(NOV 3) 32-year-old Boxing
records keeper for and judge Benjamin Thomas Watt (Ngāpuhi) has
decided to retire after 10 years of service to New Zealand
boxing after 2024.
Watt started records keeping for
Boxrec in November 2014 and has been a boxing judge since March
2015. He is known for wearing many hats, including Wikipedia
editing, freelance boxing writer, YouTube personality with
Gladrap channel, and, of course, records keeping and boxing
judging. He is been acknowledged to be the first Takatāpui
boxing judge in the world and the first openly gay boxing judge
in New Zealand.
For those who do not know Boxrec, Boxrec is the official world
boxing records-keeping website for Boxing for professional
boxing.
Since 2014, his career has consisted of over 14,000 records and
edits, over 8,400 Wikipedia edits, over 300 media articles, and
over 150 fights as a boxing judge in Professional and amateur
boxing, not to mention about 1000 corporate boxing fights as a
judge.
As a judge, he has judged multiple talented boxers including the
retired WBO World Heavyweight champion Geovana Peres,
two-division world champion Lani Daniels, current WBA Oceania
crusierweight champion (and Joseph Parker littler brother) John
Parker, former IBO World Crusierweight champion Floyd Masson and
world title contender Alrie Meleisea. As well as judging big
fights in New Zealand including Junior Fa to his WBO Oriental
Heavyweight title fight, the infamous grudge match between
Robert Berridge and Adrian Taihia, Gunnar Jackson's retirement
fight against world title contender Andrei Mikhailovich, and one
of the most entertaining fights for a New Zealand title Shay
Brock vs. Bowyn Morgan.
As much as he has done a lot of good work, Watt has also faced
challenges either from boxers not happy with rankings position,
not wanting their profile or records put onto Boxrec and general
boxing politics. He has received abuse, threats of violence and
even death threats. On top of that, Boxrec has expanded into
including not only Professional and amateur boxing but also
Kickboxing, Muay Thai, MMA, bare-knuckle boxing and more.
After ten years Watt decided to call it quits saying he was just
too tired to keep going, however, he will always be watching the
sport whenever he can. In the meantime, he is slowly looking to
find his replacement. Australian Boxrec editor will take over
the professional boxing records keeping for New Zealand, while
Vahid Unesi will take over the wider combat sport and Rozanne
Berenger will take over amateur boxing.
What is happening next for Watt? He is currently working on
doing his undergrad at Massey University in Batchelor of Arts in
History and Sociology. He plans to begin his masters in July
next year where he aims to do his master's Thesis on Joseph
Parker's build-up to his world title.
Watt has been nominated for two awards at the 2024 Harcourts
Cooper & Co Harbour Sports Excellence Awards, including the
Volunteer of the Year award and Sporting Acknowledgement award,
which will be at North Harbour Stadium on Friday 22nd of
November.
Watt will continue writing for WBAN however it will be less
frequent.
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WEBSITES
www.womensboxing.org
www.womenboxingrecords.com
www.wban2012.com
www.wbanmember.com
www.floridaboxing.com
www.iwbhf.com
www.wban.tv
WBAN's
Group Facebook