Team_TATUPU
Challenge to SBW FOR HIS NZPBA HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE Auckland Herald June23, 2013
Nor is that the only pressure on Williams' titles. His New Zealand Professional Boxing Association title could also be up for grabs soon. Williams won the title when he beat American Clarence Tillman but the secretary of the NZPBA, Pat Leonard, confirmed that it has been undefended for 18 months.
"It's been too long," he said, "but there hasn't been an official challenge lodged until just recently. So I have written to Khoder Nasser [Williams' agent and manager] that there has been a recent challenge and that we have authorised Afa Tatupu to enter into negoations with him for an overdue challenge.
"Normally when someone wins one of our titles, they get the right to arrange an optional challenge - but this has now been 18 months."
It is not clear what will happen if Williams does not accept the Tatupu challenge but, again, losing his title must be a possibility. The problem for the Williams camp is that Tatupu may not have commercial appeal enough to persuade an audience to part with the $40 pay per view fee.
Tatupu, known as "King" Afa, is 33 and holds the New Zealand Boxing Federation heavyweight title - the competing association to the NZPBA. He has been boxing for four years and has had 12 fights for eight wins, seven by knockout. His losses include a knockout by Joey Wilson, regarded as one of the best local heavyweights and a knockout by well-performed Japanese fighter Kyotaro Fujimoto, who has also beaten Tillman.
- Herald on Sunday