Boxing: Crossroads for Bigeni in light-heavyweight fight

By PETER JESSUP

Auckland light-heavyweight Anthony Bigeni will attempt to regain his Pan Asian boxing title when he challenges Fijian and South Seas champion Isikeli Gavidi at the Downtown Convention Centre on April 2.

The 35-year-old Bigeni is at a crossroads, with his handler, Mike Edwards, believing he has plenty of fights left in him but conceding that can only go on if he wins.

Bigeni was stripped of the Pan Asian title when he was unable to make the mandatory defence after sustaining a back injury in his job as baggage handler at Auckland Airport. His last fight was in December, a loss to Timo Masur.

A southpaw, he has worked hard on his fitness and believes he has the power to down Gavidi, whose style has been compared to a young Ali and who showed a similar youthful arrogance in announcing he was "22 years old, on the way up, champion of my country and I want more."

Gavidi's last outing was also in December, when his 11th-round knockout of Joe Vatonivere suggested the Aucklander will need that fitness.

On the undercard, former world kickboxing champion Nick "The Terror" Tetoros, of Melbourne, meets the Kiwi middleweight champion, West Coaster Alan Gibson.