1970's ~ Top Heavyweight Upsets

[Bill Paxtom]

~ Upset Special #55 ~

Thursday ~ November 4, 1976

Circle Star Theatre ~ San Carlos, California

Promoter > Nipi Sekona
Attendance > { 802 }

Fonomanu 'Young Sekona' ~ 35-1-0 {20 KO's} ~ 198 lbs. ~ 5' 11 1/2" ~ Reach; 75" ~ {Age; 24 years, 9 months}
vs.
Mike Weaver ~ 14-4-0 {9 KO's} ~ 205 lbs. ~ 6' 1" ~ Reach; 78" ~ {Age; 25 years, 6 months}
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~ The Skinny ~

Fight Promoter - Nipi Sekona is promoting this bout, featuring his nephew {Fonomanu 'Young Sekona'} as the Main Event.

Nipi Skeona is a 'cement contractor' from Tonga, who runs his fight promoting business out of Hawaii.

'Young Sekona', a 6-Year Professional, has been competing since {Age; 18} in 1970. > He won the South Seas
Heavyweight Championship on November 16, 1973 when he defeated {W Dec 15} 'highly-touted' Mani Vaka.
He has defeated Mani Vaka '4-Times'.

'Young Sekona' {from Tonga} had started out his career in Tonga {1971}, then moved to Fiji {February 1974},
and then on to New Zealand in {February 1975} where he is currently based.

He has also had his last '3-Bouts' in Hawaii, to get more exposure. His biggest win was his last bout, when he scored
a {KO 1} over 'big-hitting' Larry Frazier on September 30, 1976.

'Young Sekona' was shipped to Los Angeles in the '1st-Week' of October 1976 to prepare for this bout.

The 'talk' here > Is that if 'Young Sekona' is impressive, he will next get a Television Bout on one of Don King's
fight cards in Las Vegas.

'Young Sekona' has a listed record of 21-1-0 {11 KO's}, but the Fight Poster shows it at > 35-1-0 {20 KO's}.

The Tongan Heavyweight is currently ranked at > #3 British-Commonwealth, and at #17 WBC.

Young Sekona >
"I was in the best shape of my career for my last bout {September 30th} when I 'Knocked Out' {KO 1} Larry Frazier
in Hawaii."

"I came here to Los Angeles, to train for 30-Days. I'm as sharp as a razor, and as quick as a 'Leopard'. I plan on
taking out Mike Weaver early. Look for a 2nd-Round Knockout. It won't go much longer than that."

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Mike Weaver has been brought in as an 'opponent'. Mike is a decided Underdog at {3-1}.

Mike's record is posted at 14-4-0 {10 KO.s}, but it is also listed at 9-6-0 {5 KO's}. Mike has been primarily Ken Norton's
sparring-partner while Ken was in Los Angeles and San Diego.

Mike's last bout was {July 14, 1976}, when he defeated { W Dec 10} Jody Ballard. But before that he last fought in
June 1975. Mike has only had '3-Bouts' in the past 2+ Years.

Mike signed for this bout on October 27th, so he has only had 1-Week to prepare for this 'tough bout'.

Mike Weaver >
"I only had 1-Week to get ready for this bout. It's typical for me to be a last-minute fighter. But, I had to take this
bout because I need the money."

"I know that he's tough, but he has a wide-open offense. He is dangerous early, but he leaves himself open. If I
can get by the first 3-or-4 Rounds, I'll be able to pick him apart later in the bout."

[Bill Paxtom]

~ Upset Special # 55 ~

Thursday ~ November 4, 1976

~ Mike Weaver Scores Upset, Halts 'Young Sekona' In 6 ~

~ Weavers Wins In Heavy Upset ~

Slugging San Diego Heavyweight - Mike Weaver floored 'Young Sekona' 3-Times in Round 6 to score
an 'upset' Knockout over the heavily-favored Tongan Heavyweight.

'Young Sekona' came into the Ring as a 'highly-touted' South Seas Heavyweight, and was heavily
favored at {3-1} over Weaver.

Sekona {198 lbs.} had his way in Round 1, as he scored with a series of solid blows into Weaver {205 lbs.},
while shaking him several times with left-hooks and short straight right-hands to the head.

The Tongan Heavyweight continued with his assault in Round 2, and 'badly staggered' Weaver with a left-hook
to the jaw mid-way thru the session. Then Sekona caught Weaver with a 'right-left' to the chin, and the San Diego
Heavyweight's knee's buckled as he sagged into the Ropes.

Sekona then poured it on, as he drove Weaver from Ring-Post to Ring-Post with left-hooks to the head and
right-hands to the body. The San Diego Heavyweight barely made it out of Round 2.

In Round 3, Sekona kept slugging away, but the 24 1/2 year-old Tongan started to tire at the {2:00 Mark} of
the Round. Weaver sensing that his opponent was tiring, reeled of a series of left-hands to back Sekona up to
the Ropes over the last 30-Seconds.

In Round 4, the action was rough as both fighters slugged away. The Tongan was in control early, as he pinned
Weaver on the Ropes and slammed away with powerful lefts-and-rights into Weaver's head and chest.

But by the {1:40 Mark}, Sekona tired and Weaver started to come back. Weaver scored with stiff left-jabs and
short left-hooks into the muscular Sekona. Weaver then caught Sekona with a hard-flurry late in the Round,
that spun the Tongan sideways on 'shaky-pins'. Sekona looked weakened over the last 20-Seconds of Round 4.

Coming out for Round 5, Sekona suddenly looked tired. Weaver moved in quickly, and raked the Tongan
with left-hands and right-hooks. Sekona was forced to back up and while covering up, as Weaver tee'd off
with a steady volley of punches throughout the Round.

In Round 6, Weaver kept up the pressure, and 'nailed' the weary Tongan with a jarring right-cross to the
jaw. Sekona went down to his knee's. Sekona was up at the '4-Count', and was ready to continue.

But moments later, Weaver sent the tiring Sekona down again with left-hook and right-cross to the head.
Sekona was up at the '6-Count, and was ready to go on.

Weaver then set up the battered Tongan by sending in a steady-flow of left-jabs, and then finished Sekona
off with a straight right-hand to the chin at the 1:43 Mark.

Mike Weaver was awarded a Knockout {KO 6} victory.

Fight Promoter; Nipi Sekona >
"I'm completely shocked. Fonomanu was in excellent shape only 30-Days ago in Hawaii when he KO'd
Larry Frazier in 1-Round."

"I sent him to Los Angeles on October 2nd, for 30-Days of 'heavy-training' to help him get ready for this
important bout. Obviously he didn't train. He nearly knocked out Weaver in Round 2, but he started to
tire after that. Fonomanu grew weaker and weaker, and by the end of the 4th-Round I knew he was
finished."

[Dart340]

Duce, one you didn't list that was a head shaker was Charlie "Candyman" Johnson beating Ibar "The Sailor" Arrington by lopsided decision in Washington in 1978. Loved this thread BTW.