Wanganui-born fight champ is back for kicks

He's taken heavyweight boxer Shane Cameron to the brink and kickboxed around the world, winning many titles.

 Now Hiriwa Te Rangi, who has fought on the K1 circuit in the US and Europe, is coming to Wanganui to show off his kickboxing talents in the city of his birth.
Te Rangi, 36, who fights under the name T-Man, will do battle with Aucklander Daniel Tai in a cage match at the War Memorial Hall on July 17.
Cage fighting conjures up thoughts of unbridled brutality, but Te Rangi is quick to point out the cage is more for the fighters' protection.
"In kickboxing, you can easily fall from the ring, and it's a long way to the ground.
"The cage is there as a safety measure."
His impressive CV - he has held four of New Zealand's  five main heavyweight fighting titles - dates back to 1986.
When he first lined up in a contest, contact wasn't allowed and points were scored through pretending to strike an opponent.
But 24 years later, almost anything goes.
Fortunately for Te Rangi, his injuries have been minor.
One of his proudest moments came two years ago in Feilding, when he was named as a late challenger for Shane Cameron's heavyweight boxing crown after the original opponent pulled out with injury.
"I had six days to prepare for that fight. People said I didn't stand a chance, I was just there to make him [Cameron] look good.
"But I took him the whole way," said Te Rangi.
Now a personal trainer in Invercargill, Te Rangi has been in Wanganui for the past couple of weeks visiting his mum and family as well as checking out the fight venue.
The undercard on July 17 will feature young fighters he's helped train.
He's proud of their achievements and attitude to life.
"In the ring they don't hold back," he said.
"But outside the ring, they are some of the friendliest people you'd want to meet.
"With all my fighters, I tell them you can either unleash your frustrations inside the cage or do it on the streets and end up going through the court system."
At 36, surely he is coming to the end of a fine career?
That suggestion earns a verbal kick to the mouth.
"Kickboxing is like sex, my friend.
"If you still enjoy it, why not keep doing it?"
Nothing cagey about Te Rangi.