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Regional | Boxing

Samoan Māori Brothers amatuer boxing debut

Samoan/Ngāpuhi brothers Nellijah and Cameron Vili will be making their amateur boxing debuts at the Young Guns community boxing event this Friday. Their father Setefano Vili says the time come for them to go to the next level.

It'll be the first time for Nellijah and Cameron to fight as amateurs, however they're keen and confident at this stage.

“I'm nervous and excited at the same time and hopefully I can come out with a victory. Sparring helps me practise on my moves, sets and stuff,” says Nellijah Vili.

“It's my first fight and I'm pretty excited and ready to go. Been working hard and just try my best to just get in there and give it all I got,” says Cameron Vili.

The boys' father, trainer and former pro boxer Setefano Vili says the boys' mixed Samoan heritage with Ngāpuhi blood on their mum's side have played a huge part in their boxing.

“Well I think with that mix it's like a tiger and a lion together, you know it's hard to explain which on the night of the fight whoever is gonna be there will witness it,” says Setefano Vili.

Vili says it's been a long road but it's time to unleash his tigers on the boxing fraternity.

“Taken me a while to get through some hurdles, we finally got through it and now it's time to open the gate and let these two tigers out and see what they've got to bring to the table.”

The Manurewa RSA will be ablaze with talent this Friday, December 9 at the Young Guns community boxing event.