DJ Winner Mick, aka Mick Whitty, is known to community members for his sets at URGE parties, but recently he swapped the decks for boxing gloves. He tells YOUR EX about his physical and mental journey to stepping in the squared circle.
When Wellington’s DJ Winner Mick — known off the decks as Mick Whitty — stepped into the boxing ring at Clash of the Codes 5, the nerves were as real as the gloves on his hands. Thirteen weeks of 4 a.m. alarms, meal prep, and sparring had built to this moment — and by the end of fight night, his hand was raised.
“All the hard training paid off. The fight was tough and an experience I won’t forget for a long time,” Mick tells us.
For the uninitiated, Clash of the Codes is Wellington Boxing Gym’s annual showdown between two sites — Lower Hutt and Kilbirnie. Each year, dozens complete a 13-week camp, and only a few are matched to fight. “There were 75 people at each camp this year,” Mick explains. “Only about 15 or 16 people got a fight.”
Originally paired with a fighter of similar weight, Mick’s opponent pulled out early on. “My new opponent was 80 kilograms, so I spent the next few weeks dropping all the weight.” He worked with a nutritionist on precise meal plans and even installed a sauna at home. “It was all about eating good carbs, electrolytes — getting ready for the fight.”
The mental preparation was just as gruelling. “Once I found out I had to fight, it started to get real,” he says. “The nerves would come in waves. The coaches were really good — reminding you of all the positive stuff, that they had faith in you.”
The nerves felt familiar. “It was a bit like DJing — I get very nervous leading up to a gig, but once I start, I love it. It was similar with the fight, except someone’s actually trying to take you out,” he laughs.
Mick’s walkout was planned to the last beat. “I picked my track — Rehab’s version of ‘Right Here, Right Now.’ I’d been listening to it for weeks, visualising the walkout.” Seeing friends, his husband Alan, and mates who’d flown from Australia gave him confidence. “It helped me relax and enjoy it.”
Once the bell rang, instinct took over. “I absolutely loved it,” Mick says. “I didn’t see the crowd — just heard them. You’d hear them lift when you landed a good punch, and when he got one in too. One hit me straight on the nose — it cut the inside of my mouth — but it made me focus more. You think, don’t let that happen again.”
Three two-minute rounds later, lungs burning, he got his win. “When my hand was raised, that was an unbelievable experience,” he says. “The camaraderie through the camp was amazing too. We all went through highs and lows together, and everyone looked out for each other.”
The community extended beyond the gym. “Alan put up with my early alarms, the meal prep, and me talking about training non-stop. I didn’t drink for the whole camp. Having someone ride the lifestyle change with you makes a big difference.”
The payoff was huge — 10 kilograms lost, better fitness, and a clearer head. “Even if I don’t fight again, I’ll do the camp. The health benefits alone are incredible,” Mick says. He’s currently resting a sore wrist — “I had an X-ray today, I don’t think it’s broken” — and letting himself enjoy pizza and chocolate again.
Asked what he’s learnt, he doesn’t hesitate. “I think you can push yourself further than you think you can,” he says. “Having positive people around you helps you focus and quiet that negative self-talk. There’s definitely fear — someone’s trying to knock you out — but the ability to put that aside and focus on the positives is what gets you through.”
From club decks to boxing gloves, Mick’s journey is a reminder that bravery doesn’t always look loud — sometimes it’s a 4 a.m. alarm, a pounding heart, and a quiet voice saying: I can do this.
