Lihue’s Romell Balbin won the cruiserweight championship at Hilo’s toughman contest last Saturday. The event was held at the Afook Chinen Stadium in Hilo. Going into the contest, Balbin already sported a 4-0 record. Six other cruiserweights had to box
Lihue’s Romell Balbin won the cruiserweight championship at Hilo’s toughman contest last Saturday.
The event was held at the Afook Chinen Stadium in Hilo. Going into the contest, Balbin already sported a 4-0 record. Six other cruiserweights had to box off in order to meet Balbin in the finals. Balbin’s opponent in the final cruiserwieght bout had already fought and won twice and gave Romell “The Ballpein Hammer” all he could handle for three rounds. In the last few second of the three-round fight, Balbin scored two unanswered volleys which most likely earned him the nod.
All fights were three one-minute rounds and most of the fighters were unschooled according to Kaua’i observors Ken Oki, Mark Ozaki and Jon Bonachita. Oki thought Bonachita, who is one of the Kaua’i Police Department’s finest, could have won the superheavyweight belt with ease.
Bonachita is an accomplished martial artist and boxing instructor for the police department. Actually, two of the more experienced fighters didn’t do well in the tournament; they couldn’t get started in the short one-minute rounds.
The exact same kind of tournament will be held this summer by Fite Nite, Inc., a non-profit Kaua’i-based organization. Applications for fighters plus tournament information is available at Oki Diner. For more information, call Vincent Sonoda at 639-4610 or Mark Ozaki at 635-0767.
Fighters are urged to apply as soon as possible – the deadline is July 12.
The rules are simple: punching and kicking above the waist with no grappling. Protective gear will be mandatory.
Fite Nite, Inc. hopes to produce Kauai Champions who can both challenge and conquer the Hilo champions. As a coach, Ozaki thinks this is a certainty.
“From what I saw, Kaua’i has better talent hanging around Kalapaki at night.”
He hopes to reverse King Kamehameha’s conquering advance from the Big Island.
“Maybe I’ll get a highway named after me,” he jokes.
