New Zealand Volunteer Boxing Records Keeper Calls It Quits After 10 Years Of Service

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's 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.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

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.

© Scoop Media