04.04.06 – Just as you would expect, Aussies and New Zealanders boxing each other provided plenty of exciting fights on Saturday night (apr 1) in Aucklands ABA Stadium. Round after round of action provided the crowd, ranging from corporate newcomers to the regular fight fans, with one of the best night’s of boxing seen in New Zealand in some time..
The main event saw former Algerian Olympian Mohamed Azzaoui, now a New Zealand resident, take on Australain power puncher Costa Chondros.
Azzaoui, boxing behind a high guard and a fast left jab, was too slick for the strong Chondros, continually hitting Chondros with rapid fire jabs.
The decision was never in doubt at the end of six rounds as the world rated Azzaoui took his unbeaten record to 15 wins and two draws.
The main support bout featured Samoan-born Australian Lawrence Tuasa and New Zealand”s Hirewa Te Rangi.
It was a mismatch in two ways, Te Rengi looked double Tuasa’s size, but equalling things out was Tuasa’s world-class skills that left Te Rangi swinging at air for six rounds and losing a decision.
Tuasa and Azzaoui are both world rated cruiserweights that are ready for bigger fights.
Western Australia’s Mark de Mori provided the only KO of the night against Auckland’s own Pati Pati Tua in a heavyweight bout scheduled for four rounds
Pati looked menacing early with powerfull and fast combinations similar to his idol David Tua, but the tide turned in the second when de Mori started to land his jab, which soon followed with an overhand right that caught the off- balance Pati on the side of the head and dropped him to the canvas.
With another knockdown in the second, and one more for good measure in the third, the fight was stopped 2min into the third, saving Pati from uneccesary punishment.
First-up for the Aussie boys was giant John Szegeti against New Zealand’s Sio Vitale, the 6’7 Szegeti is a former professional basketballer that has played all over the world and represented Australia on many occasions.
This time he would be without any team mates, and in the ring with a K1 veteran who was hoping to chop down the tree in Szegeti. With both boys weighing in at 113 kg, you could have mistaken this fight for Godzilla vs King Kong.
With Vitale getting in close to stay away from Szegeti’s giant reach and Szegeti trying to keep things at long range, it got a little messy and was a hard fight to score.
In the end the judges favoured Szegeti’s work with the jab and gave him a close decision.
The night kicked off with a female bout between local lightweights Karen Lynch and Stacey Pakau. It was a classic boxer versus puncher match- up with non- stop fireworks. Karen is the superior boxer but Stacey is a devastating puncher that looked dangerous whenever she let her hands go. At the end of the fight Karen won a close decion, which could have gone either way.
Promoters Heartland boxing plan on making these cards a regular fixture on the Auckland fight scene.