Latest news with #BillyMeehan
RNZ News
6 days ago
- Sport
- RNZ News
Wanted: 'Convicted criminals' for Hooker's next backyard brawl
Dan Hooker Photo: facebook UFC fighter Dan Hooker is taking his controversial backyard brawls to another level, this time inviting 32 convicted criminals to battle it out for a $50,000 prize. The UFC lightweight courted controversy in May when he hosted his inaugural 32-man, one-minute fist fight tournament in Auckland, dubbed "king of the streets". It saw a senior Mongrel Mob member referred to police, as he was wearing an ankle bracelet. The event prompted New Zealand's Boxing Coaches Association president Billy Meehan to call the event "straight-out thuggery". Following the backlash, Hooker went on the on-line combat sport programme the Ariel Helwani Show , and vowed to host more events. "There's a few lefties having a sulk, but once everyone watches the full 45 minutes and sees the respect for the fighters, since when did putting gloves on in the backyard and having a punch up become illegal?" he said. "Since when is that a crime?" Hooker claims the events, where fighters take part in a boxing-style fight, and wear MMA gloves, are run by some of the most experienced combat sports people in the country. A month ago the 35-year-old held an event for women to fight it out for $50,000. Dan Hooker hosted 32 men in a 'one minute scrap' tournament for a $50,000 cash prize in May. Photo: youtube In a social media post, Hooker said his next event would take place in seven weeks in Christchurch and would be livestreamed. Hooker said the event was for "convicts only" and will be capped with a 100kg weight limit. The caption reads: "This one's for the lads the system failed." The video on Instagram has received more than 24,000 likes. People are encouraged to contact Hooker with their details if they are interested. A dedicated Instagram page showing clips of past backyard scraps was created a week ago and has more than 54,000 followers, leaving Hooker feeling "pumped" and "excited for the future." The prize money is funded by a social media influencer, known as 'The Doctor', who shares streaming and gambling videos.
RNZ News
24-05-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
'King of the Streets' fighting competition attracts police attention
New Zealand MMA fighter Dan 'Hangman' Hooker is promoter of 'King of the Streets'. Photo: PHOTOSPORT Police are trying to speak with the organisers of an amateur fighting competition expected to take place in Auckland on Saturday. The 'King of the Streets' tournament is promoted by professional mixed martial arts fighter Dan 'Hangman' Hooker, with 32 amateur fighters competing for $50,000. The event is also apparently linked to a social media influencer and links to an online gambling site. Police said they were aware of the event and were assessing what was being planned against legislation. "Police will look at any options available to us should an event proceed that has the potential to put public safety at risk or that would be operating in breach of any law," a spokesperson said. "It's worth reminding people that organising events comes with certain responsibilities and requirements under law. These requirements are in place for good reason." The event has been described as "straight-out thuggery" by the New Zealand's Boxing Coaches Association president Billy Meehan, who told Checkpoint it should not be classified as boxing. "What you've got there is just thugs getting in there and they're just, like, absolutely smashing each other, and we're going to see somebody get seriously hurt, if not killed." Hooker and the account linked to the fight have been approached for comment. Promotions for the fight said it was being presented by 'TheDoctor', an online streaming, gambling and giveaway service. When approached by RNZ, The Doctor declined to comment. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
20-05-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
President of NZ's Boxing Coaches Association calls out Dan Hooker's fighting event
The president of New Zealand's Boxing Coaches Association has called an event where 32 amateur fighters box each other to try and win $50,000 "straight-out thuggery." The tournament, called "king of the streets", is being promoted by professional mixed martial arts fighter Dan "Hangman" Hooker and was endorsed by UFC fighter Israel Adesanya. The event is being promoted as having no professionals and no weight limits, with competitors taking part in one minute "scraps" wearing MMA gloves. Association president Billy Meehan told Checkpoint it's not boxing, as it's being billed as, and fears someone could be seriously hurt. The tournament appears to be linked to a social media influencer and links to an online gambling site. On May 14th, Hooker posted a video to social media with MMA fighter and former UFC middle weight champion Israel Adesanya endorsing the event and encouraging people to bring the whanau. "Bring the family, bring the whanau, bring everyone, come watch, you'll get knocked out or knock someone the f*** out," Adesanya said. In another video posted on the 17th of May, Hooker said too many fighters had registered, "so if everyone wants to drop their nuts that would be f****** great, hit me up." President of the NZ Boxing Coaches Association Billy Meehan told Checkpoint the event is a street scrap and should not be classified as boxing. "The rules are a lot different, for starters we don't do one-minute rounds. You're saying to the guy in the corner get out and start smashing the other guy as best you can. Boxing is an art form; it's a sport and this is straight-out thuggery." In professional Olympic-style boxing, athletes use 10- or 12-ounce gloves, "nobody wears four-ounce MMA gloves," he said. "What you've got there is just thugs getting in there and going out and they're just like absolutely smashing each other and we're going to see somebody get seriously hurt, if not killed." President of the NZ Boxing Coaches Association Billy Meehan. Photo: Supplied/ NZ Boxing To promote a boxing tournament, organisers must have a police permit, he said. "It's got to be sanctioned by a sanctioning body. They're not even advertising where they're holding this so the police obviously don't even know." He said there is a list of regulations on the Boxing and Wrestling Act. "Other rules and regulations [are] around weights, weigh ins, full medicals, blood tests and it just goes on and on. "People who can hold boxing tournaments are actually listed on the Wrestling and Boxing Act. Dan Hooker's not on the Wrestling and Boxing Act." The implications of the fight having no weight restrictions is that someone could be seriously hurt, he said. "[If] you've got a 70kg boxer or fighter getting in and fighting a 120kg fighter. You've got a little bit of difference here. Somebody's going to get hurt. "They're actually saying to both sides to go just go out there and smash." In a sanctioned Olympic style boxing tournament, every fighter must have a full medical check beforehand and there are doctors on site, he said. "We have a registration book; everything is recorded in there. Your weight, your record, your experience, so when you're matching, you're matching against similar experience, we have weight divisions." He said he has been seeing similar fights pop up around New Zealand. "There's a lot of it starting to happen. Other ones that I know are involved, it's quick buck for them. We've got one setting up at the moment, it's called Semi-pro. There's no such thing. "It's just barbaric, the biggest issue is the people getting in the ring half the time aren't conditioned enough to be there, they aren't matched correctly." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
