This week's National Boxing Championship will farewell a couple of the sports most sucesful athletes.
David Nyika Photo: PHOTOSPORT
David Nyika and Jerome Pampellone will pursue professional careers.
They're amoung 139 boxers who will lineup for the championships in Porirua, which is the re-scheduled 2020 tournament.
There has been an increase of registered boxers in New Zealand (672), but the tournament has drawn 20-30 less than they normally get.
Boxing New Zealand chairman Keith Walker says they're still pleased with the numbers they have managed to attract.
"Historically this is out of season for our sport, because of the pandemic we decided to have a delayed championship."
The tournament is ussually held in October, but officials decided to hold the Golden Gloves event then instead.
The drop-off in numbers has hit one division in particular with heavyweight David Nyika having no competition for the title.
The two-time Comonwealth Games champion and Olympic bound fighter will still need to make the weigh-in this week to claim the title.
Walker says the heavyweight division has been light on numbers for a number of years.
"It must be disappointing for David and it's certainly disappointing for us that he can't have one more bout in New Zealand before his Olympic debut in Tokyo, but it stands to reason that there isn't that depth in the heavyweight division at this time."
Nyika is set to turn professional and could do it this week as the Nationals were to be his last amateur event before Tokyo.
Due to a change to eligibility rules ahead of the Rio 2016 Olympics, professional boxers are able to compete in amateur events including the Games.
In fact professionals are now able to compete in the New Zealand Championships, but there are some guidelines and restrictions on their participation.
Walker believes a couple more New Zealand boxers can qualify for the Olympics if they make it to the final qualifying tournament scheduled for Paris in June.
Jerome Pampellone, Troy Garton and Tasmyn Benny do have an outside chance of an Olympic berth but will need the final qualifying tournament to go ahead.
Pampellone is the current holder of the Jameson Belt for the most scientific boxer at the Nationals and has won the light heavyweight division twice.
Jerome Pampellone Photo: PHOTOSPORT
In 2019 the 24 year old reached a career high of eight in the amateur world rankings.
He turned professional in December and had a win.
This could well be his last Nationals, but admits when he first took up boxing a half a dozen years ago he always dreamt about joining the pro ranks.
"My goal from when I first starting boxing was to turn pro, to be a world champion and the more I fought the better I got."
"I've done well as an amateur and went to the worlds but never realised the Olympics was a possibility so that's my goal at the moment and go pro from there."
Pampellone faces three competitors in the light heavyweight division.
Commonwealth Games bronze medalist Troy Garton has returned to the 60kg division in the women's competition having dropped a weight class for the last tournament.
She comes up against defending champion Michelle Nuku.
Troy Garton Photo: PHOTOSPORT
32 year old Garton, whose last competition was the Golden Gloves in October, admits she'll be expected to win if she wants to keep her Olympic dream alive.
"Lets put it this way if I didn't it's not the best look.... I think all of us on the (national) team are expected to win our divisions this week and it's a resonable request because I think if you're at the top you should be continually striving to be at the top, so yeh I'll win."
Garton, who works 30 hours a week as a fitness trainer, admits Christmas was a challenging time in her perparation as it's normally a down time for them.
"I think (the nationals) will show who has put in the work."
Garton has had the better of Nuku previously and says she's got a few different tools up her sleeve and so will be able to change her game plan if needed.
For the first time since 2017, the men's bantamweight (53.5kg) title will be decided with three contenders throwing their hats in to the ring of competition.
First contested in 1903, the bantamweight title attracted some of the biggest entries of each championships, but as the average kiwi boxer has increased in weight and size over the decades, the bantamweight class attracted few entries.
Defending Middleweight champion Ryan Scaife will be aiming for his fifth successive championship crown. However he faces seven other contenders and is likely to fight three times to win another Middleweight crown.
Competition is at Te Rauparaha Arena in Porirua from Wednesday to Saturday.
