Boxing: Sonny Morini knocks out Jules Victoriano to win WBA Oceania title
Matamata’s Sonny Morini won his first major regional title against Jules Victoriano of the Philippines last weekend.
Morini knocked him out in the third round, taking home the WBA Oceania welterweight title.
It was his third overall boxing title, previously winning the New Zealand national (PBCNZ version) welterweight title and the Pacific (PBCNZ version) welterweight title.
During last Friday’s fight, Morini knocked Victoriano down with an uppercut twice and referee Paul McSharry applied the count on Victoriano both times.
When Morini knocked him down a third time, McSharry waved off the fight.
Morini continues his undefeated record streak of 15 wins.
His trainer and manager, Isaac Peach, was happy with Morini’s performance.
“He showed heaps of maturity, he took his time for a couple of rounds against an experienced good Filipino, worked him out and then hit Victoriano with some great shots,” Peach said.
“Sonny is ready for big things [in the near future].”
Morini recently signed with Alpha Boxing Promotions in Australia and is scheduled to fight at its next event in December.
Meanwhile, Peach Boxing stablemate Shyah Hale, formerly of Ngāruawāhia, who fought on Morini’s undercard, also won her fight.
Hale, a professional softball player turned boxer, made her boxing pro debut against Kitana Auva’a and won by unanimous decision.
Two of the three judges scored the fight 39-37 to Hale, meaning she won three out of the four rounds.
Peach said it was a hard debut, but it was an indication of her bright future in the sport, given that it was only her fourth boxing fight overall and her opponent was an experienced kickboxer.
Peach said he was proud of Hale.
“She was wonderful, she showed [she is] not just great in the ring but flamboyant and confident outside the ring. She is the full package.”
Hale’s next fight is already around the corner. She will be fighting in Fiji in three weeks, taking on undefeated Fijian Unaisi Natarova.
Benjamin Watt is a retired boxing judge and New Zealand boxing writer with a decade of experience. Watt has also been BoxRec’s New Zealand record-keeper since 2014.