Boxing: Verdict offers grid to redefine constitution

Poasa Naoia (red), of Flaxmere, and Alastair Young (blue), of Hastings, measure their worth in the novice elite 75kg bout at Hastings Intermediate School on Saturday. Photo / Duncan Brown

It seems victory doesn't need any explanation but in defeat there appears to be a degree of expectation to take stock.

No code illustrates that better than boxing, as some pugilists discovered after their bouts at the Hastings Boxing Academy tournament on Saturday.

"Everybody sees things in a different way," was the evaluation of Napier Boxing Club trainer Ryan Whittaker after his boxer, Amrit Singh, lost by majority decision to Zane Hoole, of Patutahi, in the Open elite 75kg division of the 3 x 3min fight.

"I thought Amrit had done enough but the judges saw it differently," Whittaker said of the 26-year-old liquor outlet manager who intends to compete in his maiden National Championship in Rotorua in July.

Amid the disappointment is the resolute goal of going back to the drawing board to chisel out a better product.

From his trainer's perspective, his fighter made marked improvements following his previous bout against national champion Ryan Scaife, who had a narrow win over Singh.

"I'm a strong believer that you learn more from losses than a win," Whittaker said, mindful his fighters tend to work on what is perceived to be the reasons for their demise.

"Last night Amrit hurt that guy but a couple of times let him get away with it," he said, harbouring big hopes for his impending professional career under the trainer's father-in-law, Rod Langdon.

Whittaker's other fighter, Derrick Tuakeu, also succumbed by majority decision, losing to Aisea Lea, of Wainuiomata, in the Open elite 81kg division at the Hastings Intermediate School gym in the 19-fight card.

Whittaker said it was Tuakeu's first fight in seven months but it was a testimony of his character that yesterday morning he was back at the Napier gym sparring again.

Tuakeu, who has only three defeats from 17 bouts, is on the card to fight in Palmerston North on May 21 with the bigger picture of going to the nationals.

So is Hastings academy fighter Saili Fiso after a unanimous decision over Jordan McConnachie, of Porirua, in their novice elite 75kg fight.

"I went all right. I could have done better," said Fiso who felt his footwork, speed and fitness needed attention.

"By the time the third round came around I was feeling it but I kept my composure a little," said the 22-year-old barber from Flaxmere who appreciated the raucous support from friends and family.

Organiser Craig McDougall said Peter O'Reilly (Heretaunga) and Michael Reynolds (Kapiti) exhibited the quality boxing of the promotion in their Open youth 64kg bout.

O'Reilly, who had decked his opponent three weeks ago, won unanimously on Saturday but the pair would represent the country, McDougall said.

"Peter was stronger but he's 20, and Michael's about 17 so that was the only difference," he said of O'Reilly, whose trainer is Grant Scaife.

In the derby thriller, Sam Nicol, of Hastings, posted a unanimous decision over Callum Shanks, of Central Hawke's Bay, in their Open 46kg fight in their 3 x 2min rounds.

"They have had a few fights together."

McDougall said several trainers and coaches were delighted with the promotion, after he instigated a boxing revival last year following Hawke's Bay's last amateur promotion in 1998.

"We ended up with 300 fans so it worked out well," he said, adding the Flaxmere Boxing Academy was keen to stage one next year.

Whittaker said he was 100 per cent behind McDougall's quest to take the code back to the halcyon days.

"We're sparring in Flaxmere already so it's very good for the Bay," the Napier trainer said.