Monty Betham
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| Full name | La’auli Montgomery Junior Betham[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 12 March 1978 Auckland,New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Height | 183 cm (6 ft 0 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 94 kg (14 st 11 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Hooker,Second-row,Lock | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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La’auli Montgomery Junior "Monty" Betham(born 12 March 1978) is a professionalboxer,and former professionalrugby leaguefootballer. A New Zealand international representativehookerandlock,he played club football for theNew Zealand Warriorsin theNational Rugby League,and for theWakefield Trinity Wildcats(captain) (Heritage № 1234) in theSuper League.
Background[edit]
Betham was born inAuckland,New Zealand on 12 March 1978. His father, Samoan-bornMonty Betham Sr.,had 53 professional fights as amiddleweightorlight heavyweightfrom 1973-1982.
Rugby league career[edit]
Betham was aBay Roskill Vikingsjunior, he was selected to play for Samoa at the2000 World Cup.[3]Betham went on to change his international allegiance and representNew Zealandin eight tests His position of choice was atlockbut he also played athookerandsecond-row.[4]On the field Betham was known for his aggressive style of play. He was once voted the player that the opposition players least want to pick a fight with in an NRL players' poll.
Betham missed New Zealand's first ever finals appearance during the2001 NRL seasonand the2002 NRL Grand Finaldue to injury. Betham's final game for the club was a 22-20 victory over Manly atBrookvale Ovalin round 25 of the2005 NRL season.Betham spent one year in England withWakefield Trinityduring the2006 Super League season.[5]
Highlights[edit]
- Junior Club:Papatoetoe & Bay Roskill
- First Grade Debut:Round 1, Auckland v Sydney City at Aussie Stadium, 8 March 1999
- Career Stats:101 career games to date scoring 10 tries
- Professional Boxing Debut:On 31 March 2006 Monty defeated Vai Toevai via sixth round KO in Apia, Samoa.
- Professional Boxing Record- 5-0-0
Boxing career[edit]
In December 2006, Betham announced his retirement fromrugby leaguein order to pursue a career inboxing.Betham will start out in thecruiserweightdivision and hopes to work his way down tolight heavyweight.
His first fight took place in Samoa on 31 March 2007. He defeated 15 fight veteran Vai Toevai in the sixth round.[6]
In 2013, an episode ofThe X Factor (New Zealand series 1)was filmed atBoxing Alleygym featuring Monty Betham and contestantWhenua Patuwai.
As well as being a professional boxer, he also trainedDaniella Smithwho went on to become IBF World Champion.[7]
Professional boxing record[edit]
Title[edit]
Regional/International Titles:
- NZNBFCruiserweightChampion(197 lbs)
- SamoaCruiserweightChampion(196 lbs)
Television[edit]
Betham was runner-up on Season 4 ofNew Zealand Dancing With The Starsin 2008. Betham is trained by Danny Codling and managed byMick Watson. In 2007 Betham competed in New Zealand reality showTreasure Island:Pirates of the Pacific.[8]In March 2008 he competed onNew Zealand Celebrity Joker Poker,he made it to the final three on the final episode before being eliminated (Shortland Street actor Craig Parker was the overall winner).
Dancing with the Stars(New Zealand, Season 4)[edit]
In December 2007 it was announced that Betham would compete in season 4 ofDancing with the Starswhich started in February 2008.[9][10]On January 28, 2008 it was revealed onThe Edge (radio station)that Betham's professional dance partner would be Nerida Jantti (girlfriend ofShane Cortese). On April 15, 2008 he was named runner-up (Temepara Georgebeing the overall winner).
Filmography[edit]
- Treasure Island: Pirates of the Pacific(2007)
- Dancing With The Stars(Season 4, 2008)
- Celebrity Joker Poker(16–30 March 2008)
The Shopping Channel[edit]
In October 2012 Betham became one of the inaugural TV presenters onThe Shopping Channel (New Zealand),New Zealand'sfirst and onlyhome shopping channel.[11]
Monty Betham's Steps for Life Foundation[edit]
With his sister Chante Betham-Spencer (CEO) he foundedMonty Betham's Steps for Life Foundationin 2010 to "Help NZ youth and families in the fight against childhood obesity in NZ".[12]
Personal life[edit]
After returning home from competing on Treasure Island, Betham and his wife Jaymie celebrated the birth of their first child, a son.[13]Betham's wife is currently expecting their second child.
References[edit]
- ^[1]Archived2 April 2012 at theWayback Machine
- ^"Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org".rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017.Retrieved1 January2018.
- ^"Auckland Rugby League - Home".Archived fromthe originalon 23 May 2010.
- ^"Warriors profile: Monty Betham".Television New Zealand.24 March 2005.Retrieved26 October2011.
- ^"Don't play it again, Daniel".www.stuff.co.nz.3 October 2009.
- ^[2]Archived28 September 2007 at theWayback Machine
- ^"'I broke down in tears': Daniella Smith stunned by her induction to Women's Boxing Hall of Fame ".Stuff NZ. 10 February 2023.Retrieved18 December2023.
- ^"Treasure Island: Pirates of the Pacific".Television New Zealand.Archived fromthe originalon 16 May 2011.Retrieved26 October2011.
- ^"2008 celebs announced..."Television New Zealand.Retrieved26 October2011.
- ^"NZ celebs set aside fears in the name of dance".The New Zealand Herald.NZPA.16 December 2007.Retrieved26 October2011.
- ^"Shopping for new channel hosts - National - NZ Herald News".Nzherald.co.nz.Retrieved16 October2015.
- ^"Monty Betham's Steps for Life Foundation".Stepsforlife.co.nz.Retrieved26 October2014.
- ^"Monty Betham".Television New Zealand.Archived fromthe originalon 16 May 2011.Retrieved26 October2011.
Further reading[edit]
- Matheson, John (2008).Monty Betham: baring my soul.Australia: HarperCollins.ISBN978-1-86950-736-7.
External links[edit]
- Monty Betham Official Player Profile
- Monty Betham NRL Player Profile
- Boxing record for Monty BethamfromBoxRec(registration required)
- Monty Betham Official Website
- Monty Betham's Steps for Life Foundation
- Boxing Alley Website
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
- 1978 births
- Living people
- Bay Roskill Vikings players
- Boxers from Auckland
- Fighters trained by Lolo Heimuli
- Junior Kiwis players
- New Zealand male boxers
- New Zealand national rugby league team players
- New Zealand sportspeople of Samoan descent
- New Zealand professional boxing champions
- New Zealand rugby league players
- New Zealand Warriors captains
- New Zealand Warriors players
- People educated at Marcellin College, Auckland
- Point Chevalier Pirates players
- Rugby league hookers
- Rugby league locks
- Rugby league players from Auckland
- Rugby league second-rows
- Samoa national rugby league team players
- Samoan rugby league players
- Wakefield Trinity captains
- Wakefield Trinity players