Boxing: Waikato fighters clean-sweep BX-9 event in Auckland

PBCNZ international champion Sheilla Yama (left) and IBO Asia Pacific champion Francis Waitai were among the Waikato fighters clocking up wins at the BX-9 event 2025 in Auckland.

Waikato boxers have walked away from the BX-9 event in Auckland with a clean sweep of wins.

Among Sunday’s winners were Francis Waitai and Sheilla Yama, who took out unanimous decision title wins.

In the main event of the night, Waitai, of Thames, defended his IBO Asia Pacific Super Middleweight title against the undefeated Michael Helg.

Helg is a tough power puncher, however Waitai was slick throughout the fight, using his height and reach advantage.

Helg has never gone 10 rounds in his professional boxing career, which was evident as the longer the fight went, the more tired he got.

Meanwhile, Waitai is comfortable with these much longer fights and was well prepared and extremely fit.

Waitai won almost every round and walked away with the unanimous decision win, which he dedicated to his late father.

One of the most talked-about fights of the night was that of Papua New Guinea-born Sheilla Yama, who now represents New Zealand and is based in Hamilton.

Yama took on Louise Creaven, an undefeated Australian boxer who was ranked in the top 20 in the world, for the International (PBCNZ version) Super Lightweight title.

The commentators on the night were impressed by Yama’s speed, her defence and overall boxing ability as she dominated the entire fight.

At one point, Yama knocked down Creaven with a body shot, but, while screaming in pain, Creaven got up to continue fighting.

Yama clearly won the fight, dominating every round as she earned her first professional boxing title.

The other boxers from Waikato who competed on the night were Hamza Perwaisy, who competed as a semi-pro boxer, Pikiao Tairua Bracken and Titus Proctor.

The latter competed as a professional boxer under combat boxing rules (different from standard professional boxing).

Perwaisy fought against Auckland’s Mikhail Zinoviyev, with Perwaisy walking away with the win by unanimous decision.

Bracken took on a tough Jeffrey Kelly from Auckland.

Bracken was dominating Kelly, causing a cut in the first round and knocking down Kelly twice in the second round and while Kelly survived the battle, he lost the war – Bracken walked away with a points-decision win.

In the final fight of the night, which could only be described as a war, Proctor took on Wellington’s Iggy Phillips for the newly established Gamma Combat Boxing title.

Proctor dominated the fight, knocking down Philips multiple times.

However, by the second round, referee Tony Angelov waived it off with the winner by TKO (technical knockout), Proctor adding to his big title collection.