Boxing: Mea Motu’s warning to Ellie Scotney ahead of postponed world title bout

Mea Motu speaks with conviction when addressing her world title fight against IBF and WBO super bantamweight champion Ellie Scotney in Nottingham on January 26.

There are no maybes, ifs or buts about whether she’ll add to her belt collection, made up of the isolated IBO title, but she’s certain she can unify the gold.

“Chuck me in the ring right now, I’m ready,” Motu told Newstalk ZB. “That’s how badly I want to get in there.

“The closer it gets, the more frustrating it is for me because I get so excited. It’s what I love doing.”

The unbeaten 20-0 fighter out of West Auckland’s Peach Boxing stable has had to exercise patience to get a crack at the titles. The bout, initially scheduled for October 27 last year, was postponed due to an undisclosed injury to Scotney, who also holds a perfect record of 9-0.

It’s a delay that could cost the Englishwoman her grip on the gold.

“She should’ve fought me then, that probably would’ve been the best time,” Motu says.

“It gave me more time to focus on me, get my health right, get everything right and execute. Now I’m in my best shape, I’m the strongest and fittest I’ve been, so mentally and physically, I’m locked in and ready to go.”

Motu’s belief rings loud in the quiet setting of coach Isaac Peach’s backyard gym in Henderson Valley. But it’s one that had to be ingrained in the Pukepoto fighter when she first joined the Peach Boxing stable in 2020.

“Everyone says I sacrificed alone, but it hasn’t been alone. My whole team has sacrificed with me. For the last four years, they’ve pulled me, pushed me and mate, if only you knew what I’ve been through and the amount of times I wanted to give up.

“I would doubt myself so many times and they would be like, ”No, you’ve got this”, so I’m so blessed and grateful to have such an awesome team.”

Peach — who’s previously had former cruiserweight David Light and middleweight Andrei Mikhailovich compete for world titles — has played a key role in Motu’s growth in confidence in recent years.

“The fighters we have and the environment we’ve got, that’s the power of what we do. What she’s achieved is amazing and this is going to cap it off.

“To fight Ellie Scotney in England, this was the goal we set a couple of years ago and we’re finally getting a shot at it.”

Motu is nearing the end of a gruelling 10-week training camp, which included sparring with WBA bantamweight champion Cherneka “Sugar Neekz” Johnson — who fought Scotney in 2023.

But the preparation has come at a cost, with Motu foregoing time with her family over the Christmas break in order to prioritise her biggest bout to date.

“I’ve sacrificed a lot and to be away from your family and friends has been tough. I’ve only had my coach and his family and that’s all it’s really been.

“They [Motu’s children] haven’t been with me in this camp, they’ve been with my family, but they want the best for me, and they believe in me and they said when I come home, they’ll be waiting for me at the airport.”

“It’s felt like a lonely camp, but I’m willing to do everything that I can do to bring back those belts. I’m willing to die.”