Boxing: Former Commonwealth Games rep Emile Richardson to make pro debut

Commonwealth Games representative Emile Richardson (Ngāti Raukawa/Ngāti Parewahawaha) will make his professional boxing debut in November.

Two-time New Zealand national amateur champion and former Commonwealth Games representative Emile Richardson (Ngāti Raukawa/Ngāti Parewahawaha) will make his professional boxing debut in Hamilton in November.

Richardson, originally from Bulls and now living in Waikato where he works in the forestry industry, will be taking on King in the Ring competitor, Auckland kickboxer Damon Maireroa.

The fight will be the main component of a wider event, promoted by Cairo and Torchy George of Team George Promotions and Hit Fitness HQ.

Richardson, who has been boxing since his childhood, comes from a boxing family - his uncle and grandfather were also boxers.

Richardson had a long amateur boxing career during which he travelled to several countries, including Poland, Spain and Thailand, to compete against major international opponents.

He also competed in the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

In his corner is his coach, Cairo George, who has trained several up-and-coming boxers since retiring from fighting himself.

George has coached boxers like Sheilla Yama and David Nyika and helped promote and manage boxers like Francis Waitai.

Richardson will be making his professional boxing debut in the Light Heavyweight division (79.4kg limit), however, he aims to be in the Super Middleweight division (76.2kg limit).

Meanwhile, his opponent, Maireroa, had a kickboxing record of 10 - 4 - 0 with 3 wins by KO when he last walked into the ring in June.

Maireroa is also a two-division WMAF Kickboxing champion.

He has fought twice as a professional boxer, both on the Isaac Peach boxing show against Keanu Naden.

Naden and Maireroa aimed to knock each other out fast and it could have gone either way, however, on both occasions, Naden won the fight by stoppage in the first round.

While the Richardson vs Maireroa fight will be the main event, there is also another fight on the card.

Chris Rata Hodgson will take on Tameana Puhi (aka Tumi Puhi). Both are from Waikato.

Hodgson came from an amateur boxing background and made his professional boxing debut in November 2020, where he defeated Dylan Wright by split decision.

Now he works as a trainer at Eastside Boxing at the Velodrome in Cambridge.

For Puhi, it will be his professional boxing debut.

He won the 2018 New Zealand national amateur championship and is currently the head coach at 828 Boxing Club in Huntly.

Emile Richardson vs Damon Maireroa and Chris Rata Hodgson vs Tumi Puhi will happen at the YMCA Hamilton on November 29.

Benjamin Watt is a retired boxing judge and New Zealand boxing writer with a decade of experience. Watt has also been BoxRec’s New Zealand record-keeper since 2014.