Whanganui's Chili Palmer lands a jab on Dannevirke's Connor Anderson at the River City Boxing Club tournament on Saturday evening.
Whanganui's Chili Palmer lands a jab on Dannevirke's Connor Anderson at the River City Boxing Club tournament on Saturday evening.
It was a good Saturday night for the visitors at the River City Boxing Club's tournament, picking up victories over the local favourites.
Whanganui's Jesse Malcolm found himself elevated to the main event of the 13 fight card, after clubmate Egelani Taito withdrew from his planned second bout of thenight against Wellington's Thomas Russell.
Earlier in the night, Taito, 25, lost a points decision to big Taupo fighter Jayden Bell, 18, and it was felt ringside that the damage done in the tough matchup was enough for one night.
So Malcolm went on last against cagey Wellingtonian Raymond De Los Santos, who would go on to claim a comfortable unanimous points decision.
Santos knew how to change levels against the taller Malcolm, moving up and down to nullify the local boy's jab, before stinging him with hooks and body shots.
While the referee warned Santos for not listening to instruction, the first round was his comfortably.
Malcolm looked to swing the momentum after the resumption as he exploded with a series of jabs, but Santos kept coming forward and landed a good shot, getting his first standing eight count.
He looked to get in some rapid combinations, but Malcolm still had his jab, as both fighters went cautious approaching the bell.
Needing something to pull out the fight, Malcolm tried to open up Santos' defence, but a winging hook caught him flush and resulted in another standing eight count.
Both fighters tied the other up and grappled into the corners as Malcolm looked for a big shot, but Santos comfortably ducked away to sweep all three rounds.
Malcolm's older brother Judah pulled out of his match due to his previous back injury, while Chili Palmer was beaten by Dannevirke's Connor Anderson in the opening fight of the card.
However, there was some good news as River City's youngest fighter Trinity Albert won a split decision in her debut over Dannevirke's Tyla Nikora-Doyle.
Not showing the nerves she was feeling, 11-year-old Albert started well with some good jabs, often making Nikora-Doyle turn around to dash back and get some distance, which she was eventually warned about by the referee.
The visiting fighter was more focused at the start of the second round, rocking Albert's head back with a great jab, before landing some combinations.
Albert reasserted herself by attacking and forcing Nikora-Doyle into the corner before she again ran back, yet her earlier flurry would have still won the round.
Albert kept coming in the final round, knocking Nikora-Doyle for a spin, this time with the referee checking her and explaining she could not keep turning her back, with Albert getting in a few more shots before the bell to ensure she got the decision.
The River City club is looking to host another tournament for the year sometime in mid-November.
Porirua's Jordan McConnachie slugs it out with Wellington's Desmond Jones.
