It was an all-out combat for the 12 pro and amateur boxers who took part in the Niugini Professional Boxing event staged at the Sports Inn club over the weekend.
Tournament coordinator, Elvin Wafewa, was pleased with the turnout of the competition, noting that a good number of amateur fighters did well against their more professional opponents, and had won.
In front of a near capacity Sports Inn club arena, with alot of tournament sponsors, friends and family bringing the house down with every good punch landed.
But it was perhaps the Light-Heavyweight fight between the more experienced John Korake, and Michael Green, that shook the arena as spectators cheered on.
Korake, with a wealth of experience under his belt, kept his opponent in the blue corner guessing with teasing jabs and punches to head in the 6th round, before unleashing a powerful left and right combination whilst having Green cornered, untimely winning the round by a technical knock-out or, TKO.
The Middleweight bout was a showdown of speed, and power punches thrown left to right by Elias Basa, and Bostoni Elo.
Elo was clinical in his right-hooks, and swift jabs, caught Basa lightheaded in the first round, but the other two rounds would see the Bougainvillean hit back with his left-right combination, sending Elo swerving around the ring.
Basa won the round by unanimous decision.
In the Featherweight division, it was a thrilling contest between amateur-turned-pro-fighter Raka Kauko Jr, and John Herris.
Kauko Jr won the bout after Herris couldn’t continue on in round three.
Tournament coordinator, Elvin Wafewa, said the event was successfully staged and is looking forward to host another competition in March.
The 2017 season, will see the invitation of best fighters from different provinces around Papua New Guinea contesting for the PNG title.
