Samoan boxer in Christchurch

Press, 22 June 1989, Page 45

Samoan boxer in Christchurch

A former Western Samoa amateur boxing representative, Ipolito Falaniko, Is to make his Christchurch debut at the Richmond Working Men’s Club on Sunday. Competing from the Woolston Working Men’s Club gymnasium, Falaniko has lived up to his reputation since arriving in this country late last year. Falaniko has won both his bouts, the second by a knock-out in the South Island Golden Gloves tournament at Temuka with what his trainer, John Mitchell, described as “a perfect body punch.” A featherweight, Falaniko’s early promise

earned him Western Samoan selection as a 16-year-old at the 1985 Oceania Games. He will have a tough opponent in Shane Samuel, of Auckland, in his first Christchurch fight. Samuel has also competed at Oceania level. Twice this season Samuel had met the equally highly regarded Trevor Shailer (Palmerston North). Samuel won first-up, but conceded a 2-3 majority points verdict at the North Island Golden Gloves. It is planned that Falaniko will be matched with Shailer in the inter-island and Commonwealth Games trials

tournament at Timaru late next month. Whether Mr Mitchell is actually in Falaniko’s corner on Sunday will depend on the punctuality of air flights from Auckland. Mr Mitchell will be officiating with the South Island junior and intermediate squad in its defence of the Golden Gloves Challenge Trophy at Auckland on Saturday night. South has won two of the three previous contests before being held to a draw last year. Jason Neilson (Woolston) is the only Christchurch boxer in the South squad now that the opponent for

Jason Perreau (Bell’s) has withdrawn. The bouts are.— Junior — 39, Donovan Hall (Temuka) v. P. Seymour (Kawerau); 41, A. Kenny (Lawrence) v. B. Oliver (Hutt Valley); 45, M. Williams (Gore) v. K. Thickpenny (Ngaruawahia); 48, S. Phillips (Gore) v. D. Huff (Gisborne); 52, J. Neilson (Christchurch) v. W. Wood (Kaeo); 54, Dion Hall (Temuka) v. M. Owen (Gisborne); 57, K. Forbes (Invercargill) v. N. Dyne (Hutt Valley). Intermediate — 63.5, S. Henderson (Gore) v. T. Peterson (Hamilton); 75, B. Thomas (Invercargill) v. S. Gay (Kawerau).