Former Wanganui mayor Michael Laws feared he would be seriously injured in his boxing bout with Maori activist Ken Mair but is now talking up a rematch.
The Christchurch earthquake charity fundraising fight was declared a draw in Wanganui on Saturday night, despite many picking Mr Mair to easily win.
Mr Laws on Sunday said he was enormously relieved he was still alive after predicting himself he would be in a hospital bed after the fight.
"It was a surreal and extraordinarily violent experience. At 54 years of age I don't know if I am keen on needing these new experiences," he told NZ Newswire.
He estimated he was hit in the nose in the first 20 seconds and gushed blood for the rest of the fight. Despite that, he was keen for a rematch.
The fight was a cathartic experience, Mr Laws said.
"I think Ken and I ended up liking each other ... we started off from a position where we disliked each other, not just politically but personally as well.
"You see the qualities in yourself mirrored in the person you are fighting."
He had tried to box and score points, rather than hit Mr Mair hard and hurt him.
Mr Laws said a draw was a fair result, however, there would have been more expectation on Mr Mair's shoulders to knock him out.
Mr Laws, a talkback host for RadioLive, has been off air since he suggested on air some journalists should be shot.
He said the situation "would come out in the fullness of time" and in the meantime anyone offended by the comments should "look up tongue-in-cheek in the dictionary".
NZN