First Ever Petey "Schoolboy" Vital Invitational
1/29/2025
Pahoa, a little town well out of the way of the hustle and bustle of Hawaii was pumping with non-stop boxing action full of thrills and excitement, making it worth the drive from all edges of the Big Island.
The First Annual Petey “School Boy” Invitational presented by Petey Vital Jr on Saturday January 25, 2025 was a day of a few firsts. The event itself was the first Boxing event for in the State for 2025 and it was the first time a Boxing event was ever held at the William “Billy” Kenoi District Park (Named after the late great Mayor of The Big Island), as well as the first event covered by yours truly, Be On The Lookout Promotions.
Housing a packed crowd, the event kicked off with some electrifying walkout music accompanied by Pahoa’s well known MC personality Jose Miranda of Irie Hawaii. The excitement of the audience could be felt by the roar during the introduction of the day’s first match as the fighters made their way to the ring passing through smoke machines that livened the event even more.
Brand new ring canvas about to be broken in
Fans excitingly lining up hours before start of event
Officials meeting headed by Official In Charge Joel Kim
Entering the first bout, Pahoa’s own Brody Leahey, 9yrs 65lbs (2-4) of Vital Boxing was matched up against Damian De La Cruz, 9yrs 60lbs (2-2) of Southside Boxing Club Maui. At the sound of the bell both fighters came charging in with Leahey shooting to the inside with a barrage of body shots only to be followed by a barrage of body shots coming from De La Cruz. After first half of the round De La Cruz changed up to fight from the outside as Leahey commanded the center of the ring. In the second round Leahey and De La Cruz met front and center and traded off punches that resulted in Leahey getting struck with a Standing 8 count. In Round 3 Leahey continued to take the fight to the inside as De La Cruz kept his distance. With only one minute per round both fighters gave everything they had in what little time they had and if you blinked, you would’ve missed quite a fight. In the end it was De La Cruz that earned the judges nod, however, both fighters earned well deserved cheers from the audience that resonated a job well done and confirmed a proper match was set to start off the event.
At right, Leahey delivers a shot while ducking a punch from De La Cruz
Following up, the second match of the night was a rematch between Caleb Canida, 9yrs 60lbs (0-2) of Vital Boxing versus Maximus Aldeguer, 10yrs 55lbs (3-2) of Waianae Boxing Club in which both fighters met November 30th of last year where Aldeguer was noted as the victor. At the beginning of the first round Canida charged at Aldeguer letting it be known that he meant business to avenge the recent loss. As Canida closed the distance, Aldeguer hit Canida on the inside letting IT be known that it was not going to be easy. In Round 2 it was Aldeguer that came charging in while Canida stood his ground and a toe to toe slug fest ignited. Round 3 Aldeguer took control of the center of the ring as Canida patrolled the perimeter and performed the time tested stick and move. At the 10 second warning of the third round Canida took over control of the center of the ring as Aldeguer boxed from the outside. This time around it was Canida who was decided as the victor. This match surely shows that both fighters deserve one more go around. AT LEAST ONE!
Starting off the one and a half minute round matches, was an exciting match between a fighter from our sister state up north Rafael Navarro, 13yrs 100+lbs (0-1) Alaska Boxing Academy facing off against Big Island’s own Canaan Padilla, 12yrs 100+lbs (1-5) Kona Gold. In the beginning of the first round Navarro came in strong with an inside strategy hitting Padilla hard causing Padilla to take a standing eight count. It was obvious Navarro did not travel over three thousand miles to take a Hawaiian vacation. After the eight count, Padilla regained his composure and stuck to the outside keeping Navarro at bay. However! In the second round both fighters met each other face to face throwing blow for blow. This time it was Padilla making it known that he was not going to be easily pushed over on his home turf. In Round 3 Padilla fired numerous head shots that appeared to sting Navarro. In return Navarro responded by working from the inside delivering some powerful shots to the body and working his way up. At the 10 second warning Padilla took an offensive sprint as Navarro worked his defense. At the end of the round, Padilla’s last stand was not enough to overtake Navarro’s lead. As thrilling of a match that it was, its obvious that both these young fighters Navarro and Padilla are to “Be On The Lookout” for should they continue to perfect their craft in the years to come.
Up top Coach David Carey preps Rafael Navarro as Canaan Padilla makes his way to the ring below
Another notable fight was a match between Thunder Boxing’s Ethan Ubaldo, 13yrs 80lbs (1-4) going up against Grace Academy’s Justin Wolf, 12yrs 85lbs (1-0). Right off the bat, the southpaw Wolf came in swinging leading with an overhand left that connected to the forehead of Ubaldo. Although the punch was felt even by the spectators, it did not seem to phase Ubaldo as Ubaldo responded with some strong one two combinations driving Wolf back. Round 2 started off a little interesting as Ubaldo proceeded to march to the center of the ring while giving a display of the infamous Philly Shell stance but it did not deter Wolf’s offensive attack as he threw some strong straight lets to the body. Being the taller fighter Ubaldo stuck to an outside strategy as Wolf kept the pressure on him. In Round 3 Wolf continued to bring the pressure throwing combinations in bunches as Ubaldo played the patient game staying on the outside and picking some choice pinpoint shots. Ubaldo then chose his moment to go on an inside attack, however, Wolf stood fast and kept his ground and landed overhand left. In the end Wolf came out with the victory in which his display of tenacity earned him the Male Fighter of The Night Award.
A battle of two beginners got underway between Nolan Nobriga Jr, 13yrs 105lbs (0-0) fighting under the tutelage of Sergio Mamone and Hayden Huihui, 12yrs 105lbs (0-0) from Vital Boxing. At the start of Round 1 Huihui the hometown fighter came in strong delivering some hard rights straight to Nobriga. Nobriga fended off as much punches as he could, however, he could not stop the few that slipped through the cracks. Halfway through the first round Nobriga and Huihui switched roles and it was Nobriga who came on strong with a flurry of punches causing Huihui to fend off as many punches as he could. At the signal of seconds out at the end of the first break, it was apparent that Round 1 had driven the two fighters to exhaustion, HOWEVER!, at the sound of the bell, Round 2 began with twice the level of tenacity as Round 1 causing the crowd pop off their seats. Both fighters moved all about the ring while remaining in each other’s personal space while matching each other combination for combination. As each fighter took to their feet to start Round 3, the cheers from the crowd made it aware that the round could not start fast enough. Right at the sound of the bell Nobriga came in hard swinging hooks from the outside as Huihui went full auto with straight one twos on the inside. Huihui’s strong punches was backing Nobriga into a corner witch caused the crowd to get louder the further Nobriga got backed in, but just as it appeared that Nobriga had no where to go, Nobriga pulled an escape and a counter attack, a move so amazing it was complimented by a noisy crowd. At the end of the match the decision was made in Nobriga’s favor.
Nolan Nobriga Jr lands a straight right on Hayden Huihui
Hayden Huihui sticks a left jab to Nolan Nobriga Jr
The first of two female bouts was a fight that matched the level of intensity as their male counterparts. Central Maui Boxing Club’s Shaylynn Candaroma-Teixeira, 15yrs 105lbs (2-1) took on Vital Boxing’s Zoe Dayoan-Moore, 15yrs 105lbs (3-9). The fight got off to a great start in Round 1 as Candaroma-Teixeira brought the heat, striking Dayoan-Moore straight up the middle. Dayoan-Moore kept her cool and picked her shots well, tagging Candaroma-Teixeira to the forehead. As Dayoan-Moore continued to feel out Candaroma-Teixeira in the first round, Candaroma-Teixeira occupied her time by landing shots fast and heavy to Dayoan-Moore. Round 2 Candaroma-Teixeira continued to fight on the inside as Dayoan-Moore stayed to the outside. Both fighters kept pace with each other punch for punch drawing oohs and ahhs from the audience. Round 3 started off just as it did in Round 2 with Candaroma-Teixeira shooting for the inside and Dayoan-Moore keeping Candaroma-Teixeira at a distance to the best of her ability. Candaroma-Teixeira kept up the aggression swinging from inside just as Dayoan-Moore kept her cool and played the patient game carefully selecting her punches. In the end Dayoan-Moore’s strategy worked in her favor as she was handed the victory as well as having been awarded the Female Fighter of the Night.
Above from left to right(1)Both Zoe Dayoan-Moore and Shaylynn Candaroma-Teixeira battle at close range (2)Dayoan-Moore slips under a punch while delivering a punch of her own. (3)Candaroma-Teixeira takes the open shot (4) Dayoan-Moore displays her quick reflexes to get out of the way from an attack
During a much needed break from 12 bouts of non stop action, the audience was treated to a surprise guest appearance by Troy Ross, a well known former Cruiserweight and Light Heavyweight contender with a professional record of 25-3 with 16 knockouts. Ross is known for having starred in Season 4 of the hit television series “The Contender” in which he beat Ehinomen Ehikhamenor for the grand prize. Ross gave an inspirational speech where he reminisced about his first time in a boxing match that lasted a little past 30 seconds in which he lost. Ross spoke of how he was able to continue on his Boxing journey by abiding to a creed that “If I get knocked down, get up and finish the fight”. Ross also acquired some acting gigs. His most notable role he portrayed the role of real life Hall of Fame Boxer John Henry Lewis opposite Academy Award winning actor Russell Crowe’s portrayal of legendary heavyweight champion James Braddock in the critically acclaimed movie “Cinderella Man”.
Troy Ross addresses the crowd with a great inspirational speech
The night ended with its Main Event Matchup between Central Maui Boxing Club’s Kalei Thomas, 14yrs 132lbs (6-7) taking on hometown favorite Justus Lareau, 15yrs 132lbs (8-8) from Vital Boxing. The excitement from the crowd elevated to a higher level informing the officials that this fight could not get started fast enough. In Round 1 Thomas came in swinging on a mission. Lareau stood his ground and threw a combination that made Thomas change plans on a dime. Thomas settled down and threw strong and hard punches from underneath as Lareau threw fast and fierce punches from up top. After a 30 second burst, Lareau shuffled back to get some distance in between only to be followed by Thomas throwing punch for punch with each step that he took forward. In the second round Thomas worked the outside along the ropes but it cost him with Lareau tagging him to the body. The cat and mouse game continued until the sound of the 10 second warning whereas Thomas and Lareau went in for the stoppage attempt. In the third and final round of the evening, both fighters met toe to toe throwing flurries from both sides which turned into an explosion of deflected punches that canceled each other out, then Thomas leaps forward with a Superman punch striking Lareau to the head. As eye opening as that move was, the punch was shrugged off by Lareau as he waited for Thomas to land on his feet, and on his feet Thomas did land, with the toes of his lead foot directly in front of the toes of Lareau’s lead foot only to set a very befitting toe to toe slugfest that had the crowd breaking decibel levels. In the final seconds, Thomas and Lareau met in the center of the ring and went at each other ensuring that each opponent was leaving it all in the ring and nothing to doubt. At the sound of the final bell both fighters lifter their hands in glory as every spectator in the room rose to their feet cheering in amazement. The final match was without an argument the Fight of the Night. As the crowd waited with great anticipation and angst, a well deserved roar of agreement was heard as Thomas was announced as the winner of the first main event of the first ever Petey “School Boy” Invitational.
Kalei Thomas celebrates as he is announced the winner
Results of Saturday January 25, 2025 match ups are as follows:
Damian De La Cruz 9yrs 60lbs (2-2)
Southside Boxing Club Maui
Def.
Brody Leahey 9yrs 65lbs (2-4)
Vital Boxing
Caleb Canida 9yrs 60lbs (0-2)
Vital Boxing
Def.
Maximus Aldeguer 10yrs 55lbs (3-2)
Waianae Boxing Club
Hekili Primacio 11yrs 75lbs (0-0)
Vital Boxing
Def.
Tristan Tsugawa 11yrs 70lbs (0-0)
Unattached (Panaewa)
Rafael Navarro 13yrs 100lbs (0-1)
Alaska Boxing Academy
Def.
Canaan Pandilla 12yrs 100lbs (1-5)
Kona Gold
Jessiah Garcia 13yrs 138lbs (0-3)
Southside Boxing Club Maui
Def.
Nuamealani Wengler 13yrs 138lbs (0-0)
Unattached (Panaewa)
Draven Peralta 13yrs 100lbs (1-3)
IQ Boxing
Def.
Isaiah Lee 13yrs 100bls (0-0)
Unattached (Grace Academy)
Judah Yamashiro 13yrs 105lbs (4-4)
IQ Boxing
Def.
Domingo Peralta 14yrs 105lbs (1-5)
Central Maui Boxing Club
Justin Wolf 12yrs 85lbs (1-0)
Unattached (Grace Academy)
Def.
Ethan Ubaldo 13yrs 80lbs (1-4)
Thunder Boxing
Nolan Nobriga Jr 13yrs 105lbs (0-0)
Unattached (Sergio Mamone)
Def.
Hayden Huihui 12yrs 105lbs (0-0)
Vital Boxing
Ka’eo Silva 13yrs 90lbs (0-0)
Vital Boxing
Def.
Norman Navarro 13yrs 85lbs (0-0)
Kona Gold
Kaikane Primacio 12yrs 95lbs (0-0)
Vital Boxing
Def.
Chanceton Agonoy 12yrs 90lbs (0-0)
IQ Boxing
Zoe Dayoan-Moore 15yrs 105lbs (3-9)
Vital Boxing
Def. Shaylynn Candaroma-Teixeira 15yrs 105lbs (2-1)
Central Maui Boxing Club
Nick Pechenyuk 27yrs 155lbs (1-0)
Kona Gold
Def.
Rudolpho Warren Lopez 36yrs 155lbs (1-1)
Vital Boxing
Daniel Paglinawan 14yrs 101lbs (18-10)
IQ Boxing
Def.
Capone Sundberg 14yrs 101lbs (7-4)
Central Maui Boxing Club
Kaya Wakana Lee 17yrs 119lbs (0-0)
Unattached (Grace Academy)
Def.
Chazirie Alconcel 16yrs 119lbs (2-1)
Central Maui Boxing Club
Keion Owens 19yrs 160lbs (0-1)
Waianae Boxing Club
Def.
BJ Apolo 28yrs 160lbs (0-0)
Central Maui Boxing Club
Jarren Gonzalez-Yap 18yrs 132lbs
Central Maui Boxing Club
Def.
Jacestyn Kaai 18yrs 132lbs (4-4)
Waianae Boxing Club
Jaylob-Jaron Pe Benito 22yrs 125lbs (11-6)
IQ Boxing
Def.
Warren Bicoy-Garcia 23yrs 125lbs (7-4)
Southside Boxing Club Maui
Keith Birchland 27yrs 150lbs (1-1)
Unattached (Puna)
Def.
Victor Vergara 29yrs 150lbs (1-3)
Southside Boxing Club Maui
Tommy Zhuliang 15yrs 130lbs (0-0)
Southside Boxing Club Maui
Def.
Tavian Vegas 17yrs 125lbs (15-5)
Midro’s Den
Kalei Thomas 14yrs 132lbs (6-7)
Central Maui Boxing Club
Def.
Justus Lareau 15yrs 132lbs (8-8)
Vital Boxing
