Violence erupted during the Fiji heavyweight title fight at Lawaqa Park, Sigatoka, on Saturday night, severely damaging the reputation of professional boxing in the country. Adi Narayan, chairman of the Boxing Commission of Fiji (BCF), expressed his disgust, calling the incident an embarrassment for the sport.
The BCF plans to review video footage of the altercation and intends to take strict action against those responsible. The incident occurred during the third match between title holder James ‘The Beast’ Singh and Semi Daulolo-ma. In the first round, Singh was knocked down by a hook from Dauloloma. As the second round progressed, both boxers ended up on the canvas after exchanging punches, leading Singh to strike Dauloloma twice while on the ground, despite referee Fatu Tuimanono’s attempts to intervene.
The situation escalated into a heated confrontation, with both corners exchanging punches, resulting in chaos and injuries among the ring officials. Eventually, the bout was halted and ruled a no-contest. Narayan stated that both fighters were at fault and emphasized that punches thrown after a fall are unacceptable in boxing.
In a related incident, Narayan indicated that the Commission will also investigate an altercation involving feather-weight boxer Mikaele Ravolaca, who challenged Umbayed Haider in the ring. This confrontation led to a tense exchange, nearly resulting in a scuffle before officials intervened. Narayan confirmed that the Commission will convene soon to discuss both incidents and communicate the outcome to the public.
Singh remarked that Dauloloma is not a true champion, claiming there would be no rematch, while Dauloloma responded by questioning Singh’s actions and expressing his desire for a rematch in November.