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Download AudioA major boxing event in Manukau this month is putting Māori fighters in the spotlight. Māori boxing in Aotearoa spans from pioneering figures to modern champions. Here’s a look at its rich history and contemporary impact:
- Herbert “Maori” Slade (Ngāpuhi, 1851–1920) shattered racial barriers. He challenged legendary John L. Sullivan for the world heavyweight title at Madison Square Garden in 1883—making him New Zealand’s first international sports star
- Slade’s legacy endures in New Zealand’s Māori Sports Hall of Fame and history books as a ground-breaking figure in global boxing
19th-Century Champions
- “Torpedo” Bill Murphy, another Māori fighter, became world featherweight champion in 1890, cementing Māori presence in top-tier professional bouts
- Alongside other early Māori pugilists, their achievements in amateur tournaments helped shape New Zealand’s competitive boxing scene
The Women Who Made History
- Daniella Smith (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Kahungunu) became the first Māori woman to win an IBF world title in 2010 and was later inducted into the International Women’s Boxing Hall of Fame in 2023
- Smith has since returned to Northland to mentor rangatahi (youth), strengthening the pipeline for future Māori boxers
Contemporary Māori Stars
- Mea Motu (Te Rarawa/Ngāpuhi) is a dominant force in women’s boxing—holding multiple NZ titles and the IBO super bantamweight championship. She continues to break records and inspire the next generation
- Lani Daniels (Ngāti Hine) made history in 2023 as the first New Zealand-born Māori female two-division world champion (IBF light heavy- and heavyweight)
- Sequita Hemingway (Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāi Tūhoe) is a former two-time NZ heavyweight champion and reached global rankings in the IBO and WBA
- Cherneka Johnson (Ngāti Ranginui) became World Super Bantamweight champion in 2022, becoming the second Māori woman to secure a world boxing title
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