New Zealand's Peach Boxing Readies Its Next Generation Of Stars

Isaac Peach has created a pathway for his fighters to the world stage, now his next generation of fighters is getting ready to make the step up.

Peach Boxing started on the deck of Isaac Peach's house. Just over five years later, Peach is still training fighters in his backyard, only now the house has changed and he is doing so in a custom-built gym surrounded by a growing stable of talent, ushering in a new era for New Zealand boxing.

The gym recently earned its first world title, with Mea Motu capturing the Women's IBO Super Bantamweight World Championship in April. Motu is the second Peach Boxing fighter to compete for a world title, following cruiserweight David Light's WBO title attempt in March.

Undefeated middleweight Andrei Mikhailovich has punched his ticket to an IBF world title eliminator with Germany's Denis Radovan, likely in September, while light heavyweight Jerome Pampellone recently cracked the IBF's top ten rankings.

It is an impressive achievement, especially considering that Peach has done all this while holding down a full-time job. However, he is not content with creating a "moment" in New Zealand boxing history. Instead, the aim is to ensure a steady flow of fighters competing with the best of the best in the global arena.

"I do not think I am here to compete with New Zealand. I want to compete with the world, ' he explains.

"I want guys on the world stage continually coming through. I do not necessarily want a bigger gym, just an influx of fighters that are world-class."

This weekend, Peach Boxing's Quest for Greatness will take place inside Auckland's ABA Stadium. It will feature professional and amateur fighters from Peach Boxing, with the headline act being Dylan Archer.

Archer and his teammate Zain Adams are leading the charge for the next generation of Peach Boxing fighters. Both men recently hit the pro ranks, and Peach is confident they have what it takes to make their mark on the boxing scene.

"Zain is going to be in the top 15 by the end of the year or the beginning of next year," Peach says.

"Dylan is a work in progress; he is not overly experienced, but he's going really, really well. We're still trying to find out what weight his body can get down to."

New Zealand has often produced talented fighters, but boxing is about more than talent. Boxers need a team around them to help traverse the sport's politics to earn a world title shot.

It is hard enough to do living in the United States or Europe, but the difficulty is compounded for a fighter competing in a small market such as New Zealand.

Peach has learned a lot over the past few years, both inside and outside the ring, and Archer and Adams will be the beneficiaries of the knowledge he has gained.

"I know exactly what I'm doing. It doesn't necessarily make it any easier, but I know the formula. I know what fights I need to get these guys in. Yeah, so, of course, I'm more experienced now, " Peach explained.

For the up-and-coming Peach Boxing fighters such as Archer, it gives them a sense of clarity that the future is in their hands.

"Isaac always believes in you," Archer explains.

"He puts all that amount of work into his fighters, and obviously Boaz, his brother and Alina (Peach Boxing trainers], they put so much work into it. They just make you believe that you're going to win like you are going to be the best."

Archer, who took up combat sports eight years ago, is a relative newcomer to the gym, but his work ethic and dedication to the craft of boxing have seen him blend in seamlessly with the rest of the fight team.

He relishes training alongside a world champion in Motu and top-ten ranked fighters in Mikhailovich and Pampellone.

"Having them around and just watching their work, their success, like it's kind of a line that you need to set yourself at as well," Archer explains.

"It's something to work towards seeing them at the gym every day and how much effort they put in, always trying to chase behind them."

Archer brought the house down with a barnstorming third-round TKO win in his last outing against the fiery Sireli Navua and is counting down the days until his return to the ring on Friday night.

" I'm excited for every fight that Isaac lines me up. I'm always excited, and you know I just want to fight."

Peach is also heavily invoiced in the local amateur scene and believes a wealth of untapped potential is just waiting to be discovered.

" There is great talent down here. It's just that no one has really known how to get it going," Peach explains.

He and his team aim to change that so that, in the future, it will become common to see athletes from the South Pacific nation competing in the sport's upper echelon.

Quest for Greatness takes place Friday, 23 June in Auckland. Tickets are available at Peach Boxing’s website.