Boxing: North Island Golden Gloves title for Dannevirke boxer

Connor Anderson is declared the winner in his bout in Palmerston North against Dayton Kawau last month.

Dannevirke boxer Connor Anderson has been putting in the hard yards, and his latest effort has seen him win the North Island Golden Gloves in his weight class.

Coach Adam Jones says it’s been a busy and very successful start to the boxing year for Connor, who has had four wins from four bouts within five weeks.

The icing on the cake was his split decision victory at the Golden Gloves in Tauranga.

Adam says with three boxers in his new weight class of 75kg, Connor drew straight to the final.

“The semifinal with the other two boys ended in a knockdown in the second round.”

Connor was up against a highly-rated opponent, who had a record of 23 bouts with only two losses and was “a very classy, hard-hitting boxer”.

“We had a game plan of staying out of his reach, tight guard and committing to solid combinations when going in to attack,” Adam says.

He says Connor listened and executed it all perfectly, showing grit and determination for the win.

“Even landing a solid enough jab in the third round to drop his opponent to the canvas.”

Connor Anderson (centre) with coaches Tony Mansill (left) and Adam Jones after winning the North Island Golden Gloves championship in his weight class.

In April, Connor competed at the Wellington Championships, winning the 71kg title.

Adam says this was his first fight for about five or six months.

“It was a very tidy technical fight, landing the cleaner shots for a well-earned victory.”

Last month, Connor took on a bout in the up-to-75kg weight class against the current Samoan national title holder, who came with a team for the New Zealand versus Samoa tournament.

Connor’s last bout before the Golden Gloves was in Palmerston North, fighting Dayton Kawau, whom he’d fought four times and won twice.

Adam says Connor has become a more mature fighter, putting in a lot of dedication outside of the gym with his fitness regime and diet to keep him at peak performance, which shows in his wins over the last five weeks.

He says there will be one or two more bouts while they prepare for the New Zealand Championships in Christchurch in October.

“We’ll be doing some fundraising and doing our annual club sponsors boards in our clubs to help fund our travels.”