'Hurt, damage, destroy': Mea Motu’s aim as first female boxer to headline Fight For Life

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Author: Bonnie Jansen, NZ Herald,
Publish Date: Sat, 4 Mar 2023, 2:44pm

Kiwi boxer Mea Motu (Te Rarawa) has a brutal, simple plan for her first world title bout when she headlines at next month’s Fight For Life.

“My goal is just to get in there to destroy her,” said Motu. “I don’t really know much about Tania Walters, I don’t really focus much on my opponents; I just focus on myself and leave that all to my coaches.”

The four-division New Zealand Champion will fight for the vacant IBO super bantamweight world title against Canada’s Tania Walters, at the Eventfinda Stadium on the North Shore on April 27.

Motu who is unbeaten (15-0) will take a no-mercy approach against the less experienced Walters (4-1).

The fact Walters won the Canadian and Women’s International Boxing Association’s bantamweight titles in her most recent fights last October doesn’t faze the Kaitaia boxer.

Motu will make history as the first female to headline Fight For Life in the event’s 24-year history.

Mea Motu’s fast-paced style was too much for Nastaran Fathi in their WBC Asia Super bantamweight title fight

Overwhelmed with the “epic” opportunity, she told the Herald: “I’m just a little Māori girl from Pukepoto and I’ll be fighting for my whenua, my whānau, and my family and friends.”

Fight For Life founder Dean Lonergan said Mea is an “outstanding boxer”.

“I think Motu can become a national star in a very short space of time. Why wouldn’t we head up a boxing match - which is traditionally a male-dominated sport - with an outstanding fighter in Mea Motu.

“I think you’ve seen, particularly last year with what happened with the Rugby World Cup that women’s sports really come to the floor,” said Lonergan. “It’s fully ingratiated now in the media. You see women’s sport now in areas of traditional male dominance, like rugby, boxing, rugby league. Women are leading the sports headlines now and it’s great to see.

Issac Peach, Motu’s coach and founder of the West Auckland gym Peach Boxing, agreed that being top of the bill was “amazing”.

“It’s huge man - having a female headlining a totally big, strong male card. It’s pretty unreal really.”

Peach also has no doubt his athlete will clinch the title on home soil.

“It’s just another fight for us,” Peach explained. “We wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t think she couldn’t do it.”

Motu has aspirations to win more world titles, and said she’ll be “picking things up, working on her right hand”, but most importantly will prepare to “hurt, damage and destroy”. It’s an ethos that’s stuck throughout her career.

Something else that’s also stuck is her commitment to her family. The boxer also works at the gym with clients of her own, has a cleaning job, all while being a mum of five. “I’m a mummy full time, that’s my number one.”

The 33-year-old will be joined on the Fight For Life card by fellow Peach Boxing fighters Andrei Mikhailovich and Jerome Pampellone, who will use the event to continue their charge on the world rankings.

Taking part in this year's Fight for Life are: back l-r: Liam Messam, DJ Forbes, Justin Hodges, Andrei Mikhailovic and Sione Faumuina and front l-r: Roy Asotasi, Mea Motu and Jerome Pampellone. Photo / Dean Purcell

IBF Pan Pacific and WBO Global middleweight champion Mikhailovich (19-0, 11KO) takes on undefeated Venezuelan Edisson Saltarin in his first outing since defeating Francis Waitai in July last year.

Pampellone, who is ranked 14 by the IBF and holds its Australasian Light Heavyweight title after dismantling dangerous Australian Faris Chevalier in Brisbane in November, takes on rugged fellow Kiwi Mose Auimatagi Jr (15-2-2).

Motu explained she never thought she would be headlining over her male teammates but says they have her back “100%.”

“They’ve always supported me from day one and still continue to support me, and they believe in me and they’ve always told me that.”

Coach Peach said he wants all his fighters to be world title holders, and he thinks Motu will be the first this April.