Boxing: Charity event a knockout

Tamatea's veteran prop Colin Mataira, left, was the winner after taking just 23 seconds to end former New Zealand Maori loosie and Magpies captain Mutu Ngarimu's stint in the ring. Photo / Duncan Brown

Expect Hawke's Bay's Kings of Club Rugby charity boxing night to become an annual event, possibly held at a bigger venue.

"We're rapt with the night," co-organiser and one of the participants, Magpies halfback Chris Eaton, said.

"Apart from someone letting off fireworks in the gym foyer it was successful. I know there is talk suggesting we should take it to a bigger venue and that's something we may look at closer to the time of the next one," Eaton added, reflecting on Saturday night's inaugural event in front of a sellout crowd of 800 at Lindisfarne College.

The Kelt Capital-sponsored event was staged as a fundraiser for the Jarrod Cunningham Trust, and Auckland-based 9-year-old Lili Reynolds, who was diagnosed with a brain tumour when she was 5.

Eaton said several bills needed to be paid before the final amount raised for the two causes would be known.

Eaton was one of four fighters knocked out during the event. He was dominating his bout against 21-year-old Clive premier reserve grader Toby Konia before Konia staged a gutsy comeback and knocked Eaton out in the third and final round.

Tamatea's veteran prop Colin Mataira won the prize for the best knockout after taking just 23 seconds to end former New Zealand Maori loosie and Magpies captain Mutu Ngarimu's stint in the ring.

The most controversial selection on the card, former Magpies prop Whetu Barber, also had a short bout when the referee stopped it in the first round and declared it a draw, as Barber's opponent, Hastings Rugby and Sports prop Dennis Tapusoa, had a cut above the eye.

Many pundits felt Barber should not have been allowed to fight in the wake of the life ban handed to him last year by the Waikato Rugby Union for punching referee Mark Ray while playing for Otorohanga against Morrinsville, in a Waikato premier B fixture.

There was no shortage of fireworks in the bout between Clive's James Tango and Tamatea's Henare Harris, which Tango won by a split decision. This contest deserved the fight of the night prize.

The eagerly-awaited clash between Havelock North's Luke Ottley and Clive's Ray Karauria ended in a points win to Ottley. Karauria called for a rematch.

"I'll train for six weeks instead of five next time. Luke had four lucky punches tonight," Karauria said.

"Ray came up with everything I expected but I did enough to hang on," Ottley said. "I'll have to see how the body is this time next year before I think about a rematch."

The feature bout between Maraenui clubmates and fellow kickboxers Shaun Rankin and Angus Benson was drawn. Benson said he found the boxing as intense as his kickboxing and he would be keen for a rematch.

"It was so close we definitely need another one. We both took some heavy blows and that's why neither of us could capitalise on our opportunities towards the end. And that chin of Angus' ... it's like concrete."