like lightning

Thunder strikes like lightning

By Shailendra Singh

THE odds were overwhelming. A finely honed full-time professional boxer against a simple farmer who stops tilling to train only when a fight is near. Boxing is part and parcel of Jimmy Thunder’s life. The 27-year-old New Zealand-born Samoan is on a long-term plan to conquer the world and create history. All Mitieli Navuilawa wants from the sport is those extra dollars to supplement a

meagre income from the land; and to be able to afford life’s luxuries.

The 1900 local crowd was stunned into silence when Thunder knocked out Fiji’s Navuilawa in Imin 40secs of their scheduled 10-rounder in Suva on October 9.

But upon reflection, the result was inevi table. Navuilawa, 25, was defeated even be fore the fight - despite being escorted inside the ring by two tra ditionally dressed Fi jian warriors.

Physcologically, be

cause of his Sydney based opponent’s

reputation and physically because of his superior size, strength and fitness.

“He took only one week off and was back in the gym after he beat (Milton) Bowen,” said Thunder’s manager Marx Eriksen. Thunder took the vacant World Boxing Federation (WBF) title with that fifth round KO win over the American in Townsville, Queensland on July 23.

Trained by famed Australian fight per sonality Cec Waters, Thunder weighed in at a hulking 105kgs to Navuilawa’s 100.5kgs and enjoyed a good four-inch reach advantage.

Navuilawa, from the interior of Siga toka in western Fiji, was Thunder’s build-up fight for the first defence of his crown m Auckland on November 20.

The Fiji and South Seas heavyweight champion fended a stalking Thunder with grazing shots to chin and a stinging right to the neck. He himself took a few light shots to the chin, and one in the stomach.

As Thunder closed in, Navuilawa slipped, then got up again only to go down seconds later from a swinging leu to the

jaw. The dazed boxer sat out Queensland referee Denzil Creed’s count. Thunder had been under instructions from Waters not to take risks against Navuilawa who is virtually unknownm outside Fiji. He now boasts a 17-win record including 16 KOs against four losses since turning professional in 1989.

Eriksen said Thunder was hurt by a right from Navuilawa and that’s why he quickly went to work. Thunder’s ultimate aim is to hold one of the three more prominent World Boxing Council, World Boxing Association or International Boxing Feder ation titles. He will become the first from

the region to do so if he succeeds. “I’n Manu Samoa but I represent the whoh Pacific region when I fight,” said th( likeable and easily accessible champion The father-of-two, who doesn’t smoke 01 drink and is seen in church every Sunday hopes to make an assualt on one of his twc more famous peers - either Riddick Bow( or Lennox Lewis - within a year.

On the same Suva card, Sione Talia’uli showed why he is known as the “Lion Heart of Tonga.” He lost a split decision foi the Pan Cruiserweight title to Ghanian born Australian resident, Ted Cofie.

Twenty four-year-old Cofie was technically superior. He threw fewer but more effective punches and had his 29-year-old opponent down twice for the count. Hard-hitting Talia’uli wouldn’t give up and got up to fight both times. In round nine, it appeared (jofie was ready to fall as the Nuku’alofa postal worker swarmed all over him with head and body shots but the African hung on till the bell.

Waters, whose three sons, Dean, Guy and Troy, are world class boxers said Talia’uli nad “nothing to be ashamed of’.

Said Cofie “he’s a good fighter. I take nothing away from him. Eriksen was impressed enough to give Talia’uli a return fight against Cofie. And take Nayuilawa over to Auckland later to train with the Thunder camp. “He’ll be a different fighter after two weeks with us,” said Eriksen who has matched Navuilawa against New Zealand heavyweight Linzi Christinsen in an undercard to Thunder’s November 20 fight. This will be their third clash with both having a win each from their previous two fights. D

Pictures: Atu Rasea

Tongan attack: Talia’uli has Cofie defending

All over: Thunder (right) and Fiji's Navuilawa after the October 9 fight in Suva