In 1985 Niko Degei retained his title as Fiji Boxing Council Heavyweight champion after knocking out Aisea Nama in the ninth round of the bout — the round Nama had predicted to be Degei’s Waterloo.
From the onset, Degei stalked Nama like a prized bull chasing an elegant matador and the more Nama danced, weaved, bobbed and taunted, the more enraged Degei became.
An article in The Fiji Times on December 5 that year said Nama tried to stick to his game plan of staying out of the corners, off the ropes, and out of reach of Degei’s lethal left hook.
At the same time he counterpunched, jabbed, and ran, collecting his points while Degei cautiously stalked him making the occasional rush at him.
The first four rounds looked even on points while at the ringside it seemed that Degei’s heavy punches were taking its toll slowly, but surely.
Then in the predicted round, Nama who was behind on points did just what Degei warned him not to do — to force the fight.
With only thirty seconds from the final bell, Nama let his guard down only for a moment, giving Degei the opportunity where he rocked Nama with a telling left hook which forced Nama to the canvas.
Nama took the count to “seven” before standing up but still looking very uncomfortable. Degei came in and finished off the fight smashing Nama at will for over twenty seconds causing Nama to spit out his mouth guard and stagger with glazed eyes, blood in his mouth, and wobbly at the knees.
He crashed to the floor just seconds before the bell went, leaving referee George Ponipate no choice but to stop the fight.
Meanwhile, George Tanoa of American Samoa showed what a class he was when he dispatched Pauliasi Ratu in the sixth round of their scheduled light-middleweight supporting bout.
The Samoan boxer, with fine skillful moves, sent Ratu reeling to the canvas with a vicious left jab to the stomach. In an interesting main supporting bout, FIL’s Moses Vilia sent King’s Kamisese Vaubula on to the seat of his pants in the second round of their scheduled eight-round fight.
Referee Cama Tuimasi stopped the Jone Kotonivere and Sailasa Lesi fight after Lesi’s eyes started bleeding in the middle of the seventh round.
Though Degei’s mighty left swept Fiji Boxing Council heavyweight crown from the proud head of Nadi giant Nama, there was controversy for some time over whether referee George Ponipate was right in stopping the contest just seconds before the bell went.
Immediately after Degei was declared the new champion, Nama’s manager Luke Nasaroa protested furiously about the decision. Referee Ponipate retorted: “Had I not stopped the fight Nama would have died in the ring.”
He said that there was no way Nama could match Degei with an injured shoulder. Ponipate said he stopped the fight to prevent Nama from further punishment. Fiji’s middleweight champion Sakaraia Ve yesterday endorsed the referee’s decision.
“I could not see how Nama with a severe injury could carry on with a hard-hitting boxer such as Degei,” he said.
“It was fortunate for Nama that he was not disqualified for his seconds were already in the ring while the referee was taking the counts.”
Another prominent boxer, Sunia Cama, when asked, had no comment to make on the referee’s decision.
The drama began thirty seconds before the bell in the ninth round when Degei with a flurry of punches sent the champion slumping to the canvas.
“I think some promoters should take this boxing bout seriously for he has undoubted talent.”
There was no doubt Degei was the most ferocious puncher Fiji had for years. He packed power in every punch and every punch is a haymaker.
