Record entry numbers, for the 111^th Boxing New Zealand Nationals Championships to be held in Tauranga 5-8 July 2023, are ready to provide plenty of action and entertainment over the four days of competition.

Entries have closed, with a total of 197 boxers chasing national championship glory at the Tauranga Boys College Gymnasium in the heart of Tauranga City. The total boxer numbers coming to the Western Bay of Plenty, is up some thirty odd entries on the 2022 Nationals held in Whanganui.

The numbers and diversity of divisions, reflect the vast strides our sport has achieved since the first New Zealand Boxing Association titles in Christchurch during 1902. The initial titles saw twenty boxers fight out the first featherweight, lightweight, middleweight and heavyweight national crowns. 

Elite Male (54 entries) and Female (21) divisions are the jewel in the crown at every BNZ National Championships. The age-group stars of the future, will receive plenty of attention with Youth Male (35) and Youth Female (7) Junior Male (34) Junior Female (6) Cadet Male (30) Cadet Female (10), vying to stake their claim to national honours.

Boxing New Zealand Chairman Keith Walker said “The record numbers at the Tauranga Nationals are very encouraging for the future. Our sport is in good health with gym participation numbers increasing year on year”. “The elite male and female divisions are very strong, with the 2023 Nationals the first step in the 2024 Olympic qualifying pathway”.

Over the years no weight class has created more excitement than the heavyweight division. Previous titleholders include household names such as David Tau, Shane Cameron, David Nyika and Jimmy (Thunder) Peau.

Eight contenders have throw their hat in the ring to emulate the feats of previous championship winners. Leading the entry list is defending titleholder Malcolm Mathes, from the Te Toki a Maui Boxing Association, who defeated Bay of Plenty’s Salo Vui in a 3-2 thriller. The Bay of Plenty boxer is hoping to go one better this year but will face stiff competition from the seven entrants.

Light Middleweight contender Xavier Mata’afa-Ikinofo will return to his CNI roots, when he flies across the Tasman from his Australian Club, to chase a Boxing New Zealand title. At just 20 years of age, Xavier, has already experienced boxing competition at the highest level, in representing Niue at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, winning his first bout.

However standing in his way are two extremely formable opponents, in defending titleholder Wendell Stanley (Auckland) and 2021 welterweight champion Ryan Nolan (Taranaki). Stanley burst on to the international stage in 2019, winning welterweight gold at the Taipei Cup in Taiwan, with icing on the cake being adjudged boxer of the tournament.

Five time National Women’s Champion, Cara Wharerau, who will represent Kirikiriroa has three opponents in the welterweight division. Fellow Kirikiriroa boxer Sheilla Yama, Kiri Stewart (Shamrock) and Mia Dins (Auckland) stand in the way of Cara Wharerau earning her sixth national crown. A sixth title would put Cara on a equal standing with Kelly Woolrich and behind only Dawn Chalmers (8) and Alexis Pritchard (11) on the all time national title list.

Other current New Zealand champions who will be in action in the Tauranga ring, are light middleweight titleholder, Eleanor Lilo (Shamrock) who is one of five entries in the Middleweight division, and Jen Peters (Shamrock) who moves up from the featherweight ranks to the lightweight division.

In the elite men’s divisions, super heavyweight Roma Crichton (Auckland) light heavyweight Taj Kagho (Shamrock) and featherweight Alex Mukuka (Kirikiriroa) will defend their crowns, with middleweight titleholder Emile Richardson (Waikato) moving up to oppose Taj Kagho in light heavyweight competition.

Boxing New Zealand National Championships, Tauranga Boys College, 5-8 July 2023

5^th July: Session One 1pm                   Session Two 6pm

6^th July: Session Three 1pm                 Session Four 6pm

7^th July: Cadet Finals 1pm                   Junior Finals 6pm

8^th July: Youth Finals 1pm                   Elite Finals 6pm

Further Information can be found www.boxingnz.org.nz/events  

Article added: Sunday 02 July 2023