Women's tag teams steal show

A sell-out crowd enjoyed some spectacular action at the Featherston Muay Thai Club's Rumble in the'Rapa tournament, held in the Featherston Anzac Hall on Saturday night.

The highlight was the first women's tag team fight in New Zealand with the result being Featherston's Eseta Manesa and Ramona Sargent losing in a unanimous decision to SJ McCann and Bailey Palmer from the Muay Thai Institute. The two teams went toe-to-toe and blow-for-blow, with neither prepared to concede.

For Manesa it was an important part of her preparation for the world championships in Russia next month and her coach Kelly Davis was more than happy with her form. Terry Cremen of Featherston also lost by split decision to Sam Speight of Nelson in the bout for the TBA North Island welterweight title.

Cremen dominated the first two rounds, delivering some powerful punches and fierce elbows, and he managed to cut Speight above the eye.

However, it was Speight who showed the greater stamina over the final stages and he did enough to grab the win.

The TBZ national welterweight title was on the line in the fight between MTI's Andrew McGrath and Adam Manisy of Porirua. McGrath needed stitches for a cut after this bout but didn't let that deter him and was rewarded for his grittiness with a good win.

The split weight men's tag team fight between Featherston duo Kirk Davis and Cody Tomuri and Nelson combination Leon Tangaroa and Jahda Wharepapa was action packed, with only one point in it at the end.

Massive flurries of punches and elbows were regularly exchanged between Davis and Tangaroa, while Tomuri and Wharepapa spent the majority of their rounds in a clinch, using their knees and elbows to telling effect.

In the end it was Tangaroa and Wharepapa who took the spoils but it could have gone either way.

Four of the five novice fights featured Featherston club members in Paris Mason, Francis Governor, Matt Shackleton and Joe Wiremu. No winners are declared at novice level.

Results from the amateur section: Kahu Tumai (Nelson) beat Shannon Terrey (Wanganui), Dave Garnett (Napier) beat Sean McKay (Upper Hutt), Pearse Shields (Palmerston North) beat Mike Foy (JAI), Carl Targen (Combat Room) beat George Packer (Nelson), Tommo Ward (JAI) beat Shane Johnson (4 Dragons).