New Zealand first, then theworld formotu
Unbeaten Kiwi prospect Mea Motu wants to prove she’s the best fighter in New Zealand before taking on the world.
Motu (11-0, 5 KOS) returns to the ring on Saturday when she faces wily veteran Baby Nansen (9-4-1, 1 KO) in a 60kg catchweight bout in Auckland.
The eight-round contest will serve as the main event of Glozier Boxing’s Rumble in the Park at ABA Stadium and is Motu’s first outing since she made history at the same venue in February by becoming the first Kiwi female fighter to capture national titles in three weight divisions.
Motu, 32, has vowed to put on a show against Nansen, an experienced and durable campaigner who took unified lightweight champion Mikaela Mayer the distance five years ago.
‘‘If I get past Baby Nansen, I believe I’ll be ready to take on the world’s top fighters as Nansen has been in the ring with some of the biggest names in women’s boxing,’’ said Motu, a mother of five nominated for ‘Newcomer of the Year’ by Women’s Fight News last year.
‘‘The win will definitely push me up the ladder, and I’ll be able to go for world titles, but the goal is just to beat her.
‘‘I want to be the best in my country and then shoot overseas and fight the best again.’’
While a natural super bantamweight,
Motu has regularly found herself fighting outside her preferred weight class in order to secure opponents during the pandemic. But now that New Zealand’s travel restrictions have been lifted, the Kaitaia-born pugilist will have more opportunities to fight overseas, with newly crowned IBF super bantamweight champion Cherneka ‘Sugar Neekz’ Johnson looming as a potential future opponent.
The New Zealand-born, Australian-based Johnson claimed the vacant IBF strap last Wednesday after beating Mexico’s Melissa Esquivel via split decision in Melbourne. Nevertheless, her trainer, Isaac Peach, believes Motu has the talent to establish herself as a force across multiple divisions on the world stage.
‘‘Mea can beat anybody in super bantamweight, featherweight, and she’ll compete at the top level at super featherweight, he said.
For this camp, Motu has been training under the watchful eye of Alina Peach, Isaac’s wife, a skilled coach in her own right.
‘‘I have been training a lot smarter and harder for this fight. I’ve had an awesome team behind me. Alina has worked closely withme onmy conditioning and my technical skills. She’s really broken it down this camp – I completely trust her, and I feel like a better and stronger fighter,’’ Motu said.