A record 210 entries will compete in this year's Boxing New Zealand national championships in Lower Hutt, the most in the 109-history of the event, and will go some way to national selection and the Olympics.
Results from the nationals, which run from Wednesday to Saturday, will influence the rankings for the next 12 months.
Lower Hutt's Joseph Blackbourn from the Bellevue Boxing club, will wear the favourite's mantle in the senior middleweight division.
Blackbourn, who has just returned from the world championships in Azerbaijan, will endeavour to win a title to book a berth at March's Oceania Boxing championships. There is extra urgency at next year's Oceania tournament to be held in Canberra, with the gold medal-winners booking berths for the London Olympics.
Blackbourn's stiffest competition is likely to come from Sam McArthur (Canterbury), Sloan Auckram (Nelson) and Auckland's Josh Bowman.
Few weight divisions provide more excitement and glamour than the heavyweight class. Boxers such as Jimmy Peau, David Tua, Garth da Silva and Shane Cameron have had their names engraved on the Dewar Shield in recent decades.
A new heavyweight champion will be crowned, after last year's titleholder David Aloua-Rogers turned professional.
Tino Honey and David Light from Auckland have been in good form this year, however the surprise package could be veteran Kahukura Bentson.
The two-time Commonwealth Games representative has made the jump up to the heavyweight division for the first time, and will be seeking his fourth New Zealand crown
Current light heavyweight champion Reece Papuni (Canterbury) can expect a big challenge from Sam Rapira, who is returning to the ring after time on the sideline with a hand injury.
The Taranaki boxer, who won international bouts in Australia and New Caledonia earlier this year, will be right in the mix for the national crown, along with former top juniors Tyson Whalley (Waikato) and Tyson Sykes (Central North Island).
Bowyn Morgan (Canterbury), who annexed the welterweight title for the first time at last year's nationals in Christchurch, heads a large field of 11 in the class.
Former top-class junior boxer Harry Scaife (Wellington/Hutt Valley) will be chasing the light welterweight title, with the most likely opposition to come from Todd Commons (Canterbury), Carl Dickey (Nelson) and veteran Ramil Dean (Central Auckland).
Four-time lightweight champion Angus Donaldson (Manawatu) will have no easy time in his quest to win five successive titles. Standing in Donaldson's way is North Beauchamp (Canterbury) and the Central Auckland pair of Dayne Williams and Chad Milne.
Unless a heavyweight contender fails to make the weight, super heavyweight Joseph Parker will win the heaviest weight division unopposed.
There will be huge interest in the women's lightweight division. While there are just two entries, Eske Dost and Alexis Pritchard will resume a long-time rivalry. The two women pugilists will not only battle for the national title, but also for the Oceania berth next year, which could ultimately lead to a place at the Olympics.
Multiple women's champion Dawn Chalmers, who is making a return this year with an Olympic berth on her agenda, will face Alina Ogg and Cheyenne Whaanga who will both represent Auckland.
Young Taranaki junior Thea Awhitu will be another to attract plenty of attention, after she came from nowhere to win a silver medal at this year's junior world championships.
