By Staff Writer
Bare-knuckle boxing is in the horizon for Samoa but on the professional level.
The vice – President of the Samoa Boxing Federation, Fa’afouina Milford, confirmed plans in the pipeline already but are yet to be finalised fully.
Milford left at the weekend for an international boxing federation meeting where he hopes to follow up on the proposal.
“This side of boxing is purely at the professional level no amateurs are involved,” Milford explained.
Professional glove boxing has attracted a commanding interest in local followers of the spot when promoters are able to stage an event n Samoa.
The struggle for suitable indoor venues and the costs of organising professional boxing in the country are among the challenges for promoters.
Initial reactions to bare knuckle fights in Samoa are guarded with health concerns at the absence of protection of boxing gloves.
But changes to similar concerns at the international level recently appeared to have lessened noticeably.
In 2025, international reactions to bare-knuckles boxing reflect its transformation from an underground subculture into a rapidly growing mainstream sport.
The International Boxing Association (IBA) officially embraced the sport in May 2025, announcing it would act as a global governing body to help regulate and shape its future.
