The Ōtepoti Boxing Club’s Punch with Purpose Charity Fight Night event featured 18 separate three-round fights on Saturday, as the inner circle of the Dunedin Town Hall turned into a boxing ring.
Organiser Chase Reihana-Haley said it had been a "long journey" for all of the corporate fighters.
"The boxers had been through a 10-week training period; my job as a coach was to put them through all the skills, so they not only became better fighters, but also mentally strong and physically fit," he said.
Each round lasted about 90 seconds, and each fight was decided on a points basis .
Proceeds from the event will go towards Life Matters Suicide Prevention Trust.
"We chose this charity because everyone in the community has been affected by suicide in some way.
"All of the corporates were behind this choice as well.
"We wanted to create awareness and resilience so that the participants had the mana to tackle their next challenge."
It was a significant increase from last year’s inaugural Punch with Purpose event, which raised money for Dunedin’s Night Shelter Trust.
"We really want to create something that helps our community. We want it to get bigger."
Mr Reihana-Haley hoped the event would be held once or twice every year.
"We’ve done so much to make sure everything went right."
