In just over five weeks ‘the long awaited title fight’ featuring Sonny Bill Williams and the highly rated Richard Tutaki happens in Hamilton, New Zealand.
The fight is being promoted by Tony Mundine of BOXA International. The undercard features several Australian up and comers such as Gold Coast based lightweight Billel Dib and Sydney based super middleweight Bilal Akkway.
Of the six fights which are down for the undercard, only one as yet has an opponent pencilled in, that being the 37-year-old, 0-5 record, Dicky Peirara.
Apart from Dicky, Williams and Tutaki, there is only one other ‘local’ as yet scheduled to fight, that being former New Zealand Commonwealth Games representative, and now Sydney resident, cruiserweight Daniel Aloua (5-0 record).
The promoters are obviously relying on the pulling power of Williams with pay per view. In my experience of boxing crowds (38 years fighting and attending), unless it’s a world-class bout, there have to be local boys fighting to put bums on seats.
A quick check of Tutaki’s record shows the following. He’s 33, standing 192 cm. His record is 19 wins, 21 losses, one draw from 41 fights. He is ranked fourth of New Zealand heavyweights. David Tua is No. 1.
His last 10 fights include KOs in rounds one and two to Australians Mark de Mori, Nathan Briggs, and John Hopate. He has had four wins including a third-round TKO at the Headhunters MC Clubhouse.
Other losses of note are two second round KOs to Bob Miravic, a third-round KO to Shane Cameron, and two points defeats to New Zealand-based American Chancey Welliver. Coincidently Chancey is fighting in Auckland on 21 January for the New Zealand National Boxing federation heavyweight title.
A crowd drawer? I don’t think so. The New Zealand public were recently ‘treated’ to former All Blacks ‘fighting’ against former league players. The main event involved six two-minute rounds featuring Shane Cameron and Monty Betham. 16-ounce gloves were worn (that is, sparring gloves), and reports I’ve heard indicated the night was a joke, though an earner for its contestants.
There comes a time where the public will get sick of paying good money for publicity stunts. I respect any bloke that puts on the gloves and gets in the ring, and power to Williams for trying his hand at the sweet science, but to have it as a pay per-view with hyped-up adverts currently on Fox (and I’m guessing Sky in New Zealand) is an insult to both the paying public and to the real fighters out there, who train twice a day for love just to try and get that foot in the door overseas to have a go full time.
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