This is an accepted version of this page Dean Robert Lonergan[3] MNZM is a former New Zealand boxing promoter and rugby league player.

With Duco founder David Higgins, Lonergan had success promoting world champion boxers Joseph Parker and Jeff Horn.

He played for the Glenora Bears and City Newton Dragons in the Auckland Rugby League competition and the Canberra Raiders in the NSWRL Premiership.

[10] In a Test match against Australia in Melbourne in 1991, Lonergan clashed famously with Kangaroo forward Steve Roach and had to be carried from the field.

[13] Shane Cameron was originally scheduled to take on former IBF World Cruiserweight champion Kelvin Davis who was dubbed "Little Tyson".

[21] Even though Ahunanya had stopped Cameron in the past, it was a hard job for Lonergan to sell out the event, with New Zealand at the time in 2010 was considered a "soft Market" for commercial professional boxing.

Many fights were in the talks including Sonny Bill Williams vs Jonah Lomu, Lonergan himself against "Truth Sports Hack" writer John Matheson.

[26][27][28] The event would be headlined by Shane Cameron vs Monty Betham in a grudge match after the two fought each other in a bar a few years prior to the fight.

In November 2013, in David Tua retirement fight against Aleksandr Ustinov with Wladimir Klitschko's promoter Alexander Krasyuk watching in the crowd.

[39] In 2013, Duco offered Sonny Bill Williams one millian dollar purse to take on Joseph Parker for his New Zealand title.

[46] Discussions and negotiations began after Fury was expected to be stripped of his WBO title over inactivity and testing positive for cocaine.

[55] In May 2017, the co owners of Duco Events, Lonergan and David Higgins, officially began the complicated process of ending their partnership.

[59][60] In 2019 and 2020, Lonergan would sign a full roster of boxers in Australia including Isaac Hardman, Jai Opetaia, Justis Huni, Brock Jarvis, Jayde Mitchell and Campbell Somerville.

[68] In 2022, Lonergan would sign multiple boxers from Peach Boxing including Jerome Pampellone, Andrei Mikhailovich, Mea Motu and Zain Adams.

In April 2023, Lonergan will have his first female main event with Mea Moto to fight for the IBO World Super Bantamweight title.

[79] Following the resignation of Robert Muldoon, Lonergan stood in the 1992 Tamaki by-election for a seat in the 43rd New Zealand Parliament, as a stunt for Radio Hauraki.

On 23 February 2024, the New Zealand Herald reported that Lonergan's D & L Events had suffered multi-million dollar losses and his financial backers had pulled rank at short notice.

[85] Lonergan sued Jai Opetaia for AU$1.6 million in lost revenue in 2024 after the Aussie boxer terminated his contract with the Kiwi promoter.

The case was dismissed in the Queensland High Court on October 11 2024 enabling Opetaia to now sue Lonergan for up to AU$1 million in costs and damages.

[87] In the 2012 Queen's Birthday and Diamond Jubilee Honours, Lonergan was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to sport and philanthropy.