Amateur boxing in New Zealand, has faced a myriad of challenges since the Covid pandemic arrived in the country in early 2020.  The 2020 Boxing New Zealand National Championships, were finally held in Porirua City in January 2021, with the 2021 National titles recently taking place in Whanganui. 

The respective North and South Island Golden Gloves also had their challenges, with the 2020 tournaments being forced to move to an October date. 

Fast forward to June 2022, where the 38th 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 4th and 5th June 2021, with the North Island tournament adding an extra day on Monday 6^th June due to 102 bouts.

The two Islands of Aoetearoa Golden Gloves, are unique in that youngsters who are relatively new to the sport, can rub shoulders with National senior champions and international representatives.  

The North Island Golden Gloves, has attracted six senior national champions who were crowned at the recent 2021 National Championships, held in Whanganui.  There several mouth-watering rematches from the Nationals likely to take place in Taupo.

Current Jameson Belt winner, Onyx Lynx and Rini Porter, provided the fight of the tournament in the Light Heavyweight finale in Whanganui, and are likely to meet in another head to head battle in the Great Lakes Centre ring. Welterweight title holder Ryan Nolan beat Cayden Hope, by a 4-1 majority in the Nationals title decider, with both boxers amongst the five entries in the welter ranks.

Newly minted Super Heavyweight champion Roma Crighton eliminated 2020 champion Ulia Mau'u, in semi-final action at the Nationals. With just their two entries in the division they are headed for another showdown on Super Sunday in Taupo. Other National champions, who will endeavour to add a Golden Gloves senior title to their national success, are Wendell Stanley, Emile Richardson and Afa Mau'u.

The South Island Golden Gloves will program fifty plus bouts with boxers from Blenheim to Invercargill converging on Christchurch. Senior male boxers head the entries with 23 entries - with four boxers apiece entered in the Welterweight, Light Middleweight and Cruiserweight divisions.

Current National Bantamweight champion Dara Lay, from the host Woolston club, has made the jump up to the Featherweight class to secure a fight. The Woolston Boxing Club fighter will square off with Ravi Hetti Kankanamge from the Elite Boxing Club.

There will be plenty of interest in the junior female contest between Edith Chitty from Reefton Royals and Ava Newman from Smiling Tigers. Nearly twenty 12 and 13 year olds will contest the Cadets competition, with good entries in the Junior and Youth ranks.

North Island Golden Gloves @ Great Lake Centre, Taupo 4/6 June 2021 (Saturday 12 noon & 6pm - Sunday 12 noon & 6pm – Monday 11am)

South Island Golden Gloves @ Woolston Club, Christchurch 4/5 June 2021 (Saturday 12pm, Sunday 11am)

2022 Golden Gloves entries can be found on the Boxing New Zealand website results page.

Article added: Friday 27 May 2022