South Seas & Tongan Heavyweight Boxing Champion - Mani Vaka Kafalava

Mani Vaka Kafalava was born on the 6 April 1947 in KOLOFO’OU Tongatapu Tonga - Mani Vaka was a Tongan heavyweight boxer who won the Tongan Heavyweight title in 1969 and the South Seas Heavyweight title in 1973. He was ranked 7th in the world heavyweight division.
Mani Vaka Kafalava made his boxing debut in November 1968 After defeating Filimone Naliva, Leweni Waqa, and Marika Nailvalu and winning the South Seas Heavyweight title he planned to move to Australia.
Mani’s most notable fight was against World Ranked #4 Heavyweight Oscar Bonavena at the HIC ARENA in Hawaii. Oscar Bonavena fought Muhammad Ali at Madison Square garden in 1970 which went 15 Rounds.
Other notable fights were against Tongan Heavyweight Champion Fonomanu Sekona (Young Sekona) in Nuku’alofa and in Auckland City which Drew huge crowds.
In December 2009 Mani Vaka Kafalava was inducted into the Tongan Sports Hall of Fame Mani passed on the 21 July 2007 RIP
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