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| David Tua
(Top) |
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The International Boxing Organisation (IBO) Computerised
Rankings ranks the Top 100
active heavyweights in what is generally regarded as a
reasonably accurate assessment of world talent. In the ratings
for January 2001 you will find 5 boxers from this part of the
world: David Tua,
Peau Wolfgram,
Karl Meehan,
Jimmy Thunder and
Samson Po'uha |
When you take into consideration the
fact that the population of New Zealand and the South Pacific
Islands of Samoa and Tonga would not exceed 4.5 million, it
shows we are by far the most successful region in the world at
producing quality heavyweight boxers, per head of population.
Peau Wolfgramm
(right) |
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The USA has 58 boxers in the
ratings (from a population of 268 million) followed by the South
Pacific region with 5.The next best represented countries are
Great Britain (pop 59 million), Germany (pop 83 million) and
Russia (pop 147 million). They each have 4 boxers ranked.
Karl Meehan (left)
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| The remaining 25 boxers all come
from various parts of the world, with no other country having
more than 2 boxers listed. When
you also consider how far away we are geographically from the
USA and Europe it makes these statistics even more notable to
the boxing analyst.
Jimmy Thunder
(right) |
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Other
heavyweights from this part of the world who are not currently
ranked by the IWBR but worthy of mention are:
Fai Falamore (Left)
As an amateur lost on points to Audley Harrison 1998
Commonwealth Games. Now fighting in the USA.
6 - 1 - 0 (5 KO) |
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Toakipa Tasefa (Right)
28 - 2 - 2 (21 KO)
NZ heavyweight Champion
OPBF Heavyweight Champion |
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Ray Sefo
Former World Kickboxing Champion
Campaigning in the USA and an undefeated boxer |
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Heavyweight
Heaven Down Under
Boxing takes off in New Zealand... More |
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| Catch the latest Boxing
News in New Zealand and abroad from the NZ Herald's website... More |
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