SKY SPORT NEXT TO CAPTURE THE NORTH ISLAND GOLDEN GLOVES ACTION
New Zealand amateur boxing fans who aren’t able to catch the live action at the annual North Island Golden Gloves, over Queens Birthday weekend, will be again be able to watch the combat on Sky Sport Next You Tube channel.
Last year’s North Island Golden Gloves Sky Sport Next trial streaming, led to the highly successful streaming of the 2020 Boxing New Zealand National Championships held in Porirua City in January 2021.
The return of the North and South Island Golden Gloves, to the traditional Queens Birthday date, comes after last year’s postponement to October 2020 due to Covid 19.
The 37th North Island Golden Gloves, will be staged at the Great Lakes Centre in Taupo, with the South Island Golden Gloves being held at the Woolston Club in Christchurch. Both tournaments will be held on Saturday and Sunday 5th and 6th June 2021.
A recent AIBA rule change, where boxers can only box once each day, has changed the complexion of the two-day tournaments. The rule change has seen the introduction of groups of up to four in each category and weight division.
The Sky Sport Next streaming could see a battle royal unfold in the North Island Golden Gloves elite lightweight division, with the entries of the 2020 National lightweight champion Alex Mukuka and the current National light welterweight titleholder Michael Reynolds. Added to the intriguing mix, is three time South Australia lightweight champion Watene Robertson who has come home to try to make his mark in his country of birth, and David Minchin.
The big boys always provide plenty of interesting action with current Super Heavyweight champion Matt Mataika leading the elite division entries. Five time National Middleweight titleholder and two time Jameson Belt winner, Ryan Scaife, will wear the favorite tag in the 75kg division.
Defending Golden Gloves welterweight champion Wendall Stanley, heads the entries in the 69kg elite class, with former multiple national titleholder Chad Milnes throwing his hat into the ring, in the four-man competition.
While there are just three entries in the elite women 57kg competition, all three bring strong credentials to the Taupo ring. Current flyweight champion and 2018 Commonwealth Games bronze medalist Tasmyn Benny, is making the step up, where 2020 featherweight champion Erin Walsh is standing in here way. Multiple junior and youth national titleholder, Hannah Walker, could shake the other two up in her first year of senior competition.
The South Island Golden Gloves have strong entries throughout all the age-group ranks. The elite competition is led by 2020 Female 54kg National champion, Christine Gillespie, who has moved up to the lightweight division and will be opposed by Beulah Paris from the host club.
While the elite men’s Lightweight class, has just two entries, both boxers bring impeccable top level experience to the ring. Richard Pagote, earned the bantamweight silver medal at the 2020 National championships held in January 2021, while Mathew Crawford was runner-up in the lightweight championship.
There will be plenty of interest in the elite men’s light welterweight competition, where Christian Tiako (Gore) Jacob Prout (Woolston) Vincent Kelly (Fidows) and Jahvan Tuhahakaraina (Gore), will square off to become the Golden Gloves champion,
North Island Golden Gloves Elite Senior Entries
60kg Lightweight: REYNOLDS Michael, MINCHIN David, ROBERTSON Watene, MUKUKA Alex.
64kg Light Welterweight: HOPE Cayden, ISMATULLAH Ali, POTATAU Kheva, BILSKI Konnor
69kg Welterweight: FAILUNGA Failunga, MILNES Chad, STANLEY Wendell, MAHARA Eruera
75kg Middleweight: PETERSEN Tyson, SCAIFE Ryan, SEYMOUR-MOIR Colton, HINDLEY Leroy
81kg Light Heavyweight: FILO Saili, RICHARDSON Emile, BIRCH Nathan.
91kg Heavyweight: BALL Jayden, COUIMI Eddie.
+91kg Super Heavyweight: CRICHTON Roma, TU Siaki, MATAIKA Matt, MERCURY Elija.
Elite Female 57kg: BENNY Tasmyn, WALSH Erin, WALKER Hannah.
South Island Golden Gloves Elite Senior Entries
60kg Lightweight: Richard Pagote (Round 12) Matt Crawford (NZFF)
64kg Light Welterweight: Christian Tiako (Papanui) Jacob Prout (Woolston) Vincent Kelly (Fidows) Jahvan Tuhahakaraina (Gore)
75kg Middleweight: Jesse Hawken (Southern Queens) James Stokes (Woolston) Josef Jacobs (Round 12)
81kg Light Heavyweight: Sakhidad Ghazizada (Papanui) Wiremu James (Timaru)
+91kg Super Heavyweight: Leroy Mutu (Fidows) Lisiate Lomu (Burnham)
Elite Female 60kg: Beulah Paris (Woolston) Christine Gillespie (Arapawa)
North Island Golden Gloves @ Great Lake Centre, Taupo 5/6 June 2021
South Island Golden Gloves @ Woolston Club, Christchurch 5/6 June 2021
New Zealand Golden Gloves @ Woolston Club, Christchurch 3 July 2021
Article added: Thursday 03 June 2021