Benjamin Thomas Watt

For other uses, see Benjamin Watt (disambiguation).
Benjamin Thomas Watt
Born (1992-06-13) June 13, 1992
Greenhithe, New Zealand
Residence Sunnynook, New Zealand
Nationality New Zealander
Citizenship New Zealand
Occupation Boxing Judge, Audio Documentary Maker, Matchmaker, Boxrec Editor
Years active 2015–present
Organization New Zealand Professional Boxing Association,[1] World Boxing Federation,[2] Boxrec.com,[3] Pridenz.com
Known for First Openly Gay Boxing Judge
Home town North Shore City, New Zealand
Spouse(s) Skyler Parker Watt (Married 2015)
Website boxrec.com/person/728646

Benjamin Thomas Watt (born June 13, 1992, Greenhithe, New Zealand) is the world's first openly gay professional boxing judge.[4]

Watt started his career in boxing as an editor of Boxrec.com for New Zealand.[5] In April 2015, the Australian Boxrec editors forward Watt onto the New Zealand Professional Boxing Association after he expressed interests of becoming a referee and a judge. Watt spent four months training as a shadow judge and doing corporate boxing fights. In August 2015, Watt judged his first two professional fights of his career. It was on a small boxing promotion called Weekend Warriors II, promoted by Craig Thomson.[1] Watt was shortly recognized after as the worlds first openly gay professional boxing judge.[6][7]

Q12 The Tour

In 2012 Watt traveled the North Island of New Zealand for project called Q12 the tour where he did audio interviews with over 70 LGBT people. The aim of the project was to archive the information for future research on what it is like to live as a LGBT Person in 2012.[8][9][10][11][12] Watt got first noticed on YouTube with his documentary called Radio Documantary on NZ Gay Youth Abuse.[13] Pridenz.com approach him to do only twenty interviews, however due to the popularity of the concept they was decided to turn the project into a tour. The tour originally was to travel to fourteen cities and towns in ten regions. However Gisbourne, Tauranga and Taupo were cancelled due to lack of support in the local regions. Despite the cancelled dates, the tour itself concluded successfully.

Matchmaking

In March 2016, Royal Rampage announced on Facebook and Boxrec that Watt is one of there boxing matchmakers.[14]

Watt was also a matchmaker for the Asher Derbyshire vs Paane Haraki fight for the vacant NZPBA Cruiserweight title.[15] Originally the fight was scheduled for Derbyshire to fight Thomas Heads. Unfortunately Heads received a severe concussion, resulting in being pulled out only 7 days before the fight. Watt offered his services to find a replacement fight on six days notice, in which he did it in two.

BTW Promotions

In July 2016, Watt announced that he will be promoting his first boxing event called Fight 4 Charity.[16] The event will in a selection of up and coming boxers, including bouts like Nailini Helu vs Ange Davis for the New Zealand and Asia Pacific Title,[17] Zane McNab vs Nick Hikuroa,[18] Kendall Cooper vs Jonathan Taylor[19] and many more.

Health issues

Watt is semi blind in the right eye by birth. Even though he is fully capable to judge, his optometrist will not clear his to drive a car.

At the age of 15, Watt was diagnosed with Scheuermann's disease. Watt stated for years he has been through painful physiotherapy however to this day he still has back problems.

In October 2015, Watt was diagnosed with lymphoma at the age of 23.[20]

Personal life

Watt went to Westlake Boys High School However he left school at the age of 17 to pursue a career in Hospitality. Shortly after leaving school Watt came out as gay and received much support from family and friends.[21] Watt is the son of the singer-songwriter, Dr Allan Charles Watt.

LGBT advocacy

With his background in being with Pridenz.com with the Q12 Tour, Being a youth Worker at Aotearoa Rainbow Youth, Volunteering at the New Zealand Aids Foundation and being the World's first openly gay boxing judge, Watt is a strong advocate for LGBT Rights.

Watt has attended and spoken at multiple conferences in the Australasia talking about LGBT rights including 2011 Aucklands Kazam, 2012 Wellingtons Hui Putahi and 2016 Sydney Team Sydney Sports.[22]

Watt stated at the 2016 conference in Sydney that he believes in New Zealand Gay rights has completed its full equality in law changing. However he believes there is so much that can be done for transgender rights in New Zealand, including getting funding for the transgender community for public health in ways of surgery.

Professional boxing judge record

20 Bouts'[4]
Boxers Type Rd., Time Date Location Scorecard Title
New Zealand Lui Te'o vs New Zealand Crom Masina TKO 3, (4) 2016-09-10 New Zealand AMI Netball Centre, Auckland, New Zealand 20 - 18
Samoa Afa Tatupu vs Iraq Salam Hermez NC 4 2016-09-10 New Zealand AMI Netball Centre, Auckland, New Zealand Salam Hermez did a no show, NZPBA result is to a no contest
Iraq Sivan Hermez vs New Zealand Josh Tai UD 4 2016-09-10 New Zealand AMI Netball Centre, Auckland, New Zealand 36 - 40
New Zealand Shay Brock vs French Polynesia Jean Louis Albertini UD 4 2016-08-26 New Zealand ABA Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand 38 - 36
Tonga Junior Fa vs New Zealand Tussi Asafo KO 1, (4) 2:56 2016-08-26 New Zealand ABA Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand
New Zealand Adrian Taihia vs New Zealand Sefo Falekaono SD 5 2016-08-13 New Zealand Ellerslie Racecourse, Auckland, New Zealand 46 - 49
Tonga Panuve Helu vs New Zealand Sika Ulunga TKO 4, (4) 2:44 2016-08-13 New Zealand Ellerslie Racecourse, Auckland, New Zealand 30 - 26
New Zealand Mose Auimatagi Jnr vs New Zealand Gunnar Jackson UD 10 2016-07-01 New Zealand ASB Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand As Title Belt Supervisor for the vacant Universal Boxing Federation (UBF) Asia Pacific Middleweight title
United States Nydia Feliciano vs New Zealand Rebecca Jennings UD 8 2016-04-16 New Zealand The Trusts Arena, Auckland, New Zealand As Title Belt Supervisor for the vacant Universal Boxing Federation (UBF) International female featherweight title
SamoaAustralia Herman Ene Purcell vs New Zealand Thomas Heads MD 5 2016-04-16 New Zealand The Trusts Arena, Auckland, New Zealand 47 - 47
United States Mia St. John vs New Zealand Lisa Lewis TKO 4 (4), 1:37 2016-04-16 New Zealand The Trusts Arena, Auckland, New Zealand 30 - 26
New Zealand Adrian Taihia vs New Zealand Craig Turner SD 4 2016-04-02 New Zealand ABA Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand 40 - 36
New Zealand Anthony Taylor vs New Zealand Sone Vannathy UD 8 2016-04-02 New Zealand ABA Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand 78 - 73
TongaNew Zealand Panuve Helu vs New ZealandAustralia Jonathan Taylor KO 1 (4), 1:50 2016-04-02 New Zealand ABA Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand
New Zealand Shay Brock vs New Zealand Adam Manisy TKO 2 (4), 2:48 2016-04-02 New Zealand ABA Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand 10 - 9
New Zealand Gunnar Jackson vs New Zealand Matthew Tuakolo KO 1 (6), 2:48 2016-04-02 New Zealand ABA Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand
New Zealand Shay Brock vs SamoaNew Zealand Moses Ioelu RTD 2 (4), 3:00 2015-12-12 New Zealand North Shore Cosmopolitan Club, North Shore, Auckland 19 - 18
New Zealand Ricky Murphy vs New Zealand Ben Sisam TKO 9 (10), 2:59 2015-11-21 New Zealand North Shore Events Centre, North Shore, Auckland 80 – 72 New Zealand Professional Boxing Association (NZPBA) Light Middleweight Title
New Zealand Tonga Panuve Helu vs New Zealand Mose Auimatagai MD 4 (4), 3:00 2015-08-14 New Zealand North Shore Cosmopolitan Club, North Shore, Auckland 38 – 38
New Zealand Shay Brock vs Iraq Sivan Hermez TKO 1 (4), 2:22 2015-08-14 New Zealand North Shore Cosmopolitan Club, North Shore, Auckland

References

  1. 1 2 "Boxing judge event". BoxRec. 2015-08-14. Retrieved 2015-10-07.
  2. ↑ "WBF | World Boxing Federation". Worldboxingfederation.net. Retrieved 2015-10-07.
  3. ↑ "BoxRec Editors". Boxrec.com. Retrieved 2015-10-07.
  4. 1 2 "Benjamin Watt". BoxRec. Retrieved 2015-10-07.
  5. ↑ "Benji Watt - boxing". PrideNZ.com. 2015-05-09. Retrieved 2015-10-07.
  6. ↑ "Kiwi world's first openly-gay boxing judge". Gaynz.com. 2015-08-15. Retrieved 2015-10-07.
  7. ↑ "Another barrier knocked out in sport". Scoop.co.nz. 2015-11-18. Retrieved 2015-11-18.
  8. ↑ "Q12 The Tour". PrideNZ.com. Retrieved 2015-10-07.
  9. ↑ Taryn Utiger (2012-08-08). "Young asked to share their coming-out stories". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 2015-10-07.
  10. ↑ "Q12 The Tour Launched - RainbowYOUTH". Ry.org.nz. 2012-12-11. Retrieved 2015-10-07.
  11. ↑ "Q12 The Tour Goes Online | Scoop News". Scoop.co.nz. 2012-12-04. Retrieved 2015-10-07.
  12. ↑ "Queer youth sought to share their stories". Gaynz.com. 2012-03-30. Retrieved 2015-10-07.
  13. ↑ "Radio Documantary on NZ Gay Youth Abuse". YouTube. 2011-05-17. Retrieved 2015-10-07.
  14. ↑ "Promoter Lisa Lewis announces". Facebook. 2016-03-25. Retrieved 2016-03-26.
  15. ↑ "Asher Derbyshire vs Paane Haraki". Boxrec. 2016-04-29. Retrieved 2016-05-09.
  16. ↑ "Promoter BTW First Fight for Charity". Scoop. 2016-07-22. Retrieved 2016-08-27.
  17. ↑ "Women's title fight gets upgrade". Voxy. 2016-08-26. Retrieved 2016-08-27.
  18. ↑ "Less than a week to go till BTW Fight Night". Boxing News 24. 2016-09-17. Retrieved 2016-09-18.
  19. ↑ "The Evolution of The Cannon Kendall Cooper". Boxing News 24. 2016-08-27. Retrieved 2016-08-27.
  20. ↑ "Benjamin Thomas Watt on Twitter: "Found out yesterday that I have been Diagnosed with Cancer At this present time we don't know how bad it is we will find out next week"". Twitter.com. 2015-10-01. Retrieved 2015-10-07.
  21. ↑ "Benji Watt - Q12". PrideNZ.com. Retrieved 2015-10-07.
  22. ↑ "Change The Game – Combating Homophobia and Transphobia in Sport Conference". Team Sydney. Retrieved 2016-05-09.
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