Tauranga-born Cherneka Johnson becomes second Māori to win a world boxing title

Tauranga-born Cherneka Johnson won the IBF World Super Bantamweight title in Melbourne on Wednesday night. Photo / Supplied

Tauranga-born Cherneka Johnson has become the second Māori and third New Zealand woman to win a world boxing title.

Johnson's split decision win over Mexican boxer Melissa Esquivel for the IBF World Super Bantamweight title at the Melbourne Convention Centre on Wednesday night was close but Johnson's superior fitness gave her the edge.

It showed when Esquivel was hampered with a knee injury during the fight, Johnson using the basics with her jab helping her win.

"I stayed on my jabs, stayed on my game plan, and I dug deep towards the end there, and I'm victorious, which is what I came here to do."

Johnson, who affiliates with Ngāti Ranginui, showed a lot of respect for her opponent in the post-fight interview.

A new world champion is crowned in Melbourne. ⁣
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Cherneka Johnson outpoints Melissa Esquivel to lift the vacant IBF super bantamweight title over 10 rounds. ⁣
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Our second women’s world champion in a matter of months. ⁣
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Scores 👉 95-96, 96-94 and 97-93#ozboxing #boxing pic.twitter.com/YanGrMjjBu

— Aus-Boxing.com (@ausboxing) April 20, 2022

"I knew that she'd come to fight and I knew that she'd be tough and she was ready to brawl".

American New Zealander Lt Dan Hennessey was the announcer of the evening. While he announced the fight's winner, Johnson showed she was a proud Māori with her team holding the Tino Rangatiratanga flag behind her.

Johnson is the second Māori to win a world boxing title following Ngapuhi Daniella Smith, who won the first-ever IBF World title in November 2010 in Germany.

The other New Zealand female to win the world title was Brazilian-born New Zealander Geovana Peres when she won the WBO Light Heavyweight title in March 2019.

The fight judges scored 96-94 and 97-93 to Johnson and 96-95 to Esquivel.

After the fight, Johnson took to the mic to call out another Australian world champion, IBF Bantamweight World champion Ebanie Bridges.

"Ebanie Bridges, if you'd like to come up a division (in weight) or I'm happy to come down."

She also called out Shannon O'Connell who she had a controversial defeat back in March 2021.

"Shannon O'Connell let's get that rematch happening".

Johnson follows a rich history of world champions that came from New Zealand, including UK-born Bob Fitzsimmons, who won multiple world titles between 1891 and 1903, the first New Zealand born world champion, Torpedo Billy Murphy, who won two world titles in 1890, Jimmy Thunder who held the IBO World Heavyweight title between 1994 to 1996, American Samoan New Zealander Maselino Masoe who won the WBA World Middleweight title in 2004 and Joseph Parker who held the WBO World Heavyweight title between 2016 and 2018.

-SUPPLIED CONTENT