Charity boxer calls it quits

Robert Whaitiri pounds Jason Petrowski during his win at Saturday night's Battle for Life charity boxing event in Hastings

As Robert Whaitiri regained his breath he managed to utter the retirement word.

"That's it for me ... but you never know they might be short of fighters next year and I get the bug again."

At 54, the former Hawke's Bay premier rugby and league player was the oldest of the competitors in Saturday night's sixth annual Battle for Life charity boxing event in the Hastings Sports Centre.

With his unanimous points win against Jason Petrowski, a first-time fighter, Whaitiri took his tally to two wins, a draw and a loss.

"I was almost 10 years older than Jason but I was 15kg heavier and that helped. I saw the doctor, Ra Durie, come out and realised he was an old schoolmate of mine at Te Aute College so I showed off to him a bit," Whaitiri added.

While he wasn't beaten by Petrowski he was blown away by the amount of money raised, $22,734, for the Suicide Prevention charity in the Bay.

Two of the best bouts on the 14-fight card were women's bouts. Patu Gym's Bryarn Nuku beat Ebony Greening from The Lab Health & Fitness, Napier, by a unanimous decision in a welterweight contest that was the fight of the night.

It was so entertaining the capacity crowd would have accepted a draw.

Fellow first-timers Bonnie Collins from Patu and Lisa Ward from The Lab also defied their rookie tags in a clash Collins won by a split decision.

Should either of these four be recruited by a boxing club for regular bouts it won't be a surprise.

Chy Cassidy picked up the only win for a Lab fighter against a Patu opponent when he beat Iraia Hepi by a unanimous points decision.