2021 REVIEW OF THE YEAR OF BOXING IN NZ

Our second year of COVID-19 (and its various strains) has drawn to a close. Aren’t you sick of hearing about it? Are you over it? I am, I’m sure we all are. Boxing wise we had hoped for a far better 2021. Despite Auckland’s long and protracted lock-down, in excess of 12 weeks without a single boxing promotion held in our largest city, from 23 July to 11 December (20 weeks) and just 5 in the rest of the country during this period the year held up reasonably well, especially over the first six months.

(photo shows David Nyika beating his Moroccan opponent at the Tokyo Olympics)

On 27 February at Spark Arena, we were treated to yet another edition of New Zealand’s “Fight of the Century” an enticing and long-awaited clash between Joseph Parker and Junior Fa. The decision went Parker’s way after 12 rounds.  A Fa closer fight, (excuse the pun) to many of the spectators, than the judges’ cards rendered on the night. On the under-card, David Nyika – in his pro debut – dispatched Jesse Maio, KO 1, what more can I say about that fight or lack of it. Junior Fa has not fought again since. A proposed bout with Australian Justin Huni fell over due to disagreements over Fa’s trainer’s fee. Parker fought twice more during the year, both against Derek Chisora and both going 12 rounds.  May 1 at Manchester Arena a split decision went Parker’s way, it could have gone either way, with little justifiable complaint. Then on 18 Dec, Parker at his heaviest fighting weight, 248lbs, put on a far more convincing performance to win comfortably over his British rival. Again, on the under-card, getting valuable exposure was David Nyika in his second pro fight. His opponent Anthony Carpin having to call it a day at the end of the first, due to a bicep injury.

 Nyika’s two professional fights were punctuated by his fine performance at the twice postponed 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, held in 2021. David fought his way through two successful preliminary bouts, both 5 – 0 in the heavyweight division before losing in the semi-final to Muslim Gadzhimagomedov (Russia) 5 – 1, who in turn lost to the even more excellent and now double Olympic champion Cuba’s, Julio Cesar La Cruz Peraza. David’s bronze medal, just the fourth medal won by a New Zealand boxer at the Olympic Games was certainly for me the achievement of the year.

Right up there for excitement was Andrei Mikhailovich’s 2 round demolition of fellow Kiwi, now Australian domiciled Alex Hanan, at the ICC Exhibition Centre, Sydney on 16 June. No love lost between these two unbeaten up and comers, exhibited by Hanan’s aggressive attitude at the referee’s instructions when he shoved Mikhailovich. For Mikhailovich this was an important night, his first fight overseas, he kept his head and did his fighting in the ring, after the bell sounded, no cheap shots from him. A first round tear up, both landed good shots, was followed in the second by a hail of punches from Andrei, leaving Hanan in a heap and Mikhailovich with his still unbeaten record intact, now 16 and zip. The Hanan fight followed Andrei’s 9 April defence of his NZ Super Welterweight title, part of Nick Randell’s Sky City Theatre promotion where he defeated the resilient but light punching Shay Brock, TKO 9.

Hemi Ahio travelled at short notice to the United Arab Emirates for an October 16 fight with Iranian opponent Mohammad Ali Bayat Farid. The Iranian spotting a good record on paper with just two defeats from his 20 fights proved no match for Hemi, losing by stoppage in the second round. Earlier in the year on the Parker v Fa undercard Hemi had survived a 4^th round knock down to defeat giant Julius Lloyd Long KO 7. Hemi at 230lbs was giving away 106 lbs (48 kilos) to Long and if that’s not a New Zealand record, then it bloody well should be!

 Mea Motu and Jerome Pampellone, both fighting out of Isaac Peach’s West Auckland gym continued to build their respective profiles and extend their winning records, both now undefeated after 10 fights. Mea 6 and Jerome with 9 fights were our busiest male and female professional fighters during 2021. This from a pool of 79 men and 16 women who had at least one fight during the year. Slightly up on last years combined total of 78.

There were four NZ title fights, controlled by two different organisations, with three of the championship fights being for vacant titles. With the above pool of professional fighters in the country do we really need two or more organisations dispensing titles? Having asked that question, it must be said that Joshua Francis’s stoppage win, TKO 9, over Nik Charalampous for the vacant NZ Professional Boxing Commission cruiserweight title was probably the best of the NZ title fights during 2021.  

 Growing in stature is another Kiwi born, Australian domiciled fighter, Floyd Masson. Three from three in 2021, Masson’s is now undefeated after 11 fights. In July he stopped Joseph Liga, TKO 4, to win the vacant Australasian Cruiserweight Title and perhaps more impressively in December defeated Mark Flanagan MD 10 to add the Australian Cruiserweight title to his resume.

Two we have missed during the year have been David Light and Patrick Mailata. David due to injury, hopefully he will make a full recovery and get back to his former winning ways. Patrick, now living in America with a young addition to his family seems to have other priorities.

 In all there were 24 promotions staged nationwide during 2021, slightly up on last year’s 22. Thirteen of these were held in Auckland. Peach Boxing and Craig Thompson staged three a piece, two promotions, at Sky City with Nick Randell and the combined effort at Spark Arena with Lou Di Bella, David Higgins and Eddie Hearn getting together to put on the Parker v Fa fight night were some of the Auckland shows.

Nort Beauchamp promoted two of the four Christchurch fight nights. On 23 July at the Wharenui Sports Centre, Phil Shatford promoted a Super Welterweight tussle between Bowyn Morgan and Marcus Heywood, both coming off defeats in 2020, Morgan to Tim Tszyu and Heywood to Andrei Mikhailovich. This pair, in their only outing for 2021, no doubt had something to prove. On the night Morgan defeated Heywood via a split decision win over 8 rounds.

That was the year 2021 in NZ pro boxing.

Best wishes to all.

MP 2021.