Fight night card looks knockout
It won't be a white Christmas but it will be a red and blue one for boxing fans as the annual boxing fight night reveals its fight card.
Rotorua will pack an extra punch this December with the Rotovegas Corporate Fight Night Christmas with a Punch Round Three.
The event is being held at the Rotorua Girls' High School Arena on December 10. Doors open at 5.30pm and the action starts about 6.30pm.
Originally Rotovegas Boxing Gym owner and coach Aaron Warren was going to have amateur fights on the undercard but has decided to go with just 12 corporate fights.
"We've had a lot of interest from amateurs wanting to come and fight but many of them will have come back from the boxing nationals and it would mean another six to eight weeks of extra training from them when they really need to have a rest."
The coach said this year's fights would provide some even match-ups with one of the highlights being a match-up between Bay of Plenty Steamers centurion Ron Preston and league identity Glenn Donaldson.
Warren said both men were legends in their sports and it would be a great rugby versus league fight.
Also up for grabs again this year is the National Party Trophy. The trophy is sponsored by National Party MPs Todd McClay and Steve Bridges who support two of the fighters. Last year the trophy was won by Bridges' fighter Blair Robertson.
This year the two MPs have Rotorua's Spence McClintock and Tauranga's Aaron Wong Sang.
The money raised from the event went towards boxing equipment for the many boxing programmes the gym runs around the region as well as for the young fighters who trained at the gym.
Event organiser Tanya Warren said it was the event's third year and expectations were high after the success of last year's event.
Ringside corporate tables which seat 10 will cost $2000, and fight-night experience tables $1500. That includes food and beverage. General admission tickets can be bought at Go 360 Gym on Eruera St and Golds Gym on Old Taupo Rd.
For more information, contact Tania Warren on (07) 345-3085 or (027) 548-2692.
Fight Card
Blue Team
1. Bob Stiles (captain)
2. Jared Gray
3. Aaron Donnelly
4. Colin Bennett
5. Aaron Wong Sang
6. Glenn Donaldson
7. Indi Boyle
8. Charles Te Kowhai
9. TBC
10. James Marsters
11. Joel Beazley
12. Katie McLaughlin
Red Team
1. Paora Te Hurihanganui (captain)
2. Tysone Stephens
3. Shane Stephens
4. Steve Simpkins
5. Spence McClintock
6. Ron Preston
7. Emma Walls
8. Eraia Kiel
9. Samantha Sanford
10. Shane Bennett
11. Andrew Jensen
12. Charis Yule
Reserves:
Rob Kopene
Doug Fluker
Kristin Macfarlane
James Simmons
