Two Kerikeri boxers representing the Kaeo Boxing Club won their bouts at an amateur tournament hosted by Super City Boxing in South Auckland on Saturday.
First to climb through the ropes was 15-year-old Blake Hodges, who beat Auckland's Caleb Sayer on a majority points decision, 2-1, after three rounds. Both boxers are aged 15 and weighed in either side of the 64kg mark although Sayer had more experience in the ring, 14 fights to Hodges' 11 (including victory over his Kerikeri rival last year).
Of the result, Hodges' trainer Rusty Porter noted, "He pretty much dominated right through the whole bout," and adding thus was just reward for a rapidly maturing teenager who was "starting to hit harder, hold the pads higher and longer" during training.
The other fighter representing the KBC in the event was 23-year-old Jono Wilkie - "the grandson of a well known pig hunter" - also of Kerikeri and who won on unanimous decision against Papatoetoe's Carlos Motuatuaka. It was both lads' second fight, with Wilkie tipping the scales at 72kg and his opponent nearer the 80kg mark.
Porter described this as a true novice's fight, both "standing there banging away at each other" but Wilkie's superior fitness took him through to victory.
There were 29 fights on the day's card with the event hosted/ organised by Destiny Church. Pastor Brian Tamati wasn't there but his family were present apparently.
In other news, Porter heard that a Kaitaia expat, Josh Maheno, had had a title fight down in Hamilton sometime last month which he lost on points after going the full 10 rounds. Porter believed Maheno maybe struggling to reach his true potential because he was training himself.
An impressive debut Elsewhere, Denny Windelborn went the distance but eventually lost on points against a heavier and far more experienced Jacob Heta in a charity boxing event in Whangarei last Saturday.
"Pretty hard-out match. Pretty intense," said Windelborn of his debut in the ring. He actually won the the first round on points before Heta applied his experience to shut down the novice in the next two. Heta, absent from Friday night's weigh-in, showed up on the night of the event weighing in at 110kg to Windelborn's 97.
Windelborn said he climbed through the ropes aware he'd drawn the short straw in an event promoted as generally being aimed at those "who have not done anything like this before".
Afterwards, fight-night organiser Simon Haenga said Denny's debut was an impressive one.
"He can hold his head up high after his fight. He's got the heart of a lion that boy, nearly won it! Gave [Heta] a beautiful right-hand jab, left-hook combination in the first round."
Noting Windelborn was always going to be up against it against an "old-school karate fighter", Haenga admitted he'd been forced to arrange the match-up at short notice following the last-minute withdrawal by several fighters on the night's card.
And while Windelborn is not the type to make excuses, there's little doubt that taking part in a gruelling Harding Shield encounter in Otamatea on Thursday before Saturday's fight (where he played for Mangonui in the 41-19 loss to Whangarei) had some impact on his mental and physical preparation. He didn't appear overly fazed about the outcome at the end of the day, and was already considering taking part in another fight night in Auckland later this year.
The Rise of the Champions Corporate Boxing Challenge - which also featured other Kaitaia folk on the bill - was hosted by Roundhouse Kickboxing Gym at Kensington Stadium on Saturday. The evening attracted a full house estimated at 1200 to watch 14 fights, and raised close to $9000 for various charity organisations.
"It was a great night for boxing, a spectacular night for Whangarei," said Haenga.