Judgement Day 2: This Time It’s Not Biblical

Having already survived the now-cancelled Judgement Day on  May 21^st, it was only fitting that I viewed any kind of projected apocalypse with relative apathy. For I had sold all my earthly possessions and made peace with anyone I felt I had wronged.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure the weird hermit down the street and the librarian who continually fines me appreciated it. However, as I am now forced to buy another car, find another job and cancel all the sponsorships of children from places I could never pronounce, the whole experience reeked of another “Wolf” call that I was more than willing to heed. 

The absolute storm that was heaved at Auckland on Friday night piqued my interest as an actual precursor to the action. As it turned out, the only judgement came in the ring as a large contingent of fight fans braved the elements to seek refuge from the torrential downpour inside the Auckland Boxing Association Stadium for the Bruce Glozier promoted Judgement Day 2 boxing show.

Headlined by the WBO Asia Pacific Light Heavyweight title bout contested by Soulan Pownceby and John Conway, the evening presented a mix of corporate and professional bouts showcasing the talents of such names as Afa Tatapu and Robert “The Butcher” Berridge. 

In early corporate boxing action, heavyweight Goliaths Becoy Paleaseina and Mike Tauliili thrilled the crowd in a bout that was filled with bombs powerful enough to level a small city. 

Paleaseina went after his opponent from the first bell, winging his dynamite lead hook and throwing everything with bad intentions. Tauliili began to return fire more during the second round, but Paleaseina used his head movement to create countering opportunities. At the end of the round Tauliili had had enough, giving Paleaseina the knockout win.

Top ten Kiwi Heavyweight Afa Tatupu made short work of Lightning Lupe by stopping him in the opening round. Lupe appeared outgunned right from the opening bell. Although game, it wasn’t long before Lupe was trapped against the ropes and under heavy fire that forced his corner to throw in the towel.

New Zealand Light-Heavyweight contender Taito Raturere continued his unbeaten run with a third round TKO win over Peter Tovio. Raturere utilized his advantages in height and reach over the course of the entire bout, becoming more precise as his opponent began to look more wild. Midway through the third round, with their fighter seemingly unable to find a solution, Tovio’s corner wisely halted the fight.

Meanwhile in the main event, it was Soulan Pownceby that retained his WBO Asia Pacific Light Heavyweight title with an eleventh round knockout over seasoned veteran John “The Rebel” Conway. 

Pownceby controlled the action for much of the fight, landing sharp combinations and hard crosses. Conway had more success between round three and six, but Pownceby’s punches looked to be wearing him down. It only seemed like a matter of time over the second half of the fight as Conway continued to eat the punches Pownceby was serving up.

Pownceby lost a point in the eleventh round for leading with his elbow, but he immediately came back and landed a right hand which looked as though it rocked Conway. The ensuing pressure eventually put Conway on the deck. And although he was able to beat the count, the legendary fighter looked like he had run out of steam as the defending champion landed a slew of unanswered punches before the referee stopped the fight in his favour.

It was a superb performance by Pownceby, with bouts both dramatic and captivating; and then, with the rain promising to hang up its gloves and the next biblical rapture now scheduled for October, fight fans could return home knowing they had witnessed something significant. 

RESULTS

Corporate

Coraline Wood beat Chardei Savage by unanimous decision
Andrew Taniwha beat Doug Simpson by knockout in round 2
Becoy Paleaseina beat Mike Tauliili by knockout in round 2
Sione Siale beat Prince Brown by unanimous decision
David Craig beat Steve Raffaelli by unanimous decision
Joe Bethan beat Kuiesa Etuale by unanimous decision

Professional

Lee Oti Tupai beat Filiata Mailata by knockout in round 3
Afa Tatapu beat Lightning Lupe by knockout in round 1
Robbie Berridge beat Mose Ioelu by disqualification in round 2
Taito Raturere beat Peter Tovio by technical knockout in round 3
Soulan Pownceby beat John Conway by knockout in round 11NZFighters article here

Rāhoroi Night Is Alright For Fighting: King of the Ring

Maybe it’s the unpredictability, maybe it was a childhood of Jean-Claude Van Damme movies, or maybe it’s just the fact that I am a product of the YouTube generation, with an attention span so incremental and sporadic that I expect to view an event that is a whole career jammed into one digestible evening. Whatever it may be, I always found myself attracted to tournaments as they always provided unpredictable battles of attrition where there is no way to plan for your opponent. 

And so the ASB Stadium would hold the Elite Thai Kickboxing promoted ‘King Of The Ring’, an action packed affair including an 8 man heavyweight tournament combined with contests for national and world titles. 

Favourites Antz Nansen and Nato Laauli established themselves early with strong performances in their preliminary bouts. In many people’s eyes, the two finalists were sown up however the semi-final matches would test many of the certainties gained for the initial bouts. Antz Nansen would turn out another strong performance in decisioning Henry Taani with the other semi-final, an excitement fest between Joshua ‘Jaguar’ Heta and Nato Laauli, going right down to the wire. After seeming dominant during the first two rounds, Laauli has the fight brought to him by Heta, who is looking to mix it up. The draw declared by the judges only whets the appetite of the crowd as they thirst for another round much like the heavily contested third. When the dust finally settled, it would be Heta whose hand would be raised in a bout that could of gone either way. 

In the first world title bout contested of the evening, Bronwyn Wylie took on Melbourne’s Tegan Papasergi for the WFBK Featherweight title.  The aggressive Wylie pushed forward early while Papasergi tried to establish distance with her kicks.  The Australian just couldn’t keep her opponent off her as Wylie simply walks through anything Papasergi throws. This unrelenting pressure would prove decisive as Wylie is awarded both a unanimous decision and the WKBF Featherweight belt.

Roger Earp was pushed to the wire by Joe Concha in defending his WKBF Junior Lightweight title. Earp started the bout landing combinations however Concha began to work him out and counter effectively. Every round was up for grabs as the two combatants did everything they could to win each three minute stanza. The split decision awarded to Earp would be testament to the competitiveness of the bout.

Three 3 minute rounds is now the only thing that stood between either Antz Nansen or Joshua Heta, $7,000 in prize money and the King of the Ring title. Eleven minutes between challenger and champion with the final a classic battle of pairing an unstoppable force with an immovable object. 

Nansen comes out early exerting pressure and he slips a Heta attempt and lands a four punch combination before the bell.  The intensity is thick in the second round with ‘Notorious’ landing heavy punches. Heta is as tough as they come and exchanging willingly but a spinning backfist gets his attention. In one of the most exciting rounds witness in New Zealand kickboxing, Heta and Nansen go toe-to-toe in the final stanza.  Nansen’s spinning backfists and right hands seem to be the defining factors, although this is something that can only be assumed by the sound they make as Heta doesn’t believe in taking backward steps. After three gruelling battles, ‘Notorious’ Antz Nansen would be crowned ‘King of the Ring.’

The crew at Elite Thai Kickboxing succeeded in putting on another entertaining show.  All bouts exciting and consequential, all fighters game and without any lull in the action. This would lead to one reporter being heavily entertained.

King of the Ring Results

Oneil Wiperi (SMAC) beat Ricky Hita (ETK) by unanimous decision

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King of the Ring Tournament Preliminaries

Nato Laauli (Alpha Thai Boxing, Wellington) beat Tafa Misipati (ETK, Auckland) by unanimous decision

Antz Nansen (ETK, Auckland) beat Junior Ioane (Highlanders, Napier) by TKO-R1    

Josh 'Jaguar' Heta beats Omar Gabriel by unanimous decision

Henry Taani (South Auckland Lee Gar, Auckland) beats Sasha Kunts (City Lee Gar) by unanimous decision

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King of the Ring Tournament Semi-Finals

'Notorious' Antz Nansen (ETK, Auckland) beat Henry Taani (South Auckland Lee Gar, Auckland)

The fight between Josh 'Jaguar' Heta (Sa Ming Jai, Northland) and Nato Laauli (Alpha Thai Boxing, Wellington) was declared a draw after three rounds. After a fourth round, Heta was declared the winner.

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James Gordon (ETK) beat Rod MacSwain (STRIKEFORCE) by split decision

Bronwyn Wylie (ETK) beat Tegan Papasergi (HANGAR 4, MELBOURNE) by unanimous decision

'WILD' Roger Earp (Elite Thai Kickboxing) beat Joseph Concha (BULLDOG GYM, SYDNEY) by split decision

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King of the Ring Tournament Final
Antz 'Notorious' Nansen (ETK, Auckland) beat Josh 'Jaguar' Heta (Sa Ming Jai, Northland) by unanimous decisionNZFighters article here

Armageddon It – Shuriken MMA on the Shore

Brotherhood. It's a term used to describe a collective of people whose shared experience or beliefs are so great that it literally binds them like family. Brotherhood transcends race, creed, class, geographic location and, when it counts, it is your brothers that pick you up and dust you off.

And thus was the case with Shuriken MMA South Africa, who graciously accepted our hospitality in providing opposition at the MMA show Armageddon, held last Saturday on Auckland's North Shore; with the proceeds helping to rebuild Strike Force Canterbury, which was severely damaged in both the September and February earthquakes. Tragically, South African coach Kevin Thomas passed away in the week leading up to the fight, and all involved champed at the bit for the chance to honour what was lost.

The local MMA community came out in full force, to the tune of 2200 fans packing the North Shore Events Centre and filling the rest of the space with their vocal support. A cocktail of kickboxing and both A and B class MMA bouts awaited, headlined by three professional bouts between the South African and Kiwi contingents.

Colossus Geoffrey Ruaporo was explosive in making short work of TJ Masters. Clearly intent on swinging for the fences, Ruaporo’s first landed right hand put Masters down and the follow-up pressure was a mere formality.

Selby Devereux faced off against Fernando Junior in a tough bout dominated (at least early) by ground work. All Junior’s hard work would come unstuck in the third, however, as a simple slip was pounced on by Devereux, who worked for his opponent’s back before sinking in a rear naked choke.

In a fight of the night performance, Mikaele Maliefulu weathered some vicious ground and pound before stopping Leo Pole with strikes. The fight was all Pole for the first two rounds, until he was dropped by a hard right in the third round. Rather than capitulate, Pole made this a genuine ‘fasi’ as the two stood toe-to-toe. Maliefulu continued to get the better of the exchanges, and the referee called it off as Pole was not actively defending himself.

In the co-headliner, crowd favourite Brandon Ropati squared off against South African James Rennie. Both fighters had some success on the ground, but Ropati’s size and strength proved to be the determining factor as he ground out a unanimous decision win.

Main event fighters, Cole Davids (NZ) and Donavin Hawkey (South Africa), put on a clear fight of two halves. Hawkey’s power and precision punching controlled the show early as every punch he threw was crisp and intended to hurt. His hands appeared to be too much, until mid-way through the second round. Davids swept Hawkey from the bottom and mounted; from where he started throwing the kitchen sink at a seemingly tired Hawkey. The referee had seen enough at this point and rightfully called off the contest.

Full credit to the worldwide Shuriken family, who put on perhaps the best MMA show seen on our fair shores. Regardless of result, all the fighters' efforts were a fitting tribute to the MMA brotherhood, Strike Force Canterbury and I am sure Thomas would only have been proud with the warriors on display.

RESULTS

Professional

Cole Davids (Strikeforce) beat Donavin Hawkey (KTFA/Shurikan SA) by TKO (strikes) in the 2nd round

Brandon Ropati (Gracie Barra) beat James Rennie (KTFA/Shurikan SA) by unanimous decision

Ronald Dlamini (KTFA/Shurikan SA) beat Damian Lee (Gracie Barra) by unanimous decision

Amateur

Mikaele Maliefulu (Gracie Barra) beat Leo Pole (Strikeforce) by TKO (strikes) in the 3rd round

Selby Devereux (Gracie Barra) beat Fernando Junior (Tu Kaha Gym) by submission (rear naked choke) in the 3rd round

Lance Vale (Shuriken MMA) beat Leka Skipworth (Strikeforce) by KO (strike) in the 1st round

Victor Kalolo (Shuriken MMA) beat Mark Jelicich (Tu Kaha Gym) by TKO (strikes) in the 3rd round

Arthur Laske (Shuriken MMA) beat Hakopa Hux Wilkie (Tu Kaha Gym) by majority decision

Adam Christian (Shuriken MMA) beat Luwayne Lowe (Ground Control) by unanimous decision

Geoffrey Ruaporo (Strikeforce) beat TJ Masters (Roney BJJ) by TKO (strikes) in the 1st round

Sese Start (Strikeforce) beat Marley Mackay (Shuriken MMA) by submission (rear naked choke) in the 1st round

Kavi Rai (Auckland MMA) beat Kadin Leuten (Roundhouse Kickboxing) by split decision

Alex Redhead (Tu Kaha Gym) beat Adam Wellington (Shuriken MMA) by submission (rear naked choke) in the 1st round

Michael Hunter (Submission MMA) beat Dave Lucas (Shuriken MMA) by split decision

Caleb Lally (Roney BJJ) beat Matt McMeeking (Shuriken MMA) by unanimous decision

Kickboxing

Ev Ting (Auckland MMA) beat Jimmy Moorhouse (Roundhouse Kickboxing) when the referee stopped the bout due to injury

Jessie Sabine (Shuriken MMA) beat Ruiha Epiha by split decisionNZFighters article

Pro-Am Boxing Revillations

Original can be found here

Located in the heart of the Pakuranga/Howick region, Lloyd Elsmore Park enriched my youth. Whether it was rugby, badminton, swimming, skateboarding, boxing training or simply venturing down to the netball courts on windy days, I seemed to gravitate there unconsciously. So it was almost a no-brainer that I was at the Pakuranga United Rugby Football Club to watch a night of Pro-Am boxing courtesy of Revill’s Boxing Gym as, geographic alliances aside, their cards have always been outstanding.

Headlined by the much anticipated Jake Revill versus Monte Filimaea rematch, this card would boast nine amateur, corporate and professional fights; which included Kylie Revill Bell’s first professional venture, as well as showcasing local talents Braveley Meti-Matau and Ethan Kulatea.

The East Auckland massive was clearly in attendance as I entered to a crowd full of familiar faces. And as if part of some grand cosmic scheme, I couldn’t be more on time.

Young prospect Braveley Meti-Matau turned out another aggressive performance in winning a decision over Joe Williams early in the card. His hand speed, combination punching and ring generalship held firm for the first couple of rounds, whilst Williams’ efforts were game but mostly ineffective – eating four and only throwing out one punch.

A Williams counter got the attention of his opponent early in the third round, but this only seemed to inspire him further. Meti-Matau’s conditioning and constant pressure still had Williams backing up constantly, from where he was forced to land single counters. By the end of the third, the opinion of both the crowd and the judges was unanimous.

In a corporate welterweight bout, Kylie Revill Bell faced off against Keena Payne. The crowd support was huge for Revill Bell, who had evident advantages in size and strength. Payne was a buzz-saw of activity, throwing flurries of punches, but seemed wary after being caught by Revill Bell’s sledgehammer right hands. She managed a nice right hand counter before the end of the opening stanza, but the ferocity of her attacks seemed draining. Styles were contrasting for the remainder of the bout: Payne attacking like a swarm of bees whilst Revill Bell looked for openings for her right.

Payne’s countering was paying dividends during the second round, as she was able to hurt her foe, and was attempting to walk her down. Fortunes changed, courtesy of a Revill Bell right, and Payne’s legs buckled before she was able to use her footwork and dance out of trouble. The fight was competitive down to the end as Revill Bell poured it on during the final 30 seconds, only too aware that the bout could swing either way. Looking at these two blondes, the saying “a draw is like kissing your sister” only gave the patrons hope, as both participants were awarded a majority equal prize.

Boxing, by nature, is a fairly brutal pursuit. However, some combatants fight with such skill that they help to justify calling the sport “the sweet science.” Enter Siona Fernandez, who displayed one of the most polished and well-rounded skill sets I have ever witnessed in a women’s bout. Although under-powered, she exhibited a rare display of footwork, head movement, hand speed, combination punching and countering that was close to mesmerizing.

Her opponent, Marie O’Neill, came forward throwing power punches, but Fernandez was able to dodge most of these with Matrix-like efficiency while boxing cleverly off the back foot. Every time O’Neill was able to land her right hand, Fernandez’s return efforts made her foe seem almost clumsy in her execution. O’Neill came out breathing fire in the final round; however Fernandez was clearly made of something not of this world, as she shook off anything landed and used her all-around class to take a majority decision.

The first time Monte Filimaea took on Jake Revill, it was an overly messy and heated affair. The ferocity of the bout, regardless of the result, and the obvious ill feeling they both had towards each other, only galvanized the collective desire of the audience at the time for another go around. A grudge match would NEED to happen, and all bets were off.

The animosity between both was clearly visible before the bout, regardless of the lighting, and both burned holes in each other with steely gazes. Filimaea has improved in leaps and bounds since coming under a new trainer, and looked to be in great condition, while Revill was every bit the top 10 Cruiserweight that he is rated.

A Revill right hand had Filimaea down early but his mauling style meant Revill couldn’t get the distance he needed. He took this a little far, though, and was docked a point for hitting after the bell. Revill relaxed a little more in the second, and was winning the exchanges and not letting Filimaea close the distance.

After being penalized another point for excessive holding, Filimaea was again down from another right hand. There was no love lost in this bout as Revill fired combinations with murderous intentions. Clearly frustrated, it seemed Filimaea was not bothered by the final bell and was keen to continue – settings be damned. Revill’s dominance was only confirmed by this return bout as he took a wide unanimous decision.

After this second domination by Jake Revill, one must ask “what’s next?” The best answer (after consulting the rankings provided by BoxRec) would seem to be Areta Gilbert; who has been in losing efforts to Shane Chapman and Robbie Berridge, but currently sits higher than Revill in the rankings. If he could get past him then higher profile bouts with Chapman and Berridge would only beckon.

Fight Results

Johnny Gose (Papatoetoe Boxing) beat Jarrah Swann (Whangarei Boxing) by majority decision

Braveley Meti-Matau (Revill’s Boxing Gym) beat Joe Williams (Kaio Boxing) by unanimous decision

Panuve Helu (Lolo’s Boxing) beat Rangi Rokena (Kaio Boxing) when the referee stopped the contest in the first round

The bought between Kylie Revill Bell and Keena Payne ended in a majority draw

Aneel Pillay (Papatoetoe Boxing) beat Joel Smith (Kaio Boxing) by unanimous decision

Ethan Kulatea (Revill’s Boxing Gym) beat Jarrah Swann (Whangarei Boxing) when the referee stopped the contest in the first round

Siona Fernandez (Focus Fit) beat Marie O’Neill (Boxfit) by majority decision

Anthony Helu (Papatoetoe Boxing) beat Dempsey Wilkins (Lolo’s Boxing) by majority decision

Professional

Jake Revill beat Monte Filimaea by unanimous decision

Pacific Boxers out in Force for Tua's Backyard Brawl

Original can be found here

A strong Pacific influence was everywhere to be found at boxing legend David Tua's Backyard Brawl, as the vibrant colours and sounds of the region filled the TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre. The card ahead had a particular Island flavour, and the Usos had clearly come out in force to back not only David Tua, but all the Samoan fighters on display. Floral shirts and lavalava's were the norm and "cha-hoo" echoed enormous as the crowd swelled to over a thousand hungry fight fans.

Almost consciously removed from the magnitude of Tua's homecoming, the undercard provided a steady and entertaining ramp to the main event that featured a high calibre of fighter, including Samoan national champions and a former world titlist.

New Zealand boxing and kickboxing institution, John Conway, took his second step back on the comeback trail with a tough, although unanimous, decision win over human anvil Fale Saialoa. The early rounds were spent with Conway displaying the versatility and nous in his hands as he was able to control most of the exchanges. Saialoa became more aggressive in the third round, a strategy which culminated in the fourth and final round when he was able to floor an off balance Conway with a counter hook.

In certainly the most dramatic fight of the night, Afa Tatupu battered Junior Iakopo until the referee called a halt to the action in the second round. King Afa asserted his strength early, as he was able to drop his foe with the first hard combination he threw. Iakopo wasn't about to take this sitting down (literally and figuratively) as he came back to hurt Tatupu with looping shots. The rest of the opening round played out like a group of kids with fireworks: many explosions and a high chance of someone being seriously hurt. This would prove to be the case in the second, as Tatupu punched in sustained combination while Iakopo threw hard singles. With Tatupu still pressing, and Iakopo not offering any resistance, the man in the middle wisely called a halt to the entertainment.

Samoan Commonwealth Games representative, Leti Leti, made short work of journeyman Paz Viejo. Action was heavy early, with Leti's right hand being the most dominant force. Viejo attempted to rally, but was wobbled by a Leti right. Viejo then attempted to clown off the ropes one time too often and walked straight into an uppercut which stretched him out violently. The referee had no need to count, and the bout was called off in the opening stanza.

In the main undercard bout, former WBA world titlist Masalino Masoe returned to the ring, after an almost two-year absence, to fight Kashif Mumtaz. Despite inactivity and increased age, Masoe's class was immediately evident as he scored a hard knockdown with his first right hand. Mumtaz took heavy fire throughout the first, and was also forced to take a knee before the round finished. As hard as he tried, Masoe was clearly too many levels above Mumtaz, and his head was repeatedly snapped back by right hands and lead hooks. Still, Mumtaz's gameness could not be questioned, until midway through the fourth round when a cracking combination dropped him for the count.

Contact Crispin Anderlini to order images from specific fights onCrispin@NZFighters.com

RESULTS

Heavyweight
John Conway beat Fale Saialoa by unanimous decision

Heavyweight
Afa Tatupu beat Junior Iakopo by TKO in round 2

Super Middleweight
The bout between Pele Faumuina and Gunner Jackson was declared a majority draw

Middleweight
Leti Leti beat Paz Viejo by KO in round 1

Light Heavyweight
Niusila Sieuli beat Warren Fuiava by split decision

Cruiserweight
Vaitele Soi beat Oscar Siale by split decision

Super Middleweight
Maselino Masoe beat Kasif Mumtaz by KO in round 4

TUA-LITY at David Tua's Backyard Boxing Brawl

Original can be found here

The moon is undoubtedly a powerful force. Whether its hitting your eye like a big pizza pie or turning people into werewolves, its by-and-large used as an excuse for polarizing behaviour. Enter David Tua, whose 18-year professional boxing career has seen him fight under two distinct guises: the aggressive power-punching Jekyl, or the lackluster Hyde. As the perigree moon hung enormous in the Manukau sky, one wondered exactly just what David Tua we would see.

Although he would come away with a wide decision win over American journeyman Demetrice King, we would see a mix of personalities as, after ten rounds of actions, all three judges gave South Auckland's favourite son the nod; and Tua his 52nd win in 57 professional boxing contests.

Fighting in his home of South Auckland for the first time as a professional, Tua jabbed and looked for openings, while Demetrice King provided a mostly stationary target and failed to capitalise on his considerable advantage in size. Instead of keeping Tua on the end of a stiff jab, he simply walked into Tua's strike zone with his hands held high. Tua bounced shots off of King all evening, and dished out more hooks than a Def Leppard concert, but seemed unable to hurt his foe who implored Tua to give him more. You got the feeling that, given the openings he was presented, the Tua of old would have been able to close the show on his rugged but limited opponent.

In many respects, it seemed clear that the Tua of old is gone. His much vaunted left hook has failed to dent anyone since 2007, his head movement has degraded and he seems unbalanced when taking punches. Don't get me wrong, there were flashes of these traits, however, they were only flashes. At times he looked driven and hungry, punched in fast combination and seemed intent on trying to make it an early night. Quite paradoxically, his left hand seems to be an old dog that has learned new tricks. Tua often doubled and sometimes tripled up on the jab, which was stiff and King's main deterrent.

Although Tua weighed in at 254 pounds, this seems to be about the right weight. He has looked too drained in his last couple of outings. His improvement in stamina has been evident nonetheless, and the whirlwind of pressure he asserted in the final seconds of the fight was a tactic that could have been employed more often. Offensively, the addition of a hard jab, and the use of more right hands upstairs, show that he is certainly able to adapt and learn as a fighter. When throwing in combination, Tua looked crisp and far less reliant on landing his infamous left hook.

Talks of potential bouts with either Evander Holyfield or a rematch with Monte Barrett will do little to help his cause. There are many fighters ranked in the top 15 by the four major sanctioning bodies who are better strategic choices. A third fight with Hasim Rahman seems the most obvious as he is ranked 15th by the WBC, is a ‘name' opponent who would only add to the money aspect and Tua already owns a stoppage win over the former world champion (as well as a draw). Since their 2004 draw, Rahman has actively called Tua out. Even offering to fight in New Zealand.

If Tua is serious about contending at a high level again, then acceptable efforts against fighters with losing records are not going to get him there. He needs to be impressive. He needs to be explosive. He needs to be David Tua.

Mixed Judgement

Original can be found here

I am instantly impressed with the setup inside the ASB Stadium. ‘Judgement Day' looks remarkably like a ball and, like the balls I encountered in high school, I once again find myself dateless. However, this evening would provide 13 corporate and professional bouts, which is significantly more than my high school ball provided (although I hadn't been power chugging cheap alcohol in the car park tonight). Ahead of me was a regional world title fight, a four man tournament and the return to the ring of New Zealand kickboxing and boxing legend John "The Rebel" Conway. People were slow to file in but the stadium was all but full by the time the card began and the room brimmed with anticipation.

Patrons got to view a great stylistic match up between power-boxer Filipo Fonoti and defensive counterpuncher Atalili Fai. Fonoti came out looking very sharp in the opening round, rocking his opponent with solid right hands. Early in the second round, Fai is dropped to one knee by a Fonoti right hand before he is able to create countering opportunities and capitalize on his opponent's mistakes. Fonoti's muscular frame provide his fists with more than enough gunpowder and, although Fai is able to slip most his punches, those that do land hurt. The intensity hasn't waned in the third round and, every time he seems hurt, Fai manages to move and counter which is keeping Fonoti honest. The bout ends with all three judges giving it to Filipo Fonoti.

After an eight year absence, John "The Rebel" Conway returned to the ring to match his skills against Nuisila Seiuli. Conway comes out superbly confident and his pedigree immediately shows as he is able to land with his nifty hands. Although Seiuli his some sting in his punches, he is unable to worry Conway who is generally a couple of skillsets above. The veteran of 150+ fights in both boxing and kickboxing, is putting on a show for the crowd however you would think that he would be better served focusing his efforts on stopping Seiuli as he is clearly overmatched. The education in his hands and the granite in his chin have Conway winning every round on his way to a decision that was never going to be anything but unanimous.

The four man tournament final pitted dual southpaws Roger Adlam against Ryan Atkins. Adlam boxes clever early but, as he tires, Atkins is able to walk through his punches. The second round sees Atkins able to start open up with his hands and stringing together punches. The final stanza is heavily contested as both gladiators fight fiercely. An Atkins left wobbles Adlam, which is the most definitive punch in the fight, and swings the round in Atkins' favour. Ryan Atkins walks away the winner of the Judgement Day Four Man Tournament with a hard fought majority decision.

In the headlining fight, Serge Yannick defended his interim PABA supper middleweight title against Prince Hamid. Yannick sets the tone early, walking Hamid down, landing hard combinations and cracking his opponent with hard lead hooks. Yannick is winning every exchange from the get go and Hamid seems frustrated. He is not establishing any kind of jab as Yannick is able to close the distance untouched. Hamid's frustration is ever more evident after taking a shot that was slightly south of the border as he complains vigorously to the referee and to his opponent. It is more of the same until the middle of the fourth round as Hamid's anger towards his imminent defeat boils over and he unleashes a knee to Yannick's torso. The referee is merciless and immediately disqualifies Hamid to a chorus of boos from the crowd.

Glozier/Raffaeli and Ring Side promotions fared ok in their latest card. They were seriously hampered by a lot of withdrawals and, due to the mismatches that were a result of this, weren't quite able to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. Full credit to both Filipo Finto and Atalili Fai, who provided the most interesting match up of the night. Ryan Atkins seems to thrive in any type of tournament format given his Judgement Day win and success in taking out the Last Man Standing tournament. He is a veritable warrior, like something out of a Jean Claude Van Damme movie, and his style of fighting is always entertaining to watch. Lastly, Serge Yannick looked strong and sharp in able to press all night and force Prince Hamid to disqualify himself. He seemed to simply break Hamid's will and, although the conclusion to the bout was disappointing, his display of skill was impressive.

Contact Stacey Simpkin to order images from specific fights onStacey@NZFighters.com

RESULTS

Denis Suka beat Charley Takanui by knockout in the first round

Jordan Roberts beat David Close by technical knockout in the third round

Barvi Colati beat Danny Ugapo by majority decision

James Anthony beat Tookes Teariki by unanimous decision

Judgement Day Four Man Tournament Preliminary 1
Ryan Atkins beat Ricardo Collado by unanimous decision

Judgement Day Four Man Tournament Preliminary 2
Roger Adlam beat Brendon Lochner by knockout in the first round

Isaac Peach beat Edwin Samy by unanimous decision

Filipo Finot beat Atalili Fai by unanimous decision

Lee Oti beat Fale Saialoa by unanimous decision

John Conway beat Nuisila Seiuli by unanimous decision

Afa Tatapu beat Ronnie Vaasa by knockout in the second round

Judgement Day Four Man Tournament Final
Ryan Atkins beat Roger Adlam by majority decision

PABA Super Middleweight Title Bout

Serge Yannick beat Prince Hamid by disqualification