Bentson made to wait for Oceania team decision

Despite his selection hopes being cast in a cloud of doubt, boxer Kahukura Bentson will use tomorrow's
Whangarei Boxing Gym Tournament as preparation for the upcoming Oceania Boxing Championships.
The Whangarei-based boxer has met all the objectives he was asked to meet to qualify for the Oceania tournament, which would determine whether or not he could fight at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, in the welterweight division.
"I have met  the requirements Boxing New Zealand gave me and I am waiting for the team to be named - hopefully soon. I did hear there were negotiations taking place for Boxing NZ to take the guy I beat at the national Golden Gloves - Bowyn Morgan - instead of me. It has come down to politics," he said.
Bentson, 31, thought selection for the Oceania team, who will contest the championships in Canberra next month, was inevitable if he won his division at the National Golden Gloves.
Bentson did win, after fighting Daniel Parkin, of Nelson, in the senior elite welterweight division, in the first of two 3x3 minute round bouts, within a three-hour timeframe.
Following the close points decision 25-24, Bentson went on to fight in the final against Christchurch's Morgan, who was ranked No1 in New Zealand.
Again, Bentson was victorious on a points decision 18-16, and was happy to win back the top ranking.
His main aim this year was to represent New Zealand at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, and he had to win at the Oceania Champs to do this, he said.
However, NZ Boxing were keeping him guessing at this stage of whether he would be travelling across the ditch for the championships.
"I'm not sure where to from here? I do not know yet if there is another way to qualify for the Commonwealth Games if I don't make the Oceania team. In the meantime, I have also nominated myself for more tournaments. I hope to get more ring time and experience. Nothing can help improve and advance me faster than competition fights," he said.
  Bentson will fight  Te Awamutu's Kyle Mereweather, a former New Zealand champion, at light heavyweight in a catchweight bout at Kensington Stadium ahead of next weekend's Auckland Boxing Championships at the Auckland Boxing Association.
However, tomorrow's main fight will feature United Boxing Gym's Josh Bowman, 25, up against Te Awamutu's Tyson Walley - in the 75kg middleweight division.
Organiser and Josh's father Tim Bowman said it should be a good bout and one of the harder fights in Josh's 25-fight career.
At only 19, Walley has  had 160 fights, and will challenge the Whangarei boxer, who is using this bout as preparation for September's Nationals.
There will be between 15-20 fights, with Whangarei Boxing Gym's Deanne Carpenter, 14 (57kg division), and Kaylah Munday, 14 (64kg division), also expecting to fight, Bowman said.

The first fight is scheduled to begin at 6pm.