It was hard to gauge what was contributing the most to Hawke's Bay boxing personality Rocky Leutele's huge grin last night.
The form and shape of the Napier Boxing Club coach's son and former national champion Kiki Leutele or the shape their club is in. "Both of those," replied Leutele when quizzed on the size of his grin. I'm confident Kiki will be the New Zealand champion this year. He is a full-time boxer at the moment while he is looking for work and he is the fittest he has been since taking up the sport," Leutele said.
Nineteen-year-old Kiki was one of four Napier fighters who won titles at a recent Wellington tournament. Kiki beat regular rival, Wellington fighter Cory Enoka who is 12 years his senior, by a unanimous points decision in a heavyweight bout.
"Kiki has beaten all the heavyweights in the country apart from the New Zealand champion David Light. We'll get a crack at the Aucklander when we return to Wellington for the Wellington championships next month," Leutele said referring to the August 10 championships.
Light beat Kiki in the final of the national men's 91kg class at last year's national championships in Auckland. The previous year Kiki won the national Youth Super Heavyweight title.
"Next year's Commonwealth Games and the 2016 Olympics remain Kiki's long-term goals and he's on track," Leutele said.
A former Samoan boxing champion, Leutele, has coached his son since he took up boxing five years ago. Leutele was pipped by former New Zealand professional fighter Lance Revill for a berth in New Zealand's 1974 Commonwealth Games team.
Other Napier fighters to win titles during the recent trip to the capital were Tayler Roberts by a split decision in the junior novice 15 years age group, Robbie George Eibers, also by a split decision in the novice 17 years section, and Matt Saathof by a unanimous points decision in the elite novice over 21 years section.
"We haven't looked back since moving to our new location. But I'm still coming across people who didn't know our club still exists ... the Napier Boxing Club is still up and running," Leutele explained.
Back in January the club moved from its Fierce Fitness Gym base in Onekawa to a new gym in Taradale. It now boasts 50 members including 11 registered fighters.
"At Fierce Fitness there is a big emphasis on mixed martial arts. We want our fighters to focus on boxing alone," Leutele said.
The new gym boasts one full sized ring and there are also facilities for regular boxing training as well as boxfit classes which are daily.
Long-serving club coach Rod Langdon is continuing to train 22-year-old Beau O'Brien who turned professional last year and has one one win and one draw in the pro ranks.
It's hard to see the size of Leutele's grin diminishing for some time yet.