New Zealand women’s heavyweight boxing title fight to take place in Hamilton

Hamilton's Tinta Smith will fight for the vacant PBCNZ national heavyweight title.

Hamilton’s Tinta Smith will take on Trish Vaka for the vacant New Zealand national Professional Boxing Commission NZ (PBCNZ) heavyweight title on March 16 at Te Rapa Racecourse.

Dion McNabney will promote the 16th edition of the Young Guns boxing event, promoting some of New Zealand’s best amateur boxing out of Waikato and his gym at Nabbys Boxing.

McNabney has created a rich boxing history in Waikato, training 28 New Zealand champions, including beginning the career of two-division IBF world champion Lani Daniels.

Smith has already had some impressive accomplishments in her amateur boxing career, becoming a two-division New Zealand amateur national champion in 2021 and 2023.

She has beaten some of the best in the amateur division, including Commonwealth Games rep Magan Maka, WBC rep Deanne Read and more.

This will be her third professional boxing fight, all of which have been for a title. Smith turned professional in June 2022 for her clash with Daniels for the New Zealand national (Pro Box NZ version) light heavyweight title.

Smith lost by a narrow but unanimous decision. In August 2022 she fought former world No 8 Nailini Helu for the South Pacific (PBCNZ version) super middleweight title, losing by a majority decision.

McNabney has been frustrated with the professional boxing division, in which he says many boxers hype themselves up but don’t fight each other either because they are too protective of their records or too scared of their rivals.

He says his boxers do not have that problem. “My fighters will fight anyone.”

Vaka, Smith’s next opponent, has been in the ring with some of the best, with five of her losses coming from either world champions or world title contenders.

She recently returned to boxing after a four-year break, taking on Roseanna Cox in Whangārei.

Outside boxing, Vaka is a professional rugby player for the Northland Kauri team in the Farah Palmer Cup (FPC) Championship division of the National Provincial Championships.

The Kauri team won last season’s FPC Championship, earning promotion to the Premiership.

Vaka’s only career win as a boxer was in 2018 against Australian Natalie Jenkinson, who was ranked No 5 in the world at the time.

Vaka won by a second-round knockout.

She is now being trained by Daniella Smith, a Hall of Famer and the first IBF women’s world champion.

The women’s boxing division has started heating up in New Zealand, with some interesting fights to be made for the winner of this fight.

Helu has been interested in taking on both boxers as she attempts to climb back to the top of the New Zealand women’s division.

Another interesting fight would be the winner of the Smith-Vaka contest taking on the other New Zealand heavyweight champion, Sequita Hemingway, who holds the Pro Box NZ title.

Former world title contender Alrie Meleisea will be returning to professional.

The Young Guns 16 event at Te Rapa on March 16 will feature 30 amateur fights, with the main event being Smith vs Vaka.

Tickets are available at nabbysboxinggym.com

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