Ryley's rumble

Tim ‘The Rock’ Ryley is sporting a black eye and a sore head, having entered the boxing ring last Saturday to take part in Fight for Christchurch, a corporate boxing/fundraising event.

Tim, a director of Greentree partner Endeavour, was one of 16 amateur boxers who fought to raise funds for local youth charities, junior sport organisations and victims seriously injured in the February 22nd earthquake. Through sponsorship, they collectively raised more than $83,000. Tim’s personal charity choice, Koru Care, received nearly $4000.

Entering the arena to the strains of Australian Crawl’s ‘The Boys Light Up’, Tim barely had time to put in his mouth guard when “it was all on”.

Tim’s opponent, Craig Stevens of Envirowaste, was seven years younger, was taller, and had a longer reach. After taking a few knocks, Tim was just starting to get some punches in, when he copped a fierce right to the head in the second round, and was defeated by TKO.

The fight was the culmination of months of hard training, and Tim says he has no regrets.

“I went in for a challenge and to raise money for a good cause,” he says. “It’s been an experience that I’m already looking back on and learned a lot from as well. I’m pleased I did it.”

However, Tim has decided to hang up the gloves.

“It was always going to be a one-off for me, and I don’t think that would have changed, win or lose. I am going to carry on doing some of the physical training. I very much enjoyed that, getting fitter and stronger. I’ve entered a reasonably tough mountain bike ride next March in central Otago, so I need to stay fit for that.”

Tim says he’d actually taken harder knocks during training, but the real-deal event was a bit more challenging, although he got off more lightly than one of the later contenders.

“One guy got completely floored – a massive guy too, in a big fight at the end. He got hit and his legs just gave way, and he slumped the ground. It’s a very brutal sport.”

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