Parker’s old club facing closure
The boxing club that produced world heavyweight champion Joseph Parker has made an urgent appeal for funds, saying it needs $25,000 to keep its doors open.
The Papatoetoe Boxing Club has been run for nearly 30 years – 17 in its current location – by veteran trainer Grant Arkell.
Arkell first coached Parker as a 12-year-old, and dipped into his own pocket to help send Parker to amateur international tournaments in Azerbaijan and Singapore before Parker turned pro.
The club, which occupies the upstairs room above a pub in the main street of the south Auckland suburb, has been badly hit by the downturn in poker machine grants caused by Covid-19 and is now well behind on its rent.
Arkell said almost all his funding came from pokie grants. He first began the club in Otahuhu in 1990, with legendary fighter Manny Santos, and moved to his current location 17 years ago.
‘‘The only reason I have survived so long is the pokies – I’ve had funding out of the pokies for 20 years, and I’ve been very, very lucky.’’
He had spoken to his landlord, who had already discounted the rent and had been very understanding – but they are three months behind and have another three months’ payment due at the end of May.
‘‘There is nothing in the pot for that, so that would put us $18,000 behind,’’ Arkell said.
One of his boxers had opened the Givealittle page with a target of $25,000. ‘‘We’re trying to get ahead, but if we can get to the $18,000 I would be wrapped.’’
Arkell has fighters coming to the club from as far south as Pukekohe and north from Brown’s Bay, but can only accommodate 30 at any time – his waitlist has, on occasion, gone as large as 100.
Among his past and present fighters are nationallyranked fighters Tino Honey, Patrick Mailata and WBA Oceania super-middleweight champion Mose Auimatagi.
Parker had seen the appeal and had already contacted Arkell to offer his help. Parker said he knew memberships had never covered the rent, and Arkell had been generous in discounting for those in need.
‘‘It’s been a passion for him and there has always been a struggle to make the payments,’’ Parker said. ‘‘I’ve got a lot of love for Grant and Mary, they do a great job for the community.
‘‘I’ve got a lot of history with the gym . . . I had a long time training with Grant and being part of the Papatoetoe gym family.
‘‘If there is any way I can help personally, I will, but if we can also get some help from others, it will make it a lot easier for Grant and Mary and I feel they deserve it because they’ve done a lot of work for the community and the kids of Papatoetoe and Mangere.’’