“No one is just plucked from the cassava patch to fight in the professional arena,” says trainer Saimoni Taudomo.
The former boxer asserted that a particular fighter, who has a record of five professional fights covering 23 rounds listed by Boxrec, had no involvement in amateur boxing.
“This is uncalled for, considering many boxers who have dedicated their time to amateur boxing,” Taudomo said. “This is not healthy.”
He pointed out that the issue stems from the Fiji Amateur Boxing Association (FABA) not releasing its boxers.
“There should be no shortcuts,” he emphasized. “Not everyone will represent Fiji in amateur boxing.”
Taudomo explained that this problem is damaging the sport, as some matches are clearly mismatches.
“One could even bring their pillow and blanket to some professional fights because they are so boring,” he remarked.
To revive the sport, Taudomo suggested there should be an elite pathway for amateur boxers. He stressed that these boxers should be well-prepared to compete in the professional arena.
“If you want to see the true talent of boxing, look at the amateur division,” he stated. “They are focused during their performance, have advanced timing drills, and are knowledgeable about rhythm, tempo, and speed punches.”
Many professional boxers lack amateur experience due to unawareness of such a pathway, he added. He expressed hope that a formal pathway would be established to address the skills and techniques gap.
Requests for comments sent via email to the Boxing Commission of Fiji (BCF) have gone unanswered.