Daniels fight lifts team spirits

Muri boxer Eddie Daniel is carrying the weight of the boxing community on his shoulder after winning his first bout against Papua New Guinea on Thursday night.

Daniel has lifted the spirits of the boxing team at the Pacific Games in Noumea after his two fellow boxers bowed out this week.

Osolai Agai was convincingly defeated in his heavyweight bout and Marc Jack only spent some 2 minutes in the ring before the referee called the bout off supposedly because Jack wasnt fighting.

But Daniel stepped up on Thursday night to reinstate the Cook Islands boxing reputation with an outstanding and tenacious bout against a Papua New Guinea opponent in the welterweight division.

Daniel began slowly but just like a train he gathered momentum as the 3-minute round went on.

After round 1 Daniel trailed his PNG opponent 8-12 and after round 2 he closed the gap on the points to 19-21.

With the toll of the fast and furious bout showing, Daniel threw all he had at the PNG fighter who also returned with a couple of clean strikes.

There were moments when Daniel looked to falter but in the same breath he threw his fists and body at his opponent until the end of the bout where the referee lifted Daniels hand in the air as the victor.

On the scoreboard the numbers blew the Cook Islands supporters away Daniel had fought his way to an outstanding 40 points compared to the Papua New Guinea fighters 28.

Daniel was to face his second fight yesterday.