The Boxing Commission of Fiji has suspended the licenses of two heavyweight boxers for four months following a controversial incident during a recent fight. The decision came after Minister of Youth and Sports Jese Saukuru expressed his disappointment over the events that transpired during the match held at Lawaqa Park, Sigatoka, between Fiji heavyweight champion James ‘The Beast’ Singh and Semi Dauloloma.
BCF chairman Adi Narayan criticized the incident, labeling it a disgrace to the sport during a press conference. He emphasized the need for sportsmanship from champion fighters and stated that the Ministry would not tolerate such behavior in professional boxing. Singh holds the heavyweight champion title in Fiji, while Dauloloma has the Leweni Waqa Memorial heavyweight belt.
After discussions with the Minister of Sports, the commission decided to suspend both boxers for the next four months, allowing them to return fresh in 2025. Narayan noted that this suspension aims to send a clear message to all boxers about the importance of conduct in the ring. He mentioned that if Dauloloma had taken a brief break, he might have won the fight.
The incident in question occurred during the title fight when Singh punched Dauloloma while both were on the canvas. The conflict escalated after Singh was knocked down in the first round, and during the second round, after a series of exchanges, both fighters fell to the ground again. Singh landed two punches on Dauloloma while the referee was attempting to separate them, leading to chaos in the ring with officials intervening to break up the altercation. The fight was ultimately declared a no-contest, and Singh retained his championship title.