NAOERO boxer Rockanson Iga and Fiji’s Watisoni Rokotuitoga delivered one of the most explosive and entertaining bouts at the ZEG Boxing Promotion event held over the weekend at Vodafone Arena in Suva.
The pair went toe-to-toe in a brutal, fast-paced six-round super welterweight contest, showcasing their skills, power and experience, backed by impressive amateur boxing pedigrees.
Iga made a blistering start, unleashing a series of powerful punches that sent his local opponent to the canvas in the opening round.
However, Rokotuitoga recovered from the knockdown and showed remarkable resilience, composure and determination to fight his way back into the contest.
Iga continued to trouble Rokotuitoga with his power shots in the second round, but the momentum began to shift in the third as the Nauruan boxer appeared to slow down.
Rokotuitoga, meanwhile, began finding his range and timing, finishing the round strongly as fans rallied behind his spirited comeback.
The fourth round was closely contested, with Rokotuitoga increasing the pressure and looking to take control.
But Iga remained dangerous, continuing to find openings for his powerful punches, although they were no longer landing with the same success as in the opening rounds.
Iga responded strongly in the fifth, looking to reassert his dominance, but Rokotuitoga remained stubborn and difficult to hit, using his reach, timing and footwork to evade most of his opponent’s attacks in the final round.
Despite Rokotuitoga’s determined comeback, Iga had done enough to convince the judges, securing a unanimous decision victory and extending his unbeaten professional record to two wins from two fights.
The victory was particularly special for the Nauruan fighter, who revealed he had to battle illness during the contest.
“I was sick with the flu, but the show has to go on, that’s why we wanted to end it early by the third round I was out of breath,” he said.
“One thing I learned in this fight was mentality and how overcome this kind of obstacles but credit to my opponent he really gave me a good fight.”
Despite falling short on the judges’ scorecards, Rokotuitoga was proud of his performance and welcomed the challenge of competing in such a demanding contest.
“I really enjoyed that fight, this is the kind of fights I want,” he said.
“I am a boxer who loves this kind of hard fight because it helps me grow and get better.”
Both fighters also expressed interest in a potential rematch, with each eager to share the ring again and deliver another exciting contest.
They called on promoters to consider a rematch in upcoming boxing programmes, setting the stage for what could be another thrilling encounter between the two talented fighters.
