Kauyaca Gets Cruiserweight Title Back Following Hand Wraps Incident

Alifereti Kauyaca has been reinstated the Boxing Commission of Fiji (BCF) Cruiserweight champion after Minister of Youth and Sport, Jese Saukuru stepped in last month.

Kauyaca was alleged to have had illegal hand wrappings in the Bluewater Boxing main title bout against Joseph Kwadjo on March 2.

"I had found out a lot of conflict of interest in the BCF board's report," Minister Saukuru said.

"I've read their decision and they were a lot of gaps in it, I've asked them (BCF) to review their decision and give back the title to Kauyaca as I think he deserves it," he said.

"Boxing is a tough sport so when you make such a decision; it has to be concrete, both sides need to be heard and evidence provided.

"I have reminded the current BCF board to raise the standard of boxing during their appointment.

"Our people are now not interested in boxing because of what's been happening in the sport here.

"A lot of talents go down the drain and boxers are taken for granted.

"We've been doing some awareness in rural areas like Bukuya and Navosa where boxing used to be the sport for those communities.

"When the incident happened, the people of Bukuya who were interested in boxing told me that they are likely to withdraw from the sport due to what Kauyaca went through.

"He's the one fighting, not the officials, not the board and not me. He is fighting for the love of boxing, he puts his body on the line."

Last night BCF chairman Adi Narayan said they had no choice but to reverse their decision because they were appointed by the Sports Minister.

"Some other boxer we take action against them, they can also write to the Minister and our decisions are reversed - where are the ethics here?" Narayan said.

"We cannot over rule the Minister. I want to share a similar case internationally, that happened in California.

"Back in 2009 the California Boxing Commission revoked the license of former welterweight champion Antonio Margarito and his trainer Javier Capetillo - banning them for at least one year for tampering Margarito's  hand wraps to face Shane Mosley; now see tampering with hand wraps like it happened here.

"That was discovered prior to the bout - we did the same thing, Kauyaca's hand wraps were detected prior to the bout.

"When the wrap was cut off officials found a suspect bandage wrapped inside the knuckle that would be placed over Margarito's hand - so this sort of thing happened here also.

"Now on that, our ruling is overruled by the Minister, what can I do?"

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