Boxing: Fitness may KO me - Haines

Rotorua's Ants Haines (left) and Matt Ralm will go toe-to-toe at the Christmas with a Punch fight night next month. Photo / Ben Fraser

Local businessman Ants Haines says he is more worried about his own fitness, rather than his opponent or nerves, ahead of the Christmas with a Punch fight night in Rotorua.

The corporate fight night is being held on Saturday, December 5 at Rotorua Girls' High School with 32 locals taking part.

It is the third time the RotoVegas Boxing Gym has organised the event, which sees local personalities, business people and sports people slug it out in ring.

Haines, who owns a barber shop in town, My Barber, will go up against another local businessman Matt Ralm during the event.

He said it was not the crowd or his opponent he was worried about, but more his own fitness.

"I'm more worried about myself than anyone else, I'm my biggest fear, aye.

"It's more me thinking about how I will last all three rounds, rather than being worried about the person I'm going to fight."

He said he had met his opponent Ralm before and he was a good fellah. "I just respect anyone that is going to have a go in the ring, and have the nerves to have a jam."

Haines said he was feeling a lot of muscles he had never used before, after the first few weeks of training.

His opponent Ralm, who owns Mobil Te Ngae, said he agreed to take part in the event after RotoVegas Boxing Gym owner Aaron Warren approached him.

"It will just be a good mental and physical challenge, I think," he said. "There is a bit of nerves but to be honest the excitement outweighs my nerves."

Ralm was a top hockey player when younger, but has not competed in any sports in 12 years, since starting his first business.

"When I was younger I competed at the higher level for sports in New Zealand, but have been a businessman for the last 12 years."

Event organiser Warren said it was the biggest fight card for a corporate event they had ever had, with eight female fights and eight male fights, such was the high number of people wanting to take part.

Warren said the money raised during the event would go towards setting up a boxing academy for top amateur fighters.

"We have had a bit of a rest this year from the amateur boxing because we have been busy getting [our new gym] up to scratch which is all done.

"We are going to combine with three other clubs in Hamilton and Auckland to create an amateur academy," he said.

"They will have sparring sessions together and we will put together our best fighters ... with the goal to have an academy that will help produce Olympic and Commonwealth champions."

He said all but one of the fighters taking part in Christmas with a Punch were new to a boxing ring.

He said, on average, the fighters would lose anywhere between seven and 12kg as they train in the lead up to the event. The fighters will be split into the blue and red teams, and train together as a team.

General admission tickets are available on Ticketmaster, for $25, and you can contact Tanya Warren on 027 548 2692 for table inquiries.