Martial arts: Whanganui fighters put on a show in front of packed house

Swade Wallace was on point on Saturday night, becoming a two time New Zealand champion after defeating Deej Edwards for the NZ light heavyweight title. Photo / Glen Hart

Whanganui's Swade Wallace capped off a winning display by local fighters at Saturday's Night of Assassins event, with organiser Kyle Gallacher hailing it the most successful one so far.

Springvale Stadium was filled to the brim, with hundreds of fight fans filling up the floor and the grandstand.

Whanganui fighters were littered all over the card, with a local competing in 11 of the 12 fights, providing those in attendance with a variety of slugfests and technical battles over the event.

Gallacher said he was amazed by the number of people who came to watch the action.

"It's always a big event, but this was by far our biggest one yet. I was blown away. The crowd was amazing. The energy was off the charts."

Wallace looked composed and in control at all times, throwing vicious kicks and keeping Hawke's Bay's Deej Edwards at range throughout the contest before the referee stopped the fight in the fourth round.

Taking home the New Zealand light heavyweight title, Wallace is now a champion in two different weight categories.

"He is a true champion. His mindset is unmatched and he just continues to grow," Gallacher said.

In the other headline bout, Awa Kings' Haimona Tamati defeated Hamilton's Kristian Karaitiana in a tightly contested fight, winning by decision and taking home the New Zealand cruiserweight title.

"I can say his opponent is at a really high level. I'm really happy for him and the team at Awa Kings, who bring another championship to their gym."

Yassin Yass delivering one of the deadliest shots of the night, stopping the fight in the third round. Photo / Glen Hart

Further down the card, Yassin Yass capped off a strong performance with a spectacular spinning kick to the liver, crippling Jared Eveleigh and forcing the referee to stop the fight in the third round.

"He has drastically improved over the years and he had an amazing performance."

Heavyweight Earl-Jay Pehi was another standout, delivering heavy leg kicks all fight on his way to a commanding victory.

"He won in dominant fashion and he is well on his way to fighting for a New Zealand title sometime in the future."

Gallacher also tipped his hat to Brett Harvey and Tuhau Williams, both earning stoppages in strong displays.

With six shows now under their belt, they were really starting to hit their stride in knowing how to deliver a successful fight night, Gallacher said.

With the next show locked in for November 13 this year, he was excited to build on what was their most successful event yet.

"From day one, we have continued to grow and expand our shows to give bigger and better fights. We had people from all over the country saying it was one of the best shows they have been to.

"A massive shout-out to the Whanganui community for coming out and supporting our local fighters. They made it an awesome night."