Hitting the ring for the first time: Tim Hikuroa

Parklands School deputy principal Tim Hikuroa was one of 34 boxers who got into the ring on Saturday night, many, like Tim, for the first time, at Fight for Rangatahi II at the Motueka Recreation Centre. Editor Sara Hollyman finds out about the highs and lows.

What made you decide to give this a crack?

Last year I had a bad run of illness and sports injuries. For about 6-8 months I couldn’t do anything due to an infection in my legs which had left me with open scars all over my legs.  My legs would swell up whenever I tried to exercise.  It took three courses of antibiotics before they finally started to heal.  I had put on a fair bit of weight over the years also. I knew I needed a challenge. I had watched the Fight for Rangatahi the year before and thought ‘I could do that’. My uncle Lee Hikuroa was already at Dixon’s Boxing.  So, there was a chance to spend some more time with him as well as get fit. I started in January this year, I knew if I was going to do this, I was going to need longer than 12 weeks. The first few weeks were hard, but I loved the training and what it was providing for me physically and especially mentally. This gave me more focus than I had had in years. I had a goal now and I knew I had to work hard to achieve it.

What was the toughest part of the journey?

Sparring for sure. It had been a while since I had been punched in the face. I’m usually breaking up fights and talking people down, especially at school. My adrenaline was through the roof every time I sparred. I would get super anxious before every session. Then after the first round I would feel great.  Even if my opponent had punched me five times in the face without me even knowing! I learnt the hard way to keep my hands up!  Going to five nights a week training was hard, too. I hadn’t trained that hard before even in my rugby days.  But my fitness got up and, apart from a few injuries (cracked ribs and sore forearms and ribs from being older), I managed to survive. Randall was an excellent coach for me, too. He talked and pushed me when he needed to but let me sort things out for myself as well, especially when times were tough mentally. I owe a lot to him, Ian and my uncle Lee for preparing me for this fight. We had an awesome team at Dixon’s Boxing that I need to thank. I’ve made some new friends from this. I appreciate every single one of them.

How did you feel in the lead-up to Saturday night?

All emotions were firing leading up to the fight. I walked the dog that day to take my mind off things but all I did was spend time predicting what I’d do if I got knocked out. You always think of worst-case scenarios. Also, was my entrance song the right choice?  Should I have gone with My Humps by the Black-Eyed Peas? It is provocative and would get the people going! The best I felt all day was when I arrived at the event. Then I knew I was ready to get into the ring and box.

What was going through your head when you stepped into the ring?

When I hopped into the ring the feeling was super intense. I could hear all my friends and whānau yelling at me. I couldn’t let them down. I couldn’t joke around either because we were about to fight. I’m good at using humour, usually in tight situations.  This was not the time to do that though. I couldn’t even raise my hand up when Lt. Dan Hennessey called out my name.  I was packing myself but knew I had to stay tau (calm) when I was in there.

What did you think when you literally punched your opponent’s headgear off?

Surprised initially. But when I was in the corner, I went back into focus mode. I looked at my corner and they were giving me advice on what to do. It was hard to hear them because of the noise of the crowd. I wanted to keep the fight going, I had to stay moving against my opponent because I was hoping to use my fitness as an advantage. Yes, even though I was 113kg, I was the fittest I’ve been in years haha!

Finishing with a TKO two seconds into the second round is pretty impressive in a corporate bout, is/was there any tinge of disappointment that you didn’t get more time after all the hard mahi you’ve put in for training?

Yes and no. Yes, I wanted to fight all three rounds. My opponent Clint was really well matched against me and when he hit me, I definitely felt it. Even though his eye had blown up I knew he was still OK to fight. However, I also knew that would be the target I would go for during the next two rounds. My friends had asked me for a first round knockout so being able to look at them and say (inside my head) “this is close enough aye?” felt good. My biggest fear was ‘gassing out’ in the ring and looking like that person who is just slapping instead of actually boxing!  So, no, being able to have finished the fight when I did made me very happy. I could have a well-deserved drink!

How was the reception at school on Monday morning?

The whole school did a haka for me. It gave me goosebumps and made me super proud. One of our staff had filmed the before, during and after of the fight. He was a hard case. I couldn’t get rid of him fast enough! Then afterwards he filmed me running up to my wife and giving her a hug. He’s a cheeky guy!!! The kids have been super stoked for me.

Any advice for anyone thinking they could give 2025 a whirl?

Set yourself the goal and go 100% into it. Also make sure you have the right support network around you. That is actually key to making this happen. My wife and kids have been absolute legends during this process. Also be prepared for the fact that you will be part of a team. Yes, on the night it’s up to you in the ring, but during the trainings I have made some awesome new friends who you will support and they will support you, too.  Be prepared for setbacks also. That’s all part of the game. Finally, learn the song, Roxanne. More importantly how many Roxanne’s there are in the song and when they say them. It’s a great waiata!