Māori power puncher Mea Motu puts Pukepoto on the map

It was smiles all 'round for Mea Motu and her support team after she won the WBC Asia Super Bantamweight title. Photo / Supplied

Pint-sized power-packing Māori boxer Mea Motu has put her small village of Pukepoto on the map after winning the WBC Asia Super Bantamweight title.

Motu, unbeaten in her first 14 previous fights, stepped up to the world stage yesterday in Dubai and grabbed the title over Iran’s Nastaran Fathi (8-1, 2KO).

Motu was also awarded the Fighter of the Night Award during a star-studded event at the Hilton Palm Jumeirah in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

She now has a record of 15 and 0.

Motu told the Herald from New York this was her toughest fight to date.

“She was not only tough but I had to fight in her conditions.” Motu said.

“The fight was outside, the heat was extreme and it was her hometown crowd. It was tough to go into her environment and beat her.”

She is confident she will one day get a shot at a world championship title.

“I miss my kids but I’m here to make me, my whānau and our country proud.”

Her trainer Isaac Peach, of Peach Boxing, said Motu was tested, but she has the power and skills to go all the way in women’s fighting.

“Mea will win a world title and go all the way,” Peach said from the US.

“She is young in boxing terms and women peak between the age of 30-40 years old.

“Mea will win a world title and she’s not too far off. We have had a couple of offers but the girls have pulled out at the last minute. But we will keep going and wait for the opportunity.”

Before heading to Dubai, Motu said people didn’t really rate her chances.

“I don’t think anyone actually understands how strong I am until I get in the ring. A lot of people doubt my power and speed; they watch it on TV. It looks different when you’re in the ring with me,” Motu said.

Motu also won Fighter of the Night. Photo / Supplied

Pukepoto is a town in Northland which lies south-west of Kaitaia and north-east of Ahipara. In the 2018 census, it had a population of 165.

From Dubai, Motu and Peach head to the US to be filmed for the reality TV show Celebrity Making of A Champion, where she will be mentored by former heavyweight world champion Tim Witherspoon.

Each fighter will have a mentor throughout the series. For someone who enjoys studying the history of boxing as Motu does, the series offers her a unique chance to rub shoulders with some of the sport’s greats.

“We are going to meet a lot of old-school fighters, referees, coaches, and just [work towards] understanding the game that they had to put their fighters through, and what they went through, " Motu said.