From Deseret News archives:

BYU Football: Ex-Cougar Sikahema throttles Canseco in celebrity boxing event

Published: Tuesday, July 15, 2008 12:16 a.m. MDT
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ATLANTIC CITY — The one-time "Bash Brother" got thoroughly bashed by the "Tongan Terror."

Former BYU and Philadelphia Eagles running back/kick return specialist and current sportscaster Vai Sikahema knocked out controversial former baseball star and admitted steroids user Jose Canseco in the first round of a celebrity boxing match at Bernie Robbins Stadium on Saturday night.

The 5-foot-9 Sikahema, 45, swarmed all over the 6-4 Canseco, 44, as soon as the opening bell sounded. He knocked Canseco down twice before the fight was stopped at 1:37 of the first round. The crowd of approximately 1,250 fans stood and roared the entire fight.

"When you step inside the square circle," Sikahema said, "don't ever think that your size is going to matter because in Philadelphia, we will chop you down."

"He's a very impressive-looking guy," Sikahema said. "But the guy is a walking corpse, because he's rotted inside out. He's a pathetic figure."

Sikahema donated $5,000 of his $25,000 purse to the family of Philadelphia police officer Stephen Liczbinski, who was shot and killed in May in the line of duty while responding to a bank robbery.

After the fight, Sikahema was asked if there were any surprises.

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"The only thing that surprised me was that it didn't end in the first 30 seconds," he said.

Canseco pointed toward Sikahema's corner during his introduction and made a throat-slashing gesture, which inflamed the crowd.

Sikahema was born in Tonga, a country comprised of many islands in the south Pacific Ocean. In his youth, he had some 80 amateur fights and lived up his nickname "The Tongan Terror" during his entrance.

Several bare-chested men dressed as Tonga natives led him to the ring. Two boys held torches.

One man then performed a fire dance in the center of the ring. The group then did an elaborate prefight dance, the "haka," that ended with them screaming at Canseco, who received $35,000.

As it turned out, the routine lasted longer than the fight.

Recent comments

$5000 out of $25000 donated to a fallen officer's widow? How about...

Charity Schmarity | July 18, 2008 at 10:43 a.m.

I'm proud of Vai for winning against a much bigger athlete, but I...

Rich | July 17, 2008 at 11:55 p.m.

I may not agreed with Canseco's reputation but to call him a...

Oh well..... | July 17, 2008 at 5:28 p.m.

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