The Covid rescheduled 2021 Boxing New Zealand National Championships, will take place in Wanganui, from Wednesday 20 April through to Finals Night on Saturday 23rd April 2022.

With Commonwealth Games selection on the line, the BNZ Championships won't lack intensity, as the senior male and female boxers look to stake their claim to a trip to the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games. 

One hundred and twenty years after the first New Zealand Boxing Association Championships in Christchurch, the 2021 BNZ Nationals, will see the reintroduction of two championship belts and the addition of a new weight division.

During 2003, the International Boxing Association who administer world amateur boxing, deleted the Light Middleweight division from competition and followed with the Featherweight grade in 2010. This resulted in  the BNZ Light Middle trophy of the Sommerville Cup and the Featherweight Bill Dervan Memorial Belt, being put away to gather dust in Boxing New Zealand headquarters.

The Light Middle competition has attracted four entries, with Wendell Stanley (Auckland) Tawhiri Toheri-Hallett (Shamrock) Tom Weastall (Auckland) and Xavier Mataafa-Ikinofo (Central North Island), laying down the challenge to their other contenders. Toheri-Hallett was runner-up in the Welter ranks at the 2020 Nationals, with Stanley finishing in the same position at the 2019 Hastings championships.

The re-introduction of the Featherweight competition links back to the first Championships in 1902, where the now 57kg division, along with the Lightweight, Middleweight and Heavyweight categories, comprised the initial championship competition.

Just one entry have been received for the Wanganui Featherweight title race, from 2020 Lightweight champion Alex Mukuka (Kirikiriroa), who will receive the unopposed title. 

In the face of the Olympic Games dropping several men's weight classes - the IBA have introduced a new weight category of the Cruiserweight (86kg), which will be contested for the first time in Wanganui. 

Central North Island's Duken Williams and Casta Troy Cocker-Lamalie who will represent the Shamrock Association, are the only entries in the Cruiserweight ranks, with the winner having the distinction of being first on the list of BNZ Cruiserweight champions.

Five boxers will battle out the Super Heavyweight which is an open limit over 92 kilos. Defending champion Amoto Mataika (Auckland) and 2019 winner Ulia Mau'u (Shamrock), head the list of the big men contesting the Super Heavy title race.

Current Light Welterweight titleholder Michael Reynolds (Wellington/Hutt Valley) heads a list of six entries, with Daniel Meehan (Canterbury) who won the 2020 Youth Light Welterweight title making the step up to senior competition. 

Light Heavyweight contenders Sakhidad Ghazizada (Canterbury) and Onyx Lye (Manawatu), made their mark at the 2021 Golden Gloves, with Ghazizada winning the New Zealand Golden Gloves championship and Lye talking out the North Island title.

The Women's 69 kilo division could see a battle royal between the only two entries. Multiple National Champion, Cara Wharerau (Auckland) will go head to head with the defending titleholder in Arianne Nicholson (Bay of Plenty). 

Another big match-up sees Commonwealth Games Bronze medalist, Tasmyn Benny (South Auckland) square off with 2018 50 kilo champion Holly McMath (Shamrock). Other defending champions to lodge an entry, are Christine Gillespie (Nelson) Erin Walsh (Auckland) and Troy Garton (Shamrock).

Article added: Sunday 17 April 2022