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Sports correspondent & historian with |
Tauranga Boxing Club fighter Hannah Walker has brought home further accolades at the Boxing New Zealand National Championships.
The biggest prizes in NZ amateur boxing are the senior elite titles, which ensure a special place in the sport’s history.
New Zealand boxing championship titles must be earned in combat in the ring. They are often the reward that comes from the experience of defeat at previous championships.
Hannah Walker was born into a boxing family. Her grandfather, Bob Walker, joined the sport as a 10-year-old in the 50s and is still involved as a boxing judge today.
Trained by her father Chris, a Tauranga Boxing Club coach, three age-group national titles marked Walker for future success.
However, perseverance and national championship experience, were required for Walker to in in senior championship competition, last Saturday night in Porirua.
Hannah was runner-up to NZ World Women’s Championship representative, Jen Peters, at the 2021 and 2022 titles. She went within a whisker of success in 2022, dropping a 3-2 split decision.
Another silver medal in the lightweight division at last season’s titles, lit the fire, when she entered the ring in her first bout at the Te Rauparaha Arena in Porirua last week.
First up, she met Macy Smith from the Waikato on day two to earn a unanimous decision. Such was Walker’s control of the bout, the majority of judges gave her all three rounds.
Friendship was left in the dressing room when she fought former Bay of Plenty teammate Saskia Elliott (Kirikiriroa), in the BNZ women’s elite lightweight final.
Walker grabbed the initiative early for a unanimous decision. The Bay of Plenty pugilist still had to dig deep for victory with three of the five judges giving her opponent a round.
Chris Walker has earned a place with the best competition coaches in the sport today - his record with his senior boxers makes impressive reading.
Kelly Woolrich opened the Tauranga Boxing Club championship tally, with victories in 2007 and 2009, and an Oceania Championship title.
2010 Commonwealth Games representatives Dave Aloua and Anthony Taylor won two senior crowns apiece, with Justin Potter earning an Oceania middleweight title.
Katie Flyger and Michelle Nuku brought home women’s welterweight and lightweight titles in 2010 and 2019, respectively.
Arianne Nicholson made a big impression in the sport; with three NZ titles, an Adelaide Super Eight crown and an Arafura Games gold medal, along with representing NZ at the Commonwealth Games.
Last season men’s bantamweight champion, Sunil Kunwar, won one of the oldest titles on offer at the NZ championships, being first contested in 1903.
Hannah Walker’s lightweight title takes the Tauranga Boxing Club list of senior glory to 13 BNZ championship titles, three individual Commonwealth Games appearances, Dave Aloua’s Commonwealth Championships bronze medal and numerous other big performances.
In addition, Chris Walker trained his brother Robbie to two NZ championships from his then Rotorua base and has had three of his Tauranga charges win NZ professional titles.
Chris Walker has earned the immense respect of the New Zealand boxing community, throughout the clubs two decades plus of competition success.