The purple-grey five centimeter scar on Hemi Ahio's chest sits a little left of centre, closer to breastbone than his nipple. Not all that far from his heart, really.
"They put one in me," the 25-year-old Aucklander who would be New Zealand's second genuine heavyweight prospect says of the stab wound. Ahio headlines the Mahindra Super 8 Fight Night, an intriguing card also featuring two four man tournaments, a Monty Betham title shot and a heavyweight battle between league stars Paul Gallen and Bodene Thompson.
With tonight's event likely to attract a decent audience due to the fact it is free to SKY subscribers, tonight's NZNBF title fight is Ahio's coming out party. Three years ago it was just another street fight on just another South Auckland day, the way Ahio tells it. A bunch of dudes approached him and asked where he was from. He said 'Mangere', a mistake given he was in Otahuhu at the time.
"They came over and one guy threw a punch. Another guy came, I thought he came to throw a punch, but he stuck the shit in me. I looked down and was like 'oh'. There were about six of them. I got two of them. The rest ran. I think they saw the blood running down. That scared them off more than anything."
Ahio had been waiting for a bus. Because he was covered in blood, he chose to walk home, crying. When he got there his mother sat him down and treated the wound with a concoction of soap and sugar.
