Commonwealth Games: Six Kiwi boxers reach finals

David Nyika of New Zealand in his bout against Yakita Aska of Antigua and Barbuda during the Men's 91kg Preliminaries. Photo / Photosport

Four guaranteed medals, and a superheavyweight semifinal to savour. New Zealand's boxers are packing a punch at these Commonwealth Games.

On a day when David Nyika, New Zealand's leading gold medal contender, cruised into the heavyweight semis without stepping into the ring, Patrick Mailata stole the show by setting up a showdown with good friend Frazer Clarke in what looms as the final come early for the big boppers.

In all, six of New Zealand's eight boxers remain in contention. Nyika, Mailata, Alexis Pritchard (57kg) and Tasmyn Benny (45-48kg) are guaranteed at least bronze by virtue of reaching the final four, with boxing not staging a third place bout.

Upper Hutt's Ryan Scaife, in the 75kg division, and Troy Garton, in women's 60kg ranks, could make it six medals, should they win their respective quarterfinals on Wednesday. Richard Hadlow (64kg) and Leroy Hindley, after losing his 69kg quarterfinal, will support from the stands.

Prior to leaving for the Gold Coast, Mailata promised his father he would make the final, and he is now one step away.

"I know my reasons for being here," Mailata said after his dominant quarterfinal victory. "I'm going to fight for my country, fight for my people, and get us a gold."

Four years ago, as a fresh-faced 19-year-old, Mailata was eliminated from the Glasgow Games in the round of 16. He has since matured with experience. Ironically, plenty of that has come alongside semifinal opponent Clarke.

The English-Kiwi pair lived in the same vicinity for three months, sparring many rounds against each other while fighting out of the same stable for the British Lionhearts in the World Series Boxing.

Now, they will come to blows on Friday to decide who contests gold on the Gold Coast.

"He's a hungry fighter, I'm a hungry fighter, and we come here for the same thing but only one of us is going to walk away. I wish him the best of luck. He is my team-mate, and my friend, but this is the sport we choose to play."

Clarke is highly rated in the UK but struggled at times in his quarterfinal battle with Toese Vou Siutu, with four of the five judges awarding the Australian the final round.

Mailata's hand speed and movement which tested Anthony Joshua in sparring earlier this year could be his trump card against Clarke, too.

"It's the superheavyweights we all can bang so it comes down to who is going to beat the punch first."

Clarke, the experienced 26-year-old amateur, knows he needs to bring his best.

"It will be a good fight, a close fight," he said. "We're close outside the ring and have respect for each other but I'm sure we'll get in there for nine minutes tear it up and take the roof off this place."

Nyika received a free pass after Cameroon's Christian Ndzie Tsoye failed to turn up at the weigh-in on Tuesday.

Gold medalist from Glasgow as a light heavyweight, Nyika's now meets Cheavon Clarke, the Englishman who survived being impaled by a metal spike after falling from a ladder in his native Jamaica as an eight-year-old. He also once flatlined on the operating table after his appendix ruptured.

"Getting the rounds in would have been brilliant for him so it's frustrating because he likes to work," NZ Games boxing coach Harry Otty said of Nyika. "But he could have got a cut even if he won so as it is he's through unscathed and still going for gold."

Pritchard, the 34-year-old who emerged from retirement for these Games, faces a grudge semi with Northern Ireland's Michaela Walsh.

At a pre-Games camp in Canberra, Walsh is said to have lost her temper when sparring, throwing Pritchard to the floor and carrying on her outburst in an ugly incident.

"It will be a fun fight with the Irish girl; she is passionate, I'm passionate," Pritchard said. "I'm guaranteed a bronze medal but I'll be fighting every moment in these finals to change the colour."

Walsh is, clearly, determined to knockout Pritchard on Friday.

"I'm here for one colour only and I'll do anything to get there," she said. "We've sparred each other but that means nothing; sparring is not fighting and this will be a fight.

"I wish her all the best but I've got my life in this and I believe I'm going all the way."

Kiwi boxers in finals:

David Nyika v Cheavon Clarke (semi, Friday)
Patrick Mailata v Frazer Clarke (semi, Friday)
Alexis Pritchard v Michaela Walsh (semi,
Ryan Scaife v Dieudonne Wilfred Seyi Ntsengue (quarter, Wednesday)
Troy Garton v Aratwa Kasemang (quarter, Wednesday)
Tasmyn Benny v Kristina O'Hara (semi, Wednesday)

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