It all started with just watching a sparring session at a young age for Tevita Vakalalabure, but little did he know that this event would lead him down a path to a lifelong love of the sport of boxing.
Hailing from Natewa Bay, Tevita’s first taste of the ring came in 1990 in Suva, where he faced off against Rohit Singh and won with a knockout.
Throughout his career, Vakalalabure participated in a total of 26 professional fights, with 14 wins, 9 losses, and 1 draw to his name.
However, it was not the wins or losses that defined his journey in the sport, but rather the love and dedication he poured into every training session and bout.
Reflecting on his beginnings in boxing, Tevita recalls the influence of a man named Iferemi Ralulu, who introduced him to the art of sparring and sparked his interest in the sport.
“I started loving the sport when I was a young boy, there was a guy named Iferemi Ralulu, who came from overseas, he was the one teaching us here in the village how is sparing and boxing, that is where my love for the sport grew,” said Vakalalabure.
One of Tevita’s most cherished memories in boxing dates back to 1992 when he faced off against the renowned Sakaraia Ve, known as the Golden Boy of Fiji Boxing.
“My best memory in my career is when I defeated the most experience boxer at our time, Sakaraia Ve, also known as the Golden boy of Fiji Boxing.
“He knocks out most of his opponents in the first round and defeating him in 1992 was the most memorable day and year of my boxing career.”
Vakalalabure observes the state of boxing today, he notes a shift in the landscape of the sport.
With promoters selecting opponents and some boxers hesitant to face challenging boxers, the competitive spirit of the past seems to have faded.
“The level of competition back then and now is different, now days the promoters are choosing with which boxers to fight who, and most of the boxers are scared to fight.
“In our time was different, we don’t choose opponent to fight, we work hard and train towards being the best.”
He remains optimistic about the future of boxing, especially as he trains his son, who is following in his footsteps as an amateur boxer. Through his own experiences.
“It’s great to see a lot of great boxers now days, I’m training my son Kali Tahikia Vakalalabure he is an Amateur boxer, so I’m trying to teach the young boxers to focus on the basics and work hard towards your goal.”
