Four Eastern Bay women will step outside their comfort zone and into the ring for Fight 4 Light, an all-female amateur boxing event being held in Northcote, Auckland tomorrow.

In total, there will be 62 females fighting in 31 bouts, all three, two-minutes rounds.

According to the organisers, Fight 4 Light is about much more than boxing - it’s a space for healing, unity, and transformation for many women impacted by gang life, trauma, and systemic injustice.

The four Kawerau women involved have been training hard and although they don’t want to be named, they are participating for themselves, family, friends and hoping to make themselves and others proud.

Fight 4 Light is driven by event organisers JP Te Rito, a senior member of Mongrel Mob Kawerau, and Matilda Kahotea, who has whakapapa to Te Reinga and Whaakirangi.

“This is about acknowledging the darkness that myself, my brothers, and my whānau have lived through in the Mongrel Mob,” said Te Rito.  “We’ve lost so many to suicide, addiction, prison. But there’s a light to fight for. This kaupapa is lifesaving - for me, for many of us. It gives structure and wellbeing.

“Mental health especially with the wāhine can’t be difficult, they see it all and go through a lot, so this for them is a space to acknowledge all that darkness they’ve been involved with. Training for this has given some of them a real sense of belonging. They’ve gone through a lot in this journey and getting in the ring and expressing themselves will be special.”

Te Rito said matching all 62 wāhine had been incredibly challenging, but that’s what events like this were all about.

“We are all super proud of these ladies for getting out there and giving it a go. To have 62 of them keen and eager to jump in the ring just shows what we’re trying to do is hopefully making a difference.”

The first Fight 4 Light event was held earlier this year and focused on tāne. This second event shifts the focus to wāhine, many of whom are partners, sisters, mothers, or daughters of gangsters.

“The last Fight 4 Light was loud in the sense of kotahitanga, loud in the sense of diversity, loud in the sense of kaupapa and fighting against addiction, suicide and bringing awareness.”

“It was highlighting mental health, suicide and addiction and the issues we face. Fighting for that light, we find ourselves in dark places sometimes and it’s always the same, some don’t make it out of the dark, so it’s about trying to create that light for everyone.”

Kahotea said it had been exciting to see so much interest in the event.
“It’s been overwhelming to get so many people wanting to give it a go. All the tribes and tribulations the wāhine go through is what made them jump on board.”

We have Nga Kete Wananga Solutions, a Māori-based residential support service and the idea came about through this, Kahotea said.

“We help our whānau going through recovery and the system and as part of that healing space we felt like it was something that would make a difference within that space and unify a lot of people especially within our gang groups. It’s been a beautiful journey and healed in a lot of spaces.”

She said it’s captured a lot more attention than they anticipated.

“I didn’t know if we wanted it to get out that much because in the current political environment, we’re not the most well-liked people. I just wanted to keep our people safe, but there's been support from all walks of life that have got involved.

It’s even empowered me more to trust, and I guess engage with people we wouldn’t usually engage with. It’s been cool.”

“It’s definitely grown more than what we expected but that is a beautiful thing for us.”

Kahotea said it was about healing and enjoying everyone.

Fight 4 Light will be livestreamed on the Fight for Life Facebook page on Saturday.