Concerns are growing within the national women's boxing community at the quickly decreasing world rankings of many of our elite boxers.
A lack of sponsorship and promotion means they're losing out before even stepping foot in the ring.
"Promoters love to have [female fighters] but they can't afford them and it's not that they're expensive, they've just got no money to give, so we're screaming for help," says Anthony Warren, head trainer and owner of Kaikohe boxing gym, The Mill.
"They all had pretty high world rankings, but through lack of fights and just lack of promotion their world rankings are dropping without even fighting," says Warren.
One world-ranked female boxer says that some of the country's elite female boxers could be paid a mere $1,000 per fight- which, including the six months training time, works out to less then $10 a day.
"It's the love of the sport, I know some of us want to do it as a living but we can't. We have to be working as well as looking after our family," says Patricia Vaka, who is currently ranked #20 in New Zealand, having previously reached #9 nationwide.
The boxers say the uncertainty around scheduling of fights is also another huge issue facing the sport. Many of the country's elite only step into the ring once or twice a year.
"You don't know when the fights are going to be available. I could be waiting for six months before I get a fight and I've been training all year for it," says corporate boxer, Emma Maaka, who has been fortunate enough to train with some of the country's top female boxing talent in preparation for an upcoming bout in Wellington.
The problem has led to renewed calls to realise the potential of these women.
"Women fighters in general in New Zealand- they're good boxers. Technically, they're good, but they're just not getting the exposure they need," says Warren.
That's precisely what our female boxers are after- a little bit of support, they say, will go a long way in helping them take on the world.