Michael Kenny was introduced to boxing by his father Chris, who was one of the best boxing coaches in New Zealand. Kenny studied zoology at university in addition to making a living from scaffolding outside of term time. He had a natural talent for boxing and earned a spot on the national team for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. He fought in the heavyweight class but lost to Dodovic Owiny after the referee stopped the contest. Kenny continued to box, winning a title in Ireland, before winning gold in the super heavyweight final of the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland. During his brief boxing career he won six New Zealand titles and three Oceania titles before retiring at the age of 25.
New Zealand