Incidents of violence during the Fiji heavyweight title fight at Lawaqa Park in Sigatoka on Saturday night have severely damaged the image of professional boxing in the country.
In a statement to SUNsports, Adi Narayan, chairman of the Boxing Commission of Fiji (BCF), expressed his disgust and described the events as a significant embarrassment for the sport. He noted that the BCF directors would be reviewing video footage of the incidents and would take strong action against those involved.
The trouble began during the heavyweight title bout when titleholder James ‘The Beast’ Singh struck Semi Dauloloma while they were down on the canvas. This fight marked their third encounter. In the first round, Singh was knocked down by a hook from Dauloloma. As the second round proceeded, Dauloloma cornered Singh against the ropes, and their exchange of blows led to both boxers falling to the mat. Singh punched Dauloloma twice while on the ground, prompting referee Fatu Tuimanono to intervene. The situation escalated as ring officials rushed into the ring to separate the fighters amidst an exchange of heated words. Dauloloma, angered, lunged towards Singh, only to be restrained by officials, as chaos unfolded with punches thrown from both corner teams, injuring one of the ring officials. The bout was ultimately halted and declared a no-contest.
Narayan remarked, “What happened is an embarrassment for professional boxing. They are both champions and both were at fault, which is why I ruled it a no-contest. Semi falling with James was his fault; it’s boxing, not WWE. When James turned around to hit him, that was unacceptable.”
In addition to the heavyweight bout, Narayan indicated that the Commission would investigate a separate incident involving featherweight boxer Mikaele Ravolaca, who entered the ring to challenge Umbayed Haider. Tensions escalated when Haider responded, sparking a near altercation that required intervention from ring officials.
The Commission plans to review all incidents and will announce their rulings soon in a media conference. Narayan mentioned that the Commission would likely meet today to assess the situation more closely, as they have obtained video evidence of the events.
When approached for comment, Singh stated, “He (Dauloloma) is not a true champion; there won’t be a rematch, and he can go back to the amateurs.” In response, Dauloloma remarked, “What kind of champion is that? Once you fall and he (James) starts hitting you from the back, is that allowed? I’d like a rematch in November if they allow me. I will come for the title.”