Give police veto power over gang fight nights: NZ First

New Zealand First has vowed to change the law to give police power to veto boxing and wrestling matches - following a gang fight night in Northland.

Shane Jones, the party's candidate in Whangarei, said NZ First would update the Boxing and Wrestling Act 1981 to give police power to veto such events.

"That event will not be taking place after the next election unless the cops agree," Jones told Newshub.

A mixed martial arts tournament staged at Portland Recreation Centre, just south of Whangarei, on Saturday saw 12 rival gangs participate.

The event was proposed after five gang-related deaths in the region over the past year, linked mainly to drugs.

Northland's Herbert Rata, an organiser, said the day was a success and there was demand to hold it again.

"It was a controlled fight event like we promised. Everyone went home safely like we promised," he told the Northern Advocate.

"In the history of the gangs this has never been seen before. There were 12 different gangs there and some shouldn't have even been in the same room. I think we proved it was a success."

Police did not support the event becoming an annual fixture and vowed they would continue to disrupt gang activities.

Dr Jarrod Gilbert, a sociologist at the University of Canterbury and author of Patched: The history of gangs in New Zealand, attended the event and said it was part of a process to ease tensions between the gangs.