Boxing: Stars take grudge to ring

Girls from The GC, Jade Louise, left, and DJ Tuini, battle it out at the boxing night at the Vodafone Events Centre last night. Photo / Getty Images

Unanimous decision in three-round tussle goes to experienced, relieved Tuini.

It was billed as a grudge match but there was one clear winner when GC reality TV stars DJ Tuini and Jade Louis Dewson-Hawera fought it out in the ring on the Parker v Minto undercard last night.

On live television and in front of 2500, a crowd that included several sporting celebrities and politicians Judith Collins and Winston Peters at Manukau's Vodafone Events Centre, Tuini won the three-round fight by a unanimous decision.

Tuini, who has fought in three previous corporate bouts, had apparently trained for 12 months for her clash with Dewson-Hawera following a dispute between the pair over Tama Noema, a character on the TV series about a group of New Zealanders living on Australia's Gold Coast. "I'm so happy, so relieved," Tuini said. "It was a lot harder than I thought it would be." Asked about the grudge Tuini said: "I'm just happy to leave it in the ring."

Dewson-Hawera was a heavy favourite at the TAB, and a lot of late money went on Tuini in the final hours before the fight.

Both women threw a lot of punches, Tuini the more accurate. Dewson-Hawera had trouble with her headgear in the first round. It appeared to obscure her vision, but she could have no complaints about the judges' decision.

In the main fight of the night local hero Joseph Parker took the honours after American Brian Minto submitted in the seventh round.