List of New Zealand world boxing champions

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This List of New Zealand world boxing champions is a collection of tables showing the New Zealand boxers who have been recognized to have won either major or minor world boxing titles. New Zealand boxer are defined in this table as people were are either born, ranked, citizen or reside in New Zealand or have Maori lineage. The major titles coming from the WBA, WBO, WBC, IBF or recognized world champions before the major bodies were established. The minor world titles are not universally recognized world champion but have won world titles from minor sanctioning bodies. The minor bodies include but not limited to IBO, WIBA, WBF and more. This list does not include subvariant of titles which may include but not limited to WBA Gold, WBO Global, WBC Diamond and WBC Silver. However, if an interim World champion was achieved, this would be included.

Contents

Men's

Major

Heavyweight

NameReignDuration of reignTitleDefencesNoteReferences
Bob Fitzsimmons 121 February 1896 – 2 December 1896World Heavyweight title1Second overall World title reign
Bob Fitzsimmons217 March 1897 – 9 June 1899World Heavyweight title1Third overall world title reign
Joseph Parker 110 December 2016 – 31 March 2018WBO World Heavyweight title3First New Zealander to win on New Zealand soil. First ever New Zealand born world champion to successfully defend a world title. [1]
28 March 2024 – PresentInterim WBO World Heavyweight title0

Light Heavyweight

NameReignDuration of reignTitleDefencesNoteReferences
Bob Fitzsimmons125 September 1903 – 20 December 1905World Light Heavyweight title1Fourth and last overall world title reign [2] [3]

Middleweight

NameReignDuration of reignTitleDefencesNoteReferences
Bob Fitzsimmons114 January 1891 – 26 September 1894World Middleweight title2First overall world title reign
Maselino Masoe 11 May 2004 – 11 March 2006WBA Middleweight Champion1 [4]

Featherweight

NameReignDuration of reignTitleDefencesNoteReferences
Torpedo Billy Murphy 113 January – 2 September 1890World featherweight champion1First every New Zealand world champion [5]

Minor

Heavyweight

NameReignDuration of reignTitleDefencesNoteReferences
Jimmy Thunder 123 July 1993 – 19 November 1993World Boxing Federation World Heavyweight title2
Jimmy Thunder 229 October 1994 – 12 January 1996International Boxing Organization World Heavyweight title2
Kali Meehan 124 June 2011 – 7 March 2012World Boxing Foundation World Heavyweight title0 [6]

Cruiserweight

NameReignDuration of reignTitleDefencesNoteReferences
Floyd Masson 11 April 2023 – 9 September 2023IBO World Cruiserweight champion1Masson is New Zealand born but ranked as an Australian [7]

Light Heavyweight

NameReignDuration of reignTitleDefencesNoteReferences
Soulan Pownceby 117 June 2010 – 1 June 2012World Boxing Foundation World Light Heavyweight champion0Retired with the belt without defending. 14 years after winning the belt, there still has not been anyone to won the belt since. [8]

Welterweight

NameReignDuration of reignTitleDefencesNoteReferences
Bowyn Morgan 118 May 2019 – 16 December 2020World Boxing Union World Welterweight champion1 [9]

Super Lightweight

NameReignDuration of reignTitleDefencesNoteReferences
Anthony Taylor122 August 2015 – 7 October 2017World Boxing Union World Super Lightweight champion0 [10]

Women's

Major

Heavyweight

NameReignDuration of reignTitleDefencesNoteReferences
Lani Daniels 127 May 2023 – 15 December 2023IBF World Heavyweight champion1First overall reign. First New Zealand boxer to win world title after losing her first world title fight. [11] Daniels vacated her title for her Light Heavyweright title.

Light Heavyweight

NameReignDuration of reignTitleDefencesNoteReferences
Geovana Peres 130 March 2019 – 26 January 2021WBO World Light Heavyweight champion1First ever female New Zealander to win world title on NZ soil. First ever New Zealand LGBT boxer to win a world title. Retired with the belt. New Zealands oldest World champion. [12]
Lani Daniels12 December 2023 – PresentIBF World Light Heavyweight champion0Second overall reign. First ever New Zealand born boxer to win world title in multiple weight divisions. First ever New Zealand born boxer to become a multiple world champion. [13]

Welterweight

NameReignDuration of reignTitleDefencesNoteReferences
Daniella Smith 112 November 2010 – 11 June 2011IBF World Welterweight champion1First ever female to win IBF world title. First ever New Zealand female to win a world title. First ever Maori to win a world title. [14]

Super Bantamweight

NameReignDuration of reignTitleDefencesNoteReferences
Cherneka Johnson 120 April 2022 – 10 June 2023IBF World Super Bantamweight champion2First ever maori to successfully defend their world title. [15] [16]

Minor

Super Bantamweight

NameReignDuration of reignTitleDefencesNoteReferences
Gentiane Lupi 19 May 2015 – 16 April 2016WIBA World Super Bantamweight champion0originally won the interim version of the title but in September 2015 was promoted to full world champion. [17]
Mea Motu 127 April 2023 – PresentIBO World Super Bantamweight champion2 [18]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ Kieza, Grantlee (11 December 2016). "New Zealand's Joseph Parker beats Andy Ruiz to claim WBO world heavyweight title". News.com.au . Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  2. ↑ "The Lineal Boxing World Champions". The Cyber Boxing Zone Encyclopedia.
  3. ↑ "Robert Fitzsimmons". Encyclopædia Britannica . 24 May 2023. British boxer, the first fighter to hold the world boxing championship in three weight divisions.
  4. ↑ Peter Jessup (3 May 2017). "Boxing: South Auckland welder claims world middleweight title". nzherald.co.nz. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
  5. ↑ White, Charley, "Inside the Ring with the Great Fighters", The Evening World, New York, New York, pg. 7, 7 August 1911
  6. ↑ "Meehan offers David Tua WBF title fight". Stuff NZ.
  7. ↑ "Floyd Masson wins bloody IBO title fight". Perth Now. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  8. ↑ "World Title shot in Auckland". Fight Times.
  9. ↑ "Bowyn Morgan waiting for challengers following knockout world title win". Stuff. 19 May 2019.
  10. ↑ "Boxing: Explosive finish snatches WBU world title". Bay of Plenty Times. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  11. ↑ "Lani Daniels outslugs Alrie Meleisea in world heavyweight title fight in NZ". Stuff.co.nz. 27 May 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  12. ↑ "Recap: Geovana Peres v Lani Daniels – WBO women's light-heavyweight title clash". Stuff.co.nz. 30 March 2019. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
  13. ↑ "Lani Daniels a double world champion after victory over Australian". TVNZ One News. 3 December 2023. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  14. ↑ "The International Women's Boxing Hall of Fame Announces our 2023-2024 IWBHF Inductees, and Special Award Recipients!". Women Boxing. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  15. ↑ "Cherneka Johnson: the first wahine Māori to retain a world boxing title". RNZ. 23 October 2022. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  16. ↑ Watt, Benjamin Thomas (21 April 2022). "Tauranga-born Cherneka Johnson becomes second Māori to win a world boxing title". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  17. ↑ "The History of New Zealand Women's Lineal Champion". Womens Boxing. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  18. ↑ "Fight For Life 2023: Mea Motu claims IBO super bantamweight world title with win over Tania Walters". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
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