It was evening where trading fists right in the middle of a busy Whanganui nightclub was not only was allowed but enthusiastically encouraged, as The Come Up boxing show provided a fun Saturday at Frank Bar and Eatery.
As the headliners of what was ultimately an eight fight card consisting of three round corporate bouts, Ren Tapa was able to settle his family 'feud' with cousin Andre Taylor by unanimous decision in the main event.
The two proud Maori fighters had a tough act to follow, as the co-main event of Swade Wallace and Dylan Pearce had nearly brought the house down as the estimated 200 patrons were split down the middle for the popular men, backed by Boxon league and Border rugby respectively, with duelling chants from both sides of the ring.
It was also the most athletic and technically proficient bout of the evening from all the first-time competitors, being ruled a draw with two judges favouring the opposite fighter and the third calling it a stalemate.
Proceeds from the night will go towards fundraising for the former New Zealand muay thai champion Ra 'Razor' Redden, who sustained serious spinal injuries in a bout late last year.
Emily Kara, the former barmaid turned regular martial arts and boxing competitor, had done very well to pull it all together in her first event as a fight promotor.
"I had a few hiccups during the day, but everything went all good," she said in the ring at the end of the night, while the music was pumping and patrons danced.
"It was really heart warming to see the fighters get in there for their first fight, win or lose."
Kara said it was a "maybe" they would put on another show, and thanked everyone who had assisted in setting it up – particularly River City Boxing Club who provided the ring, while prominent club member and Steelform Wanganui rugby player Viki Tofa refereed all the bouts.
"Seeing the love of everyone having a good time, it just warms our heart," Kara said.
Tapa vs Taylor had some fun pre-fight festivities as Tapa received a rousing haka from his supporters after entering the ring, with both men dancing on the spot in each others faces while sporting matching grins.
With the height and reach advantage, Taylor got the first jab in, but Tapa was happy to leap forward to try and score as they circled each other.
Tapa wore a nonplussed expression to throw his cousin off as he connected with another couple of jabs, and let his older cousin know he was still there when he charged across the ring after Taylor turned his back following a big swing.
Round 2 saw Tapa begin to use jabs to the mid-section, while Taylor circled with his hand cocked, looking to unload a big shot, but would be met with a counter punch as both men laughed at each other.
The pace was beginning to tell in Round 3, but Tapa looked the more dangerous as he kept charging in for short bursts, while a tired Taylor swayed onto the ropes, which is where both men finished up, each staggering slightly as they would miss with the big haymakers.
Tapa's aggression was enough to get the nod.
But no-one pushed the pace further or showed more all round skills than Wallace and Pearce, who after eight weeks preparation, on top of Pearce's rugby training and the more 'hard knocks' background of Wallace, appeared the closest to being like fulltime boxers on the night.
The fight played out in the close quarters with a rugby-like atmosphere, with both men's supporters groups chanting for their fighter.
Pearce was in constant motion, staying low in a hard to hit stance, but that meant he struggled to find his range early, while the calm Wallace stalked him and connected the second Pearce stopped, which led to slip.
Wallace also got off a great counterpunch before the bell on the last exchange and looked confident in the break between rounds, raising his arms.
Pearce was more urgent as the second round began, looking to throw more jabs and risk closer exchanges with the upright Wallace, who in turn tried to counter Pearce's low stance with the uppercut.
Come the third round and Pearce likely needed something to bring the judges back around, and he provided it when he caught Wallace well enough to force him back to the ropes, with the Castlecliff rapper coming back and thumping his chest to tell the Waverley beekeeper to keep bringing it.
Wallace kept searching for the uppercut and landed some combinations, including the final jab before the bell, but ultimately the judges could not split the men after six minutes of action.
There were other entertaining brawls from both men and women up and down the card, with Tofa stopping a couple of the fights early when one side was taking too much punishment.
Results
Craig Foote bt Dez Green by ref stoppage; Jimi Sale bt Shawn Willis-Croft by points decision; Sarah Buchanan bt Alyssa Watson by ref stoppage; Jake Oswald bt Tyrel Marino by TKO (towel thrown in); Helena Rattray and Manda Regan was majority draw; Adrian Campbell bt Male Bogileka by unanimous decision.
Co-Main Event: Swade Wallace and Dylan Pearce fought to a draw.
Main Event: Ren Tapa bt Andre Taylor by unanimous decision.