(MAR 16) Northland, New Zealand boxer Karen Lina Te Ruki-Pasene gets to step back into the ring after ten months of inactivity due to Covid and border lockdowns. She will be flying to Queensland, Australia, to fight Brooke Cooper for the WBC Australasian title.

Karen Te Ruki-Pasene originally had a massive opportunity to fight at Eden Park, New Zealand's largest outdoor stadium; however, the event got canceled with no sign of the event due to the delta variant outbreak in New Zealand restarting again. She is well known in the boxing community for being tough, especially with her career of being in the Royal New Zealand Navy as an officer.

Currently, her record is three wins two losses with one win by TKO and a former New Zealand national (PBCNZ version) Super Lightweight champion.

She made her professional boxing debut in November 2018 after having a background in corporate boxing. She took on Toni Moki, winning the fight by stoppage. Her next fight was a massive risk when she took on former New Zealand Champion, former WBA Oceania Champion, and former WIBA World champion Gentiane Lupi in October 2019. Lupi had not fought in three years before that fight, but she returned with a grossly Split decision win to Lupi. (grossly as it was a clear win for Lupi)

Karena made her in-ring return to take on the first New Zealand female with the ANBF Australasian title, Tania Raid for the New Zealand national (PBCNZ version) Super Lightweight title in February 2020. The fight itself was extremely close, which anyone could have won, but Karen had her hand raised for a Split decision win at the end of the night.

New Zealand went into lockdown following that fight as we saw the first variant of covid spreading in New Zealand. The country was fortunate enough to get down to 0 cases to have events again later in the year. In October 2020, Karen took another significant risk by taking on former New Zealand national (PBCNZ version) Super Lightweight champion and former WBC Ranked boxer Baby Nansen for the PBCNZ South Pacific title. Unfortunately, Baby was too strong for Karen, which led to Karen retiring in the corner after the 7th round.

In May 2021, Karen was last in the right, taking on two-time New Zealand amateur national champion, Golden Gloves Champion, and gold medalist at the 2019 Arafura Games, Ariane Nicholson. The fight was extremely close again, but Karen raised her hand when the MC announced that the winner, won by Majority Decision.

Karen Te Ruki-Pasene will be taking on Brooke Cooper at the MXstore in Burleigh Heads, Queensland, Australia. Brooke Cooper whose boxing record might only be one win one lose; however, if you combined all her records across fight codes, her record would be 28 wins 13 loses. In her fight career, she has won over 8 Muay Thai and kickboxing titles, including the WBC Oceania Muay Thai, WMC Australasian, WAKO Oceania, WKBF State, two-time Muay Thai world champion (WMO Pro Muay Thai world title, and WKBF Full Thai Lightweight world title) to name a few of her accomplishments.

The winner of this fight will not only WBC Australasian title but also be ranked in the next WBC women's rankings which will be a big start in the climb for a world title and more international opportunities to fight.

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