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by T P. Samuelu
Samoa News Correspondent
The New Zealand based Samoan golden sensational middleweight boxer will be the third Samoan to fight for a World Boxing Title in the World Boxing Association (WBA) Middle Weight Division when he fights on May 1, in Miami, Florida.
The first Samoan to fight for a world title was another New Zealand based heavy weight name Jimmy Peau who fought for the World Boxing Organization (WBO) and won in the 1980s and the one and only David "Tuaman" Tua against Leonard Lewis for the World Boxing Conference (WBC) was the second.
Maselino Masoe of Samoa will go against a Kenyan born middleweight champion name Dane Evans Ashira from South Africa for the World Boxing Association (WBA) Middleweight Title.
This is the first chance for Maselino Masoe, 37-years to fight for the world middleweight champion title since he started fighting in the 1980s.
He is the current holder of the #4 spot in the WBA at the Middleweight Division and currently a Pacific-Asia Boxing Association Champion (PABA).
According to Maselino's former trainer and coach in American Samoa, Isitolo Wulf (aka Isi), Maselino was exposed to the South Pacific Games, Oceania and the Olympics while representing American Samoa and Independent Samoa in various boxing tournaments.
Isitolo Wulf trained and coached Maselino in all the boxer's fights out of American Samoa.
"Maselino start boxing in 1985 and in 1986, he is credited for representing American Samoa Amateur Boxing Federation in Apia, Independent Samoa for the Oceania Games where he fought as a welter weight. He won a silver medal in the Oceania Games.
"Maselino slowed down in 1987 and missed the Oceania games in the Cook Islands and the South Pacific Games in New Caledonia because of hand injuries sustained during sparring," said Isi.
The 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, Korea was attended by Maselino in the welter weights and his brother Mika Masoe in the light heavy weight divisions.
This was the first time American Samoa was represented in amateur boxing at the Olympics and Maselino made it to the quarter finals where he lost to an American boxer. His brother Mika was eliminated in the first round of the tournament.
In 1989, boxing fans started to hear Maselino's name when he again won a gold medal in the South Pacific Mini-Games, fighting under the American Samoa flag, and also won a gold medal from the Oceania Games in Tonga.
Maselino did not slow down after his gold and silver medal wins, because in 1990 he again represented American Samoa at the Oceania Games in Auckland, New Zealand and won a silver medal in the light middle weight division.
In 1992, Maselino was selected to represent American Samoa in Apia for the Oceania Games and won the silver medal qualifying to represent the US Territory for the second time at the Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain where he won his first two fights and made it to the quarter finals where he lost to an US boxer.
Aside from being a boxer, Maselino is a Certified Pipe/Structural Welder by trade. In 1993, Maselino was hired by a New Zealand company called the Downers Company as a welder to install pipe lines in the Independent state of Samoa.
While working in Apia, Maselino seek the approval of American Samoa Amateur Boxing Federation to release him so that he could represent Independent Samoa in the Oceania Games in Apia.
Maselino again won a gold medal in the light middle weight division in Apia for the Independent State of Samoa.
Upon returning to American Samoa in 1995, Maselino was selected again to represent American Samoa to compete in the light middle weight division in the first Pacific Ocean Games held in Colombia, South America where he again won another gold medal.
He fought in Australia in 1996 under the American Samoa flag and won another gold medal and secured another spot for the third time to represent American Samoa again at the Olympic games in Atlanta. Unfortunately, he was eliminated in the first round.
From 1985 to 1987, Maselino was trained/coached and managed by his one and only favorite uncle until he turned professional in the latter part of 1997. Maselino joined David Tua's camp under Kevin Barry and started fighting professionally.
"I knew from the beginning that Maselino is capable of being a World Champion one day. He is so dedicated to the sport of boxing and very honest in his training," said Isi.
When Samoa News asked Isi if he was going to attend this very important fight since Maselino is very special to him - He said - "it's the same thing. Maselino can still be a world champion with or with out me."
Isi added, "My prayers go out to him and we wish him all the best in his endeavor for the World Middle Weight Championship crown in Miami, Florida on May 1."
Isi concluded by saying; "My special humble request to the people of American Samoa is to please remember Maselino in your prayers for he is only the third Samoan to fight for a World Title in Boxing and the one and only ambassador for American Samoa in the sport of boxing - he is Amerika Samoan's Golden Boy."
Osini Faleatasi, Inc. dba Samoa News reserves all rights.
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