CNMI Big Nite cancelled

Organizers of the CNMI Big Nite pulled the plug on the planned sports and entertainment event but did not specify the reasons behind the cancellation.

“Due to unexpected circumstances, the CNMI Big Nite 2004 slated for Sunday, July 11, is postponed. The organizers of the big event feels it is prudent to wrap up the unfinished tasks that the organizers firmly believed to be critical to the success and full enjoyment of the general public…” a press statement from the organizers read.

The event was supposed to be staged from 12am to 12pm at the Nauru Building parking lot and was supposed to feature live entertainment from noon to 7pm, when the headline boxing event starts.

The news comes as a big blow to amateur boxers training for the fight. During Wednesday’s new briefing at the Magic 100.3 radio station, boxing coordinator Al Taitano said fighters were upbeat about Sunday’s event.

He boasted that his shortlist of pugilists that would see action in Sunday’s main event was now down to 11 candidates. In fact, Taitano personally flew to Tinian the morning of Wednesday to check on the training of the fighters there.

Wednesday also saw Taitano present 19-year-old Billy Wanket as the fifth fighter that will don the colors of Saipan.

Wanket, who was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, said he is a kickboxer by training but has also done his fair share of amateur boxing fights.

He said if his memory serves him right, he has participated in a total of 82 fights, winning 53 of them, 12 by knockout in his four-year career as a kickboxer and prizefighter. He will box in the middleweight class.

Wanket will join seasoned veterans Pete Castro and Aguinaldo Tesado and greenhorns Chris Sablan and Jay Muna in the corner for Saipan.

The four Tinian fighters that made it to his list were Robert Fajardo, Jarvin Evangelista, John Castro, and Joey Adriano. Taitano did not name the two other fighters on his list.

But as it stands, fighters from both Saipan and Tinian will have to wait until organizers finally succeed in tying loose ends that prevent the fight from happening.

What they got is an assurance from the organizers that the CNMI Big Nite will be staged sometime in the near future.

“The organizers apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, especially to the sponsors, individual donors, members of the legislature, the Governor’s Office, the private companies, that one way or the another, helped to realize this unique event. The group especially extend its utmost apology to the general public,” the press statement further stated.