Scoop.co.nz
Oli Filimaua the mandatory challenger for the Samoa welterweight title has an offer to fight in New Zealand in September, but first he needs to win next Tuesday’s main event of the Samoa Pro Am Fights against the title holder Ionatana Pula.
According to Teleiai Edwin Puni of Event Polynesia, Samoa Pro Am Fights promoter, “There are only three senior welterweight boxers locally. For Filimaua to make a career out of boxing, he needs to fight overseas.”
“At the moment Pula is standing in the way of Filimaua clocking in his first professional fight in New Zealand and Filimaua knows that,” said Teleiai.
Tuesday’s ten rounds by three minutes contest between the veteran champ Pula of Tanugamanono and Filimaua, the new kid on the block from Fagalii and Fa’ala, promises to be a toe to toe explosion of different fight styles.
Pula comes into the fight as the more experienced with nineteen pro fights and the heavy puncher of the two. Filimaua has the advantage of being twelve years younger with a pro record of five fights, winning four with one draw.
According to Filimaua, “After winning my last fight in December, I approached Event Polynesia to discuss my ranking and challenge for the Samoa Welterweight title.”
Teleiai said, “Pula’s return from New Zealand last year made it possible to lock gate this exciting match up. Pula had not defended his title for a while due to the lack of a credible challenger. Filimaua has the merits and has put his hand up.”
Ale Vena Ale, Secretary General of the South Pacific Boxing Incorporated has confirmed that Event Polynesia’s request for the Samoa Welterweight Title to be contested had been granted. The fight will also be sanctioned and officiated by SPBI.
While the heavyweight division had always been the main event attraction of most boxing promotions, Manny Pacquiao ‘Pac Man’ of the Philippines have changed all that by making the light divisions the money fights.
Pacquiao is the current World Boxing Organisation welter weight champion. Has a pro record of fifty six (56) fights, fifty one (51) wins thirty eight (38) by way of KO with two (2) draw and three (3) losses. His last four fights, against Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Angel Cotto and Joshua Clottey, have earned him the bragging rights to the title ‘The Greatest.’
There you have it Pula and Filimaua, lighter boxers can change the landscape of world boxing.
Tickets to the Samoa Pro Am Fights now sold at JP Fitness (Vaimea), Hennies Sports Bar (Fugalei), Maroon Boy’s Corner (Apia). Group discounts available by contacting Event Polynesia office (+685) 28802.
Source: scoop.co.nz
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