THE ALEX LEAPAI WORLD TITLE FIGHT. Sponsored by the Paul Soli'ai Foundation
Alex Leapai relaxes with family and friends as the fight for the heavyweight title nears.Since her last report Helen Lauaki, our reporter has been very busy with the daily events of the Fight which are quite exciting and full of entertainment. The day following the Press Conference, Wednesday Helen was able to catch the boxers as they trained at a mall in Oberhausen, as a promotion for the fight. The different camps were there and each fighter trained for a certain amount of time as the Shoppers at the Mall were passing by. The Media were all there for the occasion.
Alex Leapai looked ready. His training was coordinated by his trainer Noel Thornberry and others. Alex's main sponsor for the fight and for his career moving forward is Phil Murphy the owner of the 5th ranked Brisbane Broncos, a professional Rugby League Team in Australia's National League. The training ended and then there was some down time where the Samoans gathered at the Sheraton Hotel and were able to show a rather surprising side not expected by the random Boxing fan. Joseph Parker, a Samoan Heavyweight from New Zealand got on the piano and began playing with such amazing skill that he had German female Hotel workers swooning. There were many there who were surprised that a sport that is so violent could produce such tender music from one of the up and coming fighters in the World Heavyweight ranks.
The following day the Samoans held a Barbecue and the Le Malae reporter was invited to this exclusive gathering where the fighter's family were gathered with various Leapai Team members such as the Sponsor Phil Murphy. It was here that Helen got to meet the family of Alex Leapai and became a part of their team as she was the only member of the Press invited.
At the barbecue Helen met the parents Faataui and Leitu Leapai as well as the brothers Faasoo, Leati and Setefano. There were also Uncles and relatives as well as good friends there including Sitivi, the keyboard player for the Five Stars, the famous Samoan band. They were relaxed and focused on the task at hand and Alex was rather calm for a man about to engage with what many are calling a Giant. Wladimir Klitschko is tall, he looms over Alex at 6' 7" and has a reach advantage of about 6 inches. The experts seem in unison that this is not a fight Alex can win, but the man from Down Under has a quiet confidence about him. Almost Crocodile Dundeeish with his small town persona going up against the 8 year World Champ who dates an actress and has earned upwards of $35 million.
Alex doesnt say much but when he does its heart felt and are usually backed up by a pair of atomic bomb explosions from the left and the right XL mitts he calls fists. The impact of his punches have been vividly implanted on the minds and jaws of 18 of his 23 opponents who were knocked out after being pummeled into submission. Its these punches with power that seem to come from everywhere and in no logical sequence but with deadly accuracy as only he can unleash them, that have deprived fighters, many larger than Alex, of their senses.
In fact Wladimir is not the first giant Alex has chopped down to size. Okello Peter who Alex knocked out in 2011, was taller than Klitschko. He has fought a number of Australian and African men who were taller and larger than Alex, but as his nickname indicates, Alex has the heart of a lion and is not afraid to step in the ring with someone bigger than he is.
It may be to his advantage that the Ukranian and the rest of the world give him almost no chance as they have been pronouncing loudly over the past week, that Alex will beat the 8 year veteran World Champion. But then Alex is not one who pays much attention to the experts and he has never really been one to follow the script. If anything Alex enjoys the anonymity as he will be a lone lion in the den of hyenas come Saturday. He has no need for loud drums as he will be moving to the beat of his own drummer. the beat of his family and friends and fellow Samoans all praying and putting their united hearts together of the upset that only they and Alex will see coming.
This is the moment Alex has been awaiting quietly and he is ready. His trainer has made the required adjustments. The opponent is over confident. The stage is set for a monumental upset that would be worth a Hollywood script more entertaining than Rocky. This is Sparta! (300), Rocky and Braveheart all wrapped up into one blockbuster hit. Too bad for whoever will be on the receiving end. |
Alex Leapai receives the keys to Logan City from MayorWhat a wonderful week it has been for me. Being in Germany to follow our own Logan boy, Samoan-born Alex Leapai has been a fantastic experience and one of the highlights of my low profile TV career The best way to end this article series was to witness Alex being given the Keys to Logan City from our Mayor, Pam Parker.
He may not have won the coveted World Heavyweight Championship but to the people in Logan, including myself, he is a winner . To his children, he is a hero. Alex spoke lovingly about his family and his wife. "She has been with me from the beginning, loyal to me during my bad days and still by my side." He also stated that he thanks God for forgiving him and for all the blessings he has received. He also will be staying in Logan. "Logan is my home and I won't be moving anywhere else." Uo Alaalatoa Brown asked him if there's anything he'd like to say to his many Samoan supporters around the world after letting him know that Lemalae Media Network are proud of him. .
He said that if there's something he has learned from his mistakes is that we must take care of our young people. "It's important for us to be good examples to them and help them achieve their goals in life." He mentioned how he hopes they will learn from his mistakes and see there's a better life in front of them and they must make the right choices. And to his fans and supporters and to the world, he said "I will be back."
Alex gratefully autographed a poster of himself to Lemalae Media Network and he said to Uo that he is grateful for the support Lemalae has given him. There may be a future fight for Alex in the works with Shannon Briggs who disrupted the Press Conference with Klitschko in Germany. If this happens it will be a brawl. We wish Alex all the best as he goes forward with his career and future ventures. The day before the fight, Alex weighs in and his Family are there to supportThe last day before the fight Helen Lauaki rode with the family to the weigh-in. Their younger brother arrived the night before (front left kneeling) so the family would be united as they went to the weigh in together. The boys were ready for any Shannon Briggs surprises. Shannon Briggs has been using the opportunity of the fight between Alex and Wladimir Klitschko to spew some derogatory things publicly that have been disruptive and annoying to the production of the fight.
Helen has made a few friends while in Germany including a camera man, Christoph who has been assisting her with her work and will be accompanying her to the fight tonight to help with video camera work. We appreciate this good man for his help.
The Leapai brothers were all there for the chance that Shannon would make an attempt to disrupt this Weigh In as he had the Press Conference. And Shannon did show up but was immediately removed and unable to cause any problems because Management had placed barriers around the weigh in. The brothers were all around Alex to make sure he was protected.
Helen has made some very influential friends including Peter and Klaus of Klitschko Management. These are the promoters of the fight and they are the main two individuals who put the entire production together. We are very grateful to thee individuals for their assistence in helping Le Malae become one of the media outlets accepted for this historic fight.
Le Malae and Samoans in Brisbane's Helen Lauaki goes to Germany to cover the Alex Leapai fight.Helen Lauaki, Samoans in Brisbane Editor in Chief is in Oberhausen, Germany where she is covering the title fight between Alex Leapai and Wladimir Klitschko this weekend, April 26, 2014. She was the one who initiated the first interview with Alex "Lionheart" Leapai for Le Malae and now is the only Samoan Media in Germany for this historic fight.
She was able to make this trip with the assistance of the Paul Soliai Foundation who funded the entire trip. She arrived over the weekend and found Oberhausen quite empty. This was because of the Easter Holiday which is celebrated and honored with fervor in Germany. Today she was at the Fight's Press Conference where she was able to ask questions of the combatants and get pictures. These will be posted in here and on Le Malae's twitter account which is LeMalae. Please follow us on Twitter and like our facebook page, Le Malae. The Press Conference was not without controversy as Shannon Briggs continued to harass Wladimir Klitschko in an attempt to draw attention to himself and secure a fight for the world championship. Apparently it caused some concern among the fighters and Alex Leapai was not too happy with Shannon's outburst. This is the first of what we expect will be many reports by Helen on this fight and we wish her luck as well as send our most sincere well wishes to Alex Leapai as he prepares for the fight. May you fight with determination and the heart of a lion on your way to defeating Wladimir Klitschko. Go Alex!!!! |