Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Boi Boi punching for boxing title

Rotorua Daily Post
22 Jul, 2016 08:00 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article

Rotorua is currently being entertained by the stars of the future as the region hosts the 2016 New Zealand Boxing Championships.

One hundred and forty of the best amateur fighters from each boxing association throughout the country converged on the Rotorua Energy Events Centre for the four-day competition, with finals taking place today.

One of the top youth bouts features Murupara youngster Te Arahanga Takahi - known by his family and friends as Boi Boi.

The talented 18-year-old has flown over from the Gold Coast, Australia, where he moved with his family two years ago, and has received pre-tournament training from his former coach Aaron Warren of Rotovegas Boxing Gym.

Boi Boi will compete against Auckland based boxer Rakai Kirkwood from Supercity Boxing gym in the final of the youth light welterweight tonight and is confident of winning the title.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I have high hopes in the fight and I want win the title," he said.

"It's going to be very tough but I believe I have the right skills to do well in the ring.

"I have the heart and I think my left hook and right combination will put me in good stead for today."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"It's great to be back in the region, because this will always be home to me."

To add more spice to the duel Kirkwood is trained by Aaron Warren's younger brother Caine.

"It's great that our two boxers can battle it out and it will be an interesting contest to watch," Aaron Warren said.

"Of course it will be very competitive in the ring but blood is thicker than water so there will be no hard feelings between us whatever the outcome."

Boi Boi comes into the fight in impressive form after beating Rik Naran from Canterbury Boxing Association in the semi finals over three rounds taking the bout with a unanimous 3-0 victory on Thursday.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I managed to have nice clean shots and a dangerous left hook," said Boi Boi.

"But the best is yet to come from me. I want to unleash it in the final."

Boi Boi also has the recent 2015 Queensland title to his name as well as previously winning a New Zealand youth title in 2012 and the North Island golden gloves title in the cadet open division the same year.

The boxer, currently at a weight of 61kg, trains two hours a day, six times a week, and Warren said the youngster had the dedication to do well.

"That's what makes him a good fighter, he's determined," he said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Obviously we can't predict how he will do but he has done all he can mentally and physically for this challenge."

Boi Boi, a former Rangitahi College student, first started boxing at the age of 11, after turning up for Warren's Ultimate Performance boxing programme which the coach ran in 10 schools in the district with more than 400 students involved.

"He stood out straight away," said Warren.

"Boi Boi had the right mentality. He wasn't actually picked by the school but he just turned up anyway. That's the kind of thing I like to see."

The determined boxer was inspired to take up the sport by his grandfather Rangi Anderson who was a martial arts expert with a black belt in karate.

"My grandfather encouraged me to have a go at hitting a bag in the back yard," he said.
"And I wanted to follow in his footsteps and do something positive with my life."

The New Zealand Boxing Championships is where many of nation's boxing stars are born such as Parker, David Tua, Shane Cameron and Daniella Smith.

Boi Boi hopes to one day join this list of elite boxers and said he was aiming to compete at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

"I want to win another national title but I have bigger dreams that I also want to make a reality," he said.

"I want to represent my country at the Commonwealth and be the first from my home town to compete there."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Divisions at the Boxing New Zealand National Championships include cadets (12-14), juniors (15-17), youth (17-19) and elite, with different weight classes in each division.

The session for the finals for the youth and elite boxers at the Rotorua Energy Events Centre starts from 4pm today.

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Sport

Rotorua Daily Post

From Cambridge kid to centurion: Jacobson joins elite 100-game Chiefs club

16 Apr 06:00 PM
Rotorua Daily Post

'Racing is like a virus': Taupō-born Supercars veteran on life in the pits

16 Apr 05:00 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

'We are so ready': Dame Lisa Carrington announces pregnancy

14 Apr 11:28 PM

Sponsored

Endangered bird gets another chance

21 Apr 02:30 AM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Sport

From Cambridge kid to centurion: Jacobson joins elite 100-game Chiefs club
Rotorua Daily Post

From Cambridge kid to centurion: Jacobson joins elite 100-game Chiefs club

When current assistant coach David Hill was a player, reaching 50 games was impressive.

16 Apr 06:00 PM
'Racing is like a virus': Taupō-born Supercars veteran on life in the pits
Rotorua Daily Post

'Racing is like a virus': Taupō-born Supercars veteran on life in the pits

16 Apr 05:00 AM
'We are so ready': Dame Lisa Carrington announces pregnancy
Rotorua Daily Post

'We are so ready': Dame Lisa Carrington announces pregnancy

14 Apr 11:28 PM


Endangered bird gets another chance
Sponsored

Endangered bird gets another chance

21 Apr 02:30 AM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • NZME Digital Performance Marketing
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2026 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP