Tonga Tongotongo's entourage [Explore]

The big entourage walk-up to the ring builds tension before the card's main bout for the IBO Asia Pacific cruiserweight champion. There's people lined up on either side too, not in photo.

 

Tonga Tongotongo took out Tyson Turner in the sixth round with a heavy-hitting performance. Turner's strategy seemed to be to try and soak up the heavy punches and then counterattack, but the punches kept on coming and didn't get any lighter. That took Tongotongo's pro record to 7-0, all by TKO.

 

The International Boxing Organisation's website now confirms he has the title. Cruiserweight is a weight class between light heavyweight and heavyweight (80-86kg), not used by all four pro boxing associations. It's a big achievement but he'll need a bigger bout overseas to get recognition. He's supported by Black Diamond Boxing gym in North Wollongong. Hard to connect the moniker 'Mr Antman' but then again Tongotongo is a bit of a mouthful. Might be hard to get sponsorship when he's registered as a New Zealander and there's no coverage.

 

I don't think I'll add any other boxing photos but while the heavyweights get attention, the bamtamweight and flyweight fights moved fastest and got the crowd excited. Australia has a good boxing history in those weight classes thanks to Jeff Fenech. Some boxers mixed with the crowd after their fights and were surprisingly easy to talk with. Quite an achievement after the pummeling they receive. By the time of the title fights a lot of the crowd had left, so while the intensity was up there were fewer people. Over the event (12 main card bouts and 21 amateur fights) there may have been 1,000 people.

Done