Boxing: Rarere keen to get into ring with Mundine

By PETER JESSUP

Hawkes Bay boxer Jason Rarere set himself directly in the way of Australian Anthony Mundine's world championship drive when he beat Christchurch's Sean Unwin in Auckland.

Rarere now has the Pan Asian middleweight belt that is on Mundine's path to a world ranking. And he is keen to meet the former Australian rugby league star.

"I'd love to have the opportunity," Rarere, a 32-year-old youth worker said after knocking out Unwin midway through the second round. He was already well ahead on points, having tagged the taller but more lightly-built Unwin regularly. When he backed Unwin to the ropes and unleashed a combination to the head, Unwin had no answer and the fight was stopped as he dropped.

It was a clinical performance, suggesting that Rarere would Mundine a good run.

"I've set my goals," he said. "We've got the title. I'll leave the rest to my manager."

Manager Mike Edwards is happy because he has Rarere at middleweight and Pan Asian super-middleweight titleholder Timo Masua on his books. Mundine is sure to go for one or the other as he seeks a way up the world rankings.

It was 32-year-old Rarere's second bout after a spell overseas training in kickboxing. The other sport had disciplined and hardened him, he said, though one of the harder aspects was making the mental transition to maintain the proper footwork and balance.

That was evident earlier in the night at Alexandra Park when world kickboxing titleholder Jaruad Aborruin was outclassed by youngster Santos Pakau. The pair enthralled the crowd with blistering hand-speed, Aborruin being a master of evasion on defence.

The 17-year-old Pakau's strength is counterpunching and he shocked the Thai with his ability to take a punch and come back. Aborruin frequently dropped his hands as if to kick to the stomach, leaving himself open to Pakau's overhead assault, and that brought him a unanimous points decision.

Former national super-middleweight champion - and Mundine's first victim - Gerard Zohs showed he still has plenty of ability with a comprehensive demolition job on smaller amateur-turning-pro David Anderson, of Tauranga.

But he was also a bit too super around the middle and will stumble if he is not fitter. The fight was stopped in the third after Anderson had continually advanced to take a terrific beating.

Australian former world champion Jeff Malcolm, dished out similar treatment to the East Coast's David Wiremu for a stoppage in the middle of the fifth.