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With crippling pain in her right shoulder from a dislocation, world champion boxer Mea Motu only had one fear during the first defence of her IBO super bantamweight world championship on Saturday night – losing.
In a courageous display of toughness and determination, the undefeated Motu (17-0, 6 KOs) fought on after suffering the injury in the opening minute of her ten round unanimous decision victory over Malawi’s Ellen Simwaka to defend her IBO belt at Eventfinda Stadium in Auckland.
Given it was in her right shoulder – that controls her most dominant and powerful weapon – Motu looked up the proverbial creek without a paddle. But her unbreakable attitude and that of her corner, headed up by trainer Isaac Peach, got her through to a gritty victory.
A domestic violence survivor and mother-of-five who took a long break from the sport after her amateur days before returning to the pro ranks in 2020, Motu has long been known as an inspirational figure in the boxing world and to an ever-growing fan base. Battling through adversity in the ring against Simwaka is yet another display of her courage.
“That belt was way more important, I didn’t care if it [arm] fell off,” Motu quipped when reflecting on Monday afternoon.
Andrew Cornaga/Photosport
Mea Motu scored a unanimous decision victory over 10 rounds despite dislocating her right shoulder in the first round.
“I just wanted to win and that was the main focus, so I just pushed through it and just had to hack the pain,” she said.
Motu, 33, had not suffered any previous niggles or injuries in her right shoulder and said “it just popped”.
In news just as notable as that win on Saturday night, Motu will avoid surgery and on Monday morning was assured by her physio that her recovery will allow her to get back to full training in time to fight again before the end of the year.
But before the focus shifts to where and against who that will be, it’s worth hearing her incredible tale of how she got through the fight against Simwaka.
The injury occurred when Motu threw her right hand only for it to clash with Simwaka’s glove.
Motu instantly knew she was in trouble when she went to pull the hand back to her guard, but her right arm didn’t respond.
“It was just dangling down and I was trying to flick it back in [to place in the socket].”
Peach was doing his best to massage the shoulder back in between rounds and although it helped, it wasn’t immediate.
Andrew Cornaga/Photosport
Mea Motu was all smiles on Monday when recounting her incredible display of toughness.
“It kind of popped back in a little bit but not fully,” Motu said. “It just felt weak.”
At the time, Motu’s biggest concern – even more so than losing and the pain – was reassuring Peach and everyone else that she was fine to fight on.
Around the fourth round, Motu felt the joint was fully back into the socket with full coordination and cooperation of her arm again, but there was one downside.
“It hurt, it still really hurt, but I just had to push through the pain,” Motu said on Monday.
“I’m always known on being relentless and being tough and strong because I’m so stubborn, and I won’t give up,” she said. “It’s just the attitude I have in me.
“I’ve always got that fight in me that I just want to keep going and this is what makes me happy and it’s what I enjoy.”
The Northland-born West Aucklander who fights under the moniker of “The Nightmea” isn’t fussed on who she fights next, but she is hunting the other champions in the super bantamweight division of Ellie Scotney (IBF), Yamileth Mercado (WBC), Debora Anahi Dionicius (WBO) and Mayerlin Rivas (WBA).
“Our No 1 goal is to chase all the belts, we want all of them,” Motu said.
But she also wants her next fight to be in New Zealand.
“I definitely want to make a name for myself here because the more support I have back here the better and bigger it makes it for me to go overseas.”
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