Mea Motu (pictured) is leaving for the UK this week for a world title unification fight against England’s Ellie Scotney.
Mea Motu (pictured) is leaving for the UK this week for a world title unification fight against England’s Ellie Scotney.
Eleven days and counting.
Far North world boxing champ Mea Motu is leaving this week for her date with destiny and her quest to be the first Kiwi fighter to be a unified boxing world champion.
Motu, the reigning IBO super bantamweight champion and the No 2 boxer in the world in her weight division, will take on English fighter Ellie Scotney in Nottingham, England, on January 25 for the IBF, WBO, and Ring Magazine super bantamweight titles.
If successful against the English boxer – and Motu told the Northland Age she’s got no doubt she will fulfil her destiny – the Pukepoto pugilist will be the first Kiwi to hold all world title belts in a weight division.
“This is a hard sport and I want multiple world titles and anybody that stands in my way will pay the price,” the undefeated boxer with a 20-0 record said.
Motu, representing the West Auckland-based Peach Boxing gym, is nearing the end of an intense 10-week training camp, sacrificing her Christmas and holiday season to prepare for this momentous fight.
The camp included rigorous sparring sessions in Australia and Bali with world champion Cherneka “Sugar Neekz” Johnson, who has previously faced Scotney, providing insight for the upcoming bout.
The Peach Boxing team, led by coach Isaac Peach, is set to depart for the UK this week, allowing time to acclimatise before the high-stakes showdown.
“This is the ultimate goal and we’re ready,” Peach said.
“Preparation has been good. We’ve been waiting for this for a long time and we’ve been preparing for the last year.”
The road to this fight has been a long one for Motu. She knows what it’s like to go through difficulties and how hard it can be for Māori to excel in the world despite having enormous potential and ability.
Mea Motu proved too strong for Australia’s Shannon O'Connell in Sydney last year.
From her usual weight of about 60kg, she has to get under 55.3kg to fight in the super bantamweight class.
Now, with the chance to claim three world titles, Motu stands on the brink of history. If successful, she will achieve what Kiwi legends like David Tua, Joseph Parker and Andrei Mikhailovich have only dreamed of: becoming New Zealand’s first unified boxing world champion.
Motu said her connection to her Māoritanga is a force of strength in her career, embedding her values of resilience and mana. This gives her the courage to rise above adversity and face challenges head on, making her a fierce competitor on the world stage.
She hopes her achievements in boxing serve as a beacon of hope for young Māori.
“I want to show our youth that it doesn’t matter if they are from a small town, it doesn’t matter where they are from, if they work hard, they can achieve their goals and dreams,” Motu said.
She said there were many talented young people in Northland who needed only some guidance and help to reach their potential.
“There are times that you want to give up, but that’s when it’s time to talk to somebody to get help. That seems to be the hardest thing for us, but it’s about not being ashamed and accepting that talking and asking for help and advice is what can get you through. There’s always somebody who can help you and you are not alone. Your mind tricks you into thinking nobody can help and your problems are your own, but getting help and support is what will work.’’
The fight will be shown live on DAZN on January 26 about 9am NZT.
