Samoa boxing company Event Polynesia who is spearheading the establishment of a regional professional boxing championship.

Confirmed to attend is Fiji promoter Mr. Abdul Khan of Wild West Promotion, Mr. Leca Reginald representing Tahiti promoter Mr. Patrice Gobrait of Polynesia Professional Boxing League, New Zealand promoter Mr. Jenkins Tesese of Arcbridge Trust and Samoa promoter Mr. Tuilagi Saipele Esera of the Samoa Pro Am Fights.

The meeting in Apia will also provide the overseas promoters the opportunity to meet local boxing officials and attend the Samoa Pro Am Fights on Thursday night featuring a Samoa vs Fiji line up. Similar promotions in Fiji and Tahiti in the weekend and in New Zealand earlier in the month were part of a trial run of the propose PIBC.

Managing Director of Event Polynesia, Mr Pa’u Fereti Puni, was in Nadi in the weekend to meet with the Boxing Commission of Fiji and officials in preliminary talks regarding the Fiji leg of the PIBC to start next year. Pa’u also attended the Wild West Promotion which had Samoan welterweight champion Oli Filimaua against Fijian champ Junior Farzan Ali as the main supporting bout of the WBF title fight between eventual winner Joseph Kwadjo of Ghana and Joy Ali of Fiji. Oli lost on points after eight rounds and hopes the PIBC will provide the opportunity for a rematch with Farzan in Samoa in the near future.

The Tahitian promotion also did not go well for the Samoan fighters. Light welterweight Tony Iapesa and welterweight Michael Fonoti both lost on points in their four rounds contest against local favorites Tinitua Neagle and Jean Louis Albertini. Samoan contender Faimasasa Tavui lost to David Aloua of New Zealand with the referee stopping the fight in the ninth round of their Universal Boxing Organisation (UBO) title fight. Australian based Aloua fought a smart fight under the watchful eye of his trainer Anthony Mundine and cornerman Sonny Bill William.

Pa’u who will be chairing the meeting said, “The PIBC will certainly lift boxing in the Pacific to another level, providing local boxers with the much needed international tournament. It will also provide local boxing fans and supporters the opportunity to see the best Pacific boxers fight in town.”

“While the Samoan boxers prepared well going into the Fiji and Tahiti fights, it’s a different thing when you have close to four thousand vocal fans cheering the local fighter. That‘s the kind of atmosphere you can expect when you have top Pacific fighters under one roof when the PIBC starts next year,” according to Pa’u.

ENDS

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