Timaru Boxing Association

Fight day today!

See card below.

Good luck to our fighters and huge thanks to all of our awesome sponsors!

🥊💚 THE JOEL HILL MEMORIAL BELT 💚🥊

Something very special will be making its debut in Timaru this weekend — 22 August.

Following Joel’s passing, we wanted to create something that would not only honour the boxer he was, but also the person and the impact he had on our boxing communities.

Joel proudly represented both Timaru and Canterbury, winning New Zealand titles along the way. He was an incredible athlete, a tough competitor and someone who gave so much to boxing. We miss him deeply and, like many of us, wish he could have continued on to see where boxing and life could have taken him.

The Joel Hill Memorial Challenge Belt has been created in collaboration between Timaru Boxing, Canterbury Boxing and the Hill family, with the cost shared equally between the three.

The belt itself was brought to life through Canterbury Boxing, Woolston Boxing and the Hill family, with the design created specifically to honour Joel, his boxing achievements and his legacy. 💚🥊

The belt has now been blessed and will be put on the line for the first time this weekend.

The concept is simple:

🏆 Whenever a Timaru vs Canterbury bout takes place, the Joel Hill Memorial Belt can be contested.

🏆 The winning athlete’s club will hold the belt until the next eligible Timaru vs Canterbury matchup.

🏆 Wherever possible, different athletes will be given the opportunity to compete for it over time.

But this belt is about much more than winning.

We wanted the belt to carry a message alongside his name — a reminder that life is worth living, people matter, and it’s okay to talk, ask for help and check in on the people around us.

The green ribbon incorporated into the belt represents mental health awareness and the importance of keeping those conversations going within our boxing community.

We remember Joel.
We honour Joel.
We carry his legacy forward. 💚

This weekend, two athletes will step through the ropes to fight for something that will forever carry Joel’s name.

We hope this belt becomes a lasting part of the Timaru and Canterbury boxing rivalry — and an even more lasting reminder of a young man who should still be here with us today.

Miss you, Joel. 💚🥊
Forever in our corners.

Action shots from Canterbury Champs! 🔥

Canterbury Champs 2026 Day 2 🥊

After George’s success in his semi final on Saturday he had to recover well and get straight back in the ring again the next day to meet Isaac Gleeson from Bens Boxing, Auckland for the final of the 63kg Junior Open category.
Stepping up into open, this was his 10th fight.
He came up against a very strong, experienced opponent and after a shaky start in the first round he made a great comeback and performed extremely well in the last 2 rounds.
He stayed light on his toes, used great angles popping in and out of range and landed some good combinations.
It just wasn’t quite enough in the judges eyes and he went down on a split decision loss.

Despite the result we are extremely proud of George’s performance. He showed he can compete in the open level, especially against a strong opponent.
It’s only the beginning for this up and coming young boxer! 🔥🥊

Thank you to Isaac and his team for coming down from Auckland, it was so good to go against an unfamiliar boxer and we appreciate the experience you brought to the ring. 🙏

Overall we had a very successful weekend at the Canterbury Champs with great results and some good learnings to go forward with!

Today’s draw for the Canterbury Champs.🥊

George on bout number 6.🔥

Starts at 11am. Will go Live.

Canterbury Champs 2026 Day 1 🥊

First up we had George Cann in a semi final for the 63kg Junior Open category which he stepped up into due to lack of opponents in the improver category.
Getting the Unanimous Decision Win he goes through to the final tomorrow.

Next up William Crooks, after getting the unopposed title he had a match bout. A tough, hearty fight from both boxers, Will coming away with the Split Decision Win. 🥇

Capri Coffey-Gibson got back in the ring to fight for the 46kg Mini Cadet Novice title.
Putting the pressure on his opponent he got the Unanimous Decision Win. 🥇

Last for the day, Cameron Clarke fought for the 75kg Junior Improver title. An extremely close and scrappy bout which resulted in him getting the Split Decision Win. 🥇

A really good day for Timaru Boxing, with a lot to celebrate and a lot to learn and take back to the drawing board. ✍️

Big thanks to Scott and the Temuka crew for helping us in the corner! 🥰

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s final, a chance for George to step it up a level and really challenge himself against a strong opponent from the North Island.🔥