Boxing: Easy win for Pownceby

Olympic Games boxer Soulan Pownceby took only one round to display his dominance at the national championships in Rotorua last night.

The Cantabrian knocked out Wellington-Hutt Valley's Nimilo Halifini in a good start to his bid to add the heavyweight title to his previous middleweight and lightweight crowns.

In other late bouts former Vanuatu boxer Denny Kota (Central North Island) came home strongly to beat Manawatu's Lance Shearman in a welterweight quarterfinal.

2005 Oceania middleweight champion, Aucklander Justin Potter, who has dropped down to welterweight, won through to the semifinal by beating Rua Noola (Wellington-Hutt Valley) in two rounds.

Entering the ring for the second time in the night, Nathan McEwan won through to the next round of the middleweight division with a convincing points decision over fellow Canterbury boxer Bryce Henley.

Middleweights Rodney's Isaac Brimblecombe and Kahukura Benson (Auckland) also coasted to victory in their bouts.

- NZPA