Boxing: Women take transtasman battle into the ring

By PETER JESSUP

Kiwi women, already rugby and league World Cup holders, have another chance to restore some balance to the Australian dominance of transtasman contact sport tonight with the first of two boxing "tests."

The 10-fight card at the Takapuna Rugby Club features five New Zealand female boxing champs against Australians who have beaten their way to the top in a two-month search for their best.

Most of the women on the card have been in the ring on 10 or more occasions, although a couple are on fight four or five. The president of the NZ Boxing Association, Dr John McKay, national coach up to and including the Sydney Olympics, is involved in more ways than one, sanctioning and helping to promote the bouts. His rationale is providing opportunity for the Kiwi women before the inaugural women's world championships planned for Houston, Texas, this year.

"There's a lot of positive interest," he said yesterday of the contest. Tickets for the 350-seat venue are selling well.

Asked how he felt about the sport that some would say is not one, McKay said: "I think that now it's been accepted internationally it's here to stay, whether we like it or not." Women had competed in karate, judo, kick-boxing and other contact sports for years, "so why not boxing?"

The NZBA will push ahead with plans to run the first Oceania women's championships next year.

Fighting tonight are: 51kg (flyweight) Shona Baty, Auckland, three-times NZ champ, v Jodie McKenna, of Victoria; 54kg (bantamweight) NZ champ Lisa Patterson from the West Coast v Michelle Grant, West Australia; 57kg (featherweight) NZ champ Stephanie Perry, of Christchurch v Alexis Donnelly, of South Australia; 67kg (welterweight) Melanie Horne, NZ champ, of Auckland v Tricia Devellerez, of WA; 71kg (light-middleweight) Agnes Tuitama, of Auckland's North Shore v Desi Contos, SA.

Also on the card tonight are three men's bouts, featuring the best of the NZ amateur elite squad against similarly ranked Australians. Michael Newton meets two-time Oceania medallists Ben Serrano at bantamweight, Daniel Codling faces Goran Pavak at welterweight and Kahu Benson meets Shane Lodge at light-middleweight.

The second women's test is in Christchurch on Saturday.

The NZBA meets tomorrow to decide on a replacement for McKay as coach. The eight nominations include former coach Chris Kenning.