With the 2024 Boxing New Zealand National Championships in Christchurch firmly on the horizon, this trip back in time, is twenty years ago to the 2004 Nationals in Invercargill.

There were more than a few tears she'd after the Heavyweight final in the Deep South. Veteran Waikato Coach Chris Easterbrook, stood quietly in the corner of Don Giles, who he had trained to win the glamour division of New Zealand amateur boxing. Easterbrook, in his mid-eighties, had just coached his first senior champion in a stop-start coaching career that had begun in the 1950s.

One of the true great warriors of the ring since WW2 won his third Jameson Belt in Invercargill. Kahukura Bentson, was born in the far north of the country in the small coastal hamlet of Ahipara, and received his early tutelage from the iconic Bill Woods.

The Northland born pugilist won three straight Light Middleweight crowns (2000, 2001, 2002) before the division was eliminated from competition in 2003. The 2004 Nationals saw Bentson drop down to Welterweight where he stopped Hawkes Bay’s, Patrick McGrath, in the final, to add the Jameson Belt to the coveted Ted Morgan Cup. Remarkably, his Invercargill triumph was his fourth successive title as he didn't compete at the 2003 nationals.

Bentson continued to chase his fifth national crown, which finally came in the Middleweight class, at the 2012 nationals held in the City of Sails. He then called time on an outstanding 22 year amateur career. Kahukura represented New Zealand on numerous occasions winning two Oceania titles and boxing at the 2002 and 2006 Commonwealth Games.

Middleweight champion, Junior Talipeau, crossed the ditch from his Sydney home to lift aloft the Cleverly Belt in triumph after beating future Welterweight title holder Justin Potter.

Talipeau would go on to compete in the 2009 Australian Contender television series after turning pro in 2006. During September 2007, Talipeau won the Australian professional middleweight title, which he defended on four occasions.

Wellington/Hutt Valley Lightweight, Jamie Gardner, won the Bill O’Connor Cup after having his name engraved on the time-honoured Parisian Cup.

The Light Heavyweight title was taken out by Lance Bryant, who would go on to an Australian professional career, with Mark Robertson from the North Shore Boxing Association earning the Light Welterweight crown.

The 2004 Nationals saw four Women's titles decided in the Invercargill ring of combat. Daniella Smith, who won the Light Middleweight crown in the Deep South, would progress on to win the IBF World professional title during 2010, to sit alongside her three Boxing New Zealand amateur titles. Dawn Chalmers would win the second of her eight national titles in Invercargill, Kelly Halling (later Woolrich) her first of five national crowns, with Stephanie Perry adding the Bobby Johnson Cup to her Bantamweight title.

Future two time Jameson Belt holder, Nathon McEwan, was awarded the NZ Boxing Cup as the most scientific Intermediate pugilist, while CNI’s Paul Kenny prevailed in the junior ranks, earning the WP Sommerville Cup.

2004 Boxing New Zealand National Champions

Elite Male

Heavyweight               Don Giles (Waikato)

Light Heavyweight      Lance Bryant (Fielding)

Middleweight              Junior Talipeau (Canterbury)

Welterweight              Kahukura Bentson (Central Auckland)

Light Welterweight     Mark Robertson (North Harbour)

Lightweight                 Jamie Gardner (Wellington/Hutt Valley)

Jameson Belt               Kahukura Bentson

Bill O’Connor Cup       Jamie Gardner

Elite Female

Middleweight              Dawn Chalmers (Otago)

Light Middleweight    Daniella Smith (Auckland)

Welterweight              Kelly Halling (Central North Island)

Featherweight             Alexis Pritchard * (Central Auckland)

Bantamweight            Stephanie Perry (Timaru)

Flyweight                     Joanne Teece * (Timaru)

Bobby Johnson Cup   Stephanie Perry

NZ Boxing Council Cup - Nathon McEwan (West Coast)

WP Sommerville Cup - Paul Kenny (Central North Island)

Photograph     Daniella Smith

Article added: Wednesday 18 September 2024