Michael Herangi-Helg (Ngāpuhi, Waikato-Tainui) has won the vacant New Zealand light heavyweight title, defeating veteran Joshua Tai in Tāmaki Makaurau on Friday, to become the first PBCNZ champion in the weight class for four years.
Herangi-Helg, 29, won the fight by TKO in the fourth round in the main event at Alexandra Park.
The fighters began the first round by feeling each other out, before Tai, 37, started holding and hitting Herangi-Helg behind the head, trying to rough him up. But he did not fall for the tactics and kept composed, boxing writer Benjamin Watt said Saturday.
Tai continued the same way in the second round, landing several clean shots but Herangi-Helg began to get into the fight and landed a couple of combinations himself. His corner was unhappy with the referee as Tai continued to punch him in the back of the head and hold excessively.
Round three saw more of the same from Tai but Herangi-Helg was now in a rhythm and began out-boxing Tai, landing effective clean combinations.
In round four, Herangi-Helg turned it up another level, knocking Tai down twice, with the veteran fighter and his corner protesting that the first knockdown was a slip. He then knocked Tai down a third time, leading the referee to wave off the fight.
Herangi-Helg remains undefeated since making his debut in 2022, winning three of his five fights by stoppage.