Auckland Boxing Association Takes Home Most Medals Second Year In A Row

After being postponed twice, the New Zealand national boxing championships have finally come, with Auckland Boxing Association (ABA) taking home the most medals and golds.

This is the second year in a row that the National Championships were postponed to the following year due to covid; however, it was essential for these Championships to go on as athletes needed to be selected for the commonwealth games. The New Zealand team's nominations for the commonwealth games have an 11th of May deadline.

This year was also one of the shortest National Championships as only 62 bouts happened this year. This is down from the previous year's Championships with 81 bouts and the 2019 event with 93 bouts.

One hundred nine medals were given out this year, with 48 golds, 38 silver, and 23 bronze. ABA won the most medals and most golds, with 21 Medals and nine gold. This was an improvement from the 2020 nationals when they won 20 medals and eight gold. Canterbury Boxing Association (CBA) came second this year, winning 17 medals and five golds. Last year CBA came third on the medal tally, which is an improvement this year, coming second. Finally, the organization that came third was Hawkes Bay taking home Four golds and two silvers.

This year, the biggest of the tournament was Holly McMath winning the 50kg division with her win over Commonwealth Games Bronze Medallist and reigning Flyweight champion Tasmyn Benny.

The only knockout of the tournament came in the tournament's final bout in the Super Heavyweight finals. Roma Crichton, who fought Uila Mau'u in the semi-finals, took on Sale Oldehaver, who took an easy way to get to the finals. Sale Oldehaver was initially supposed to take on Joseph Parker's former sparring partner Matt Mataika; however, Matt Mataika broke his finger in the quarter-finals, giving Sale Oldehaver the win Semi-Finals by Walkover. The fight did not last long, with Roma Crichton representing ABA, knocking down his opponent twice before the referee called the fight quits. The fight was one fascinating way to end the tournament with a bang.

Boxing New Zealand named Onyx Lye vs. Rini Porter the most exciting tournament fight. Onyx Lye representing Manawatu, won the fight, but he was also awarded the Jameson Belt for being the most Scientific boxer of the championship, being the 87th titleholder. Onyx was also awarded the Bill O’Connor Cup for being the youngest elite boxer of the year. Onyx trainer Billy Meehan was awarded the Joe Thwaites Shield for being the trainer of the Jameson Belt holder. Rini Porter, who represented Bay of Plenty, didn't go home empty-handed. He got a silver, but he also received the Sonny Parker Tray for best performance on the losing end.

Auckland-based organization Shamrock Boxing Association won the Treston Shield for most Elite boxers to win gold. Shamrock took home six medals with four golds. ABA took home Earl Stewart Shield for most points on the medal tally for the third year in a row.

This year, the most scientific female boxer was Christine Gillespie from Nelson, who was awarded the Bobby Johnson Cup. Mele Ula took home the Tom O’Connor Cup for the best female boxer of the year.

Other awards given include The Sommerville Cup for the scintillating display of the sweet science to Auckland boxer Wendall Stanley who won their first New Zealand national title. Cleverley Belt was awarded to Emile Richardson, who won the Middleweight finals.

Finally, four extraordinary women fighters won back-to-back gold this year. Erin Walsh from ABA won her second in a row, commonwealth games medalist Troy Garton from Shamrock won her fifth in a row, and Ariane Nicholson of Bay of plenty won her third. Christine Gillespie of Nelson won the third gold in a row and Bobby Johnson Cup.

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