The best amateur boxers in the country, are counting down the days to the re-scheduled 2020 Boxing New Zealand National Championships being held in the Te Rauparaha Arena in Porirua City, from Wednesday 20 January to Saturday 23 January 2021.

The out of season National Championships have drawn strong support with close to 120 entries spread through the Cadets, Junior, Youth and Elite divisions. The Elite male entries top the list with 40 competitors, chasing the eight titles on the line. 

A recently completed tally of the 2020 BNZ boxer registrations, shows that 672 boxers, completed the BNZ registration process during the year. This is a new decade record, with close to twenty per cent of the registered boxers taking part in the Porirua City National Championships.

The winner of the Ted Morgan Cup awarded to the Welterweight champion, could face as many as four fights, with ten entries in the 69 kilo division. Defending titleholder Dominic Roe and fellow Auckland representative  Wendall Stanley, are expected to continue their battles in the ring, in which Roe holds a current advantage. The pair fought out the 2019 National title with Roe earning a paper-thin 3-2 split decision.

For the first time since 2017, the bantamweight title will be decided with three contenders throwing their hats in to the ring of competition. First contested in 1903, the eight stone six pound limit title attracted some of the biggest entries of each championships. As the average kiwi boxer has increased in weight and size over the decades, the bantamweight class attracted few entries.

Reigning Jameson Belt (Most scientific senior boxer trophy) holder, Jerome Pampellone, faces three competitors in the Light Heavyweight division. During 2019, the Isaac Peach trained boxer achieved high world ranking in finishing in the top eight at the AIBA World Championships.

While David Nyika holds the only entry for the Heavyweight title, the Olympics bound boxer must go over the scales at the championships, to have his name engraved on the Dewar Shield

Defeding Middleweight champion Ryan Scaife will be aiming for his fifth successive championship crown. However he faces seven other contenders and is likely to fight three times to win another Middleweight crown.

Three defending Women's champions will be in action in the Te Rauparaha Arena ring. Sixty kilo champion Michelle Nuku faces a big challenge from Commonwealth Games Bronze Medalist Troy Garton to retain her title.

Current 64 kilo titleholder Cara Whareau and 69 kilo champion Ariane Nicholson looked headed straight for Finals Night with just one other entry in their weight classes.

The delayed BNZ National Championships will provide a new treat for amateur boxing fans throughout the country, with the finals action being live streamed on viewed on Sky Sport and Sky Sport extra live streaming.

Boxing New Zealand 2020 National Championships 20-23 January 2021

@ Te Rauparaha Arena, Porirua

20 January                             Preliminary bouts

21 January                             Preliminary bouts 

22 January                             Senior Semi-Finals

23 January                             Senior Finals Night

Article added: Monday 18 January 2021