Knock Out Performance By Champion Vaitele Soi

Knock Out Performance By Champion Vaitele Soi

Samoan cruiserweight champion Vaitele Soi currently fighting out of Manukau last Saturday won the 'Last Man Standing' an all professional 8 man knockout tournament at the ASB Stadium, walking away with the $10,000 prize money.

Soi also laid claim to beating one of New Zealand's finest fighters - kickboxing legend Shane "Chopper" Chapman in the final as reported on NZFighter website.

"Starting off by working Chapman's body into a first-round introduction to the canvas, Soi caught fire in the second, hitting upstairs and down, and putting Chapman back on the ground. Chopper wasn't liable to take any of this lying down, and he came back with an overhand right that set the Samoan champion's teeth a-rattling."

"Standing strong in the face of some brutal assaults, Soi broke the mold and punched Chapman into the ropes" with the referee stopping the fight in the third round.

Draw from the hat saw Soi going toe to toe with southpaw Francis Pratsch in one of the quarter finals. Pratsch dominated both first and second rounds landing a number of good punches until Soi got his rhythm in the third round, knocking out Pratsch to advance to the semifinals.

The match up saw Soi going up against former World Boxing Organisation (WBO) African title holder Mohamed Azzaoui. The experienced Azzaoui originally from Algeria with thirty three professional bouts laid claim to beating a string of contenders from South Auckland in the likes of Junior Pati, Bob Gasio, Amosa Zinc, Lighting Lupe and Martin Opetaia over the years.

Soi took the fight to Azzaoui, winning by a split decision in the toughest of the two semi finals.

The 2010 Last Man Standing champion Shane 'Chopper' Chapman won his earlier bouts with ease against boxers Wilhem Schwalger in the quarterfinal and last years finalist Monty Filimaea Fauea in the semifinal. Chopper has never been stopped in a professional fight.

Soi provided the only knock outs of the 2011 Last Man Standing tournament taking his unblemished professional record to seventeen, winning twelve by KO.

According to NZFighter, "Soi looks to be ripe for a world-class title."

"Vaitele's win is affirmations that with the adequate backing to prepare and get our boxers to participate in big international fights, South Auckland can deliver another boxing world champion," said Edwin Puni of Event Polynesia, the local company that is leading the development of local professional boxers.

"The win should also silenced critics of Soi after his ill disciplined performance against Oscar Siale on the Tua verses King card in April."

Warren Fuiava also managed by Event Polynesia and fighting out of Manukau is listed on the upcoming Sonny Bill William verses Alipate Liava'a card in June.

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