Golden Gloves win

The North Island Golden Gloves is done for another year.

Created by the late Nuki Johnston, Taupo¯ has been the venue for 32 years out of the 34 years it has been running, with Taupo¯ boxers competing every year since Nuki’s passing.

With only Sitiveni Natalekolo missing out on a placing this year, we won five out of six.

Sitiveni had strong numbers, with seven boxers in the novice super heavy weights and went out in the first round of competition against the eventual winner.

Outstanding effort has to go to Connor Campbell for taking out the most Scientific Mini Cadet. His opponent never gave in and made it a match where everyone ended up on their feet applauding. Connor took the unanimous decision with a better skill set in the end.

Another shout out has to go to Jayden Ball in the 91kg division, the heavy weight open class. Jayden won by first round KO, knocking his opponent down three times but breaking his hand in two places. But with five months till the nationals all should be fixed by then, and Jayden hopefully gets to have a crack at his goal of fighting David Nyika, the NZ heavy weight title holder.

The North Island Golden Gloves is the biggest boxing tournament in New Zealand. The New Zealand Nationals last year was run over four days and never had as many competing boxers as in Taupo¯ on Queen’s Birthday weekend. To hold a North Island Golden Gloves Title is second only to holding the New Zealand Nationals Title, but to get that title the demands on your body and how many bouts you have over the weekend is second to none. Nuki’s Taupo¯ Boxing Gym achieved its goal.

We thank Taupo¯ and Taupo¯ District Council for their support in making this tournament possible.

Now we have a couple of weeks rest and then we are on the road again to get ourselves set for the nationals in Christchurch this year in October.

With our first planned outing in July and with two new boxers getting themselves ready for their first boxing bouts it’s back to the gym and training for us all.

Feel free to pop in any training night and even just sit and see what we do — all and any are welcome to come down.

Photo / Supplied Nuki’s Taupo¯ Boxing Gym boxers with their titles after the North Island Golden Gloves: Back row left to right: Cole Campbell North Island 63kg open class cadet title holder, Paige Halliday North Island 57kg Junior female runner up, Jayden Ball North...