Boxing: Fighter back with a bang

Napier Pirate Rugby and SPorts Dillion (right) on his way to a unanimous points decision win over Nathan Puega of Napier Technical. Photo / Warren Buckland

Maniapoto wins bout after long injury fight

IT'S been a long road back from a ruptured Achilles for Hawke's Bay boxer Tip Maniapoto.

The crowd of 1100 at Saturday night's Kelt Capital King of Club Rugby Charity boxing event in Taradale's Pettigrew-Green Arena would have found it hard to believe Maniapoto's 83kg pro fight against Aucklander Vaimoli Ioelu was his first in 13 months, had they been told. Maniapoto, 26, was dominant against his 20-year-old opponent on his way to a unanimous points decision win in the four three-minute round contest.

Like Ioelu, Maniapoto, was having his second taste of professional fighting. Superior speed and composure and a bigger repertoire of tactics were the keys to Maniapoto's success.

Ioelu was a late replacement for Napier-based former Australian mixed martial arts exponent Ryan Heketa who withdrew on Wednesday.

"I only found out yesterday I was fighting Vaimoli. Fortunately I was able to find some television coverage of his last fight," Maniapoto, who ruptured his Achilles during training in May, explained.

"I was expecting a hard fight and I just went as hard as I could. I was happy with the result because Vaimoli is a hard boy," Maniapoto, who runs Tip Top Roofing, said.

His Napier Boxing Club trainer Rod Langdon said Manipoto may have another fight in May.

"This was a fantastic result. Tip kept his distance and his composure," Langdon added.

Former Hawke's Bay professional boxer and multiple national title-winning kickboxer Jason Rarere, 47, belied his 12-year retirement during his exhibition bout with another former Bay kickboxer Shaun Rankin. Rarere sent Rankin, 30, to the floor once in the second round and twice in the third and final round.

"I felt good and surprisingly relaxed. It was good to come up with some of the stuff from back in the day," Rarere said.

Despite his success, Rarere said that was the end of his fighting days. He is looking forward to training fighters at the Flaxmere Boxing Academy.

His main reason for stepping into the ring was the opportunity to raise money for the Nga Tukemata O Kahungunu Vocational Trust, which like the Jarrod Cunningham Trust, benefited from funds raised on Sunday night. Last year Rankin said he wanted to use the fight to gauge where he was at in his quest to turn professional.

However, before the fight he told Rarere he has abandoned those plans to focus on his work at the Beast House Training Facility in Napier.

Loosie Kaleb Sweet and midfield back Ted Walters were the only members of last year's Magpies team to fight after halfback Ellery Wilson withdrew with an injury. Taradale's Sweet must have considered himself lucky to have been awarded his unanimous decision win against Clive loosie Rocky Pohatu.

Napier Technical's Walters deserved his unanimous decision victory against Hastings Rugby and Sports midfield back Mike Ward.

Tamatea's Te Mahia Raureti proved she is well on her way to achieving her goal of becoming an amateur boxer with her unanimous points decision win against Havelock North's Rhiarna Ferris in the only female bout.