A volatile finish to Bluewater Boxing Promotion’s “Lawaqa Rumble” in Sigatoka on Saturday night has intensified calls for reform in Fijian professional boxing after a disputed points decision sparked heated scenes that required police to intervene.
In the main event, Sainivalati “The Warrior” Ratu was awarded a points victory over former Fiji heavyweight champion James “The Beast” Singh. Singh’s camp immediately protested the decision at ringside, and an emotional Singh later accused poor officiating of continuing to damage the sport locally after he was denied access to the judges’ score sheets to review the tallies himself. Police were called to the arena as tensions escalated among team members and supporters.
Promoters and officials said the disturbance further undermines boxing’s fragile efforts to rebuild credibility and attract government and corporate sponsorship. ZEG Boxing Promotions representative Alfaaz Mallam warned that repeated controversies are harming the sport’s recovery. “Promoters invest heavily to raise boxing standards here,” Mallam said. “If controversy persists, sponsors and fans will withdraw support from a sport we are trying to rebuild.”
Bluewater promoter Samir Khan acknowledged the need for better officiating and confirmed discussions were already under way for a rematch between Singh and Ratu. Khan did not provide a date but said the promoter is keen to settle the matter in the ring. Those talks come as an immediate attempt to defuse the fallout and give both fighters a clear resolution in front of impartial officials.
Complicating the night’s fallout, organisers revealed two undercard bouts at Lawaqa Rumble were connected to a permit breach stemming from a program held last year. Details on the nature of that breach have not been released publicly, and the Boxing Commission of Fiji said it would investigate. Commission chairman Adi Narayan was not present at Saturday’s event; he told media he will make a formal comment once he has received an official report from the board member who attended the card.
The Sigatoka controversy follows a string of recent incidents that have placed local boxing under scrutiny. Earlier this year, a ZEG Kings Promotion in Suva drew criticism after scoring errors and disputed decisions — including a mis-tallied judge’s scorecard that contributed to a contested split draw — cast doubt on match integrity. Promoters and officials say those incidents have made it harder to secure sustained sponsorship and public confidence.
The Boxing Commission faces renewed pressure to tighten oversight of event permits, judge selection and scoring transparency. Fighters and promoters say clearer procedures for reviewing scorecards and timely access to official tallies would help prevent similar flare-ups. For now, the most immediate development is the potential Singh–Ratu rematch, which Bluewater has signalled it wants to stage to settle the dispute inside the ropes rather than at ringside. The commission’s forthcoming report and any sanctions or procedural changes will be watched closely by the local boxing community and would-be sponsors.