Jack Barton lands a solid body blow on Shaqalin Miller during their main event bout. Photo: Cape York Weekly.
Boxing fans came, saw and were thrilled when Weipa Fight Night 2.0 sent the township into a pugilistic frenzy on Saturday night.
The 17-bout Sunstate Amateur Boxing League event sold out, with 800 people watching on from inside the Weipa Storm Surge Shelter, while about 200 who were unable to get tickets got their fighting fix from outside the venue.
Cape York Boxing Weipa’s Maynard Sagigi was the winner of the inaugural Lionel Rose championship belt after a thrilling heavyweight slugfest against Cleyton Simpson from the Innisfail-based Simo’s boxing club.
In the main event of the night, Weipa’s Jack Barton scored a unanimous win against Shaqalin Miller from Choppy’s Boxing Club at Yarrabah.
Former NRL star-turned-boxer Justin Hodges was the event’s special guest and said he had been impressed with the quality of amateur boxing on show.
“[Events like this] give them hope and a bit of that recognition that they deserve,” he said.
“Boxing’s a very, very hard sport, and things like tonight help the kids to know there are actually people out there like ourselves, and obviously the community, that care about them and want to see them have a really good dig.”
Cape York Boxing Weipa founder and coach Scott Wallace praised his committee, volunteers, sponsors and the community for making the event “a dream come true”.
“It shows you the strength of the Weipa community,” he said.
“There’s only like 3,000 people in the community and there’s nearly 1,000 here tonight.”
Jet Savo is declared the winner in a split decision. Photo: Cape York Weekly.
WEIPA FIGHT NIGHT 2.0 RESULTS
1: Dan Low def Sam Scott (unanimous)
2: Richard Tamwoy def Elias Wolferstan (split)
3: Jimmy McGuigan def Jed Hall (split)
4: Troy Hudson def Logan Jenkins (split)
5: Jet Savo def Robert Hostalek (split)
6: Phillip Walsh def James Hayman (unanimous)
7: John Brown def Morris Brumby (unanimous)
8: Cleyton Simpson def Maynard Sagigi (split)
9: Kevin Simpson drew Billy Reynolds (exhibition)
10: Willow Wells drew Emily Bloomfield (exhibition)
11: Scott Barton def Wayne Wilshere-Cumming (unanimous)
12: Samuel Stafford def Jake Freiberg (TKO R1)
13: Billy Reynolds drew Samson Poi Poi (exhibition)
14: Kelvin Richardson drew Cooper Freiberg (exhibition)
15: Jimmy McGuigan def Donald Palmer (TKO R1)
16: Chris McGuigan drew Elias Wolferstan (exhibition)
17: Jack Barton def Shaqalin Miller (unanimous)
