Downunder wrap-up: Luke Jackson targets Oscar Valdez, Punches at the Park III, Czar Amonsot the quiet achiever, Peter Fury banned from NZ, Clint Alderton-Mitch Clark rematch

Leading Australian trainer Billy Hussein is confident his undefeated featherweight charge Luke "Action" Jackson 14-0 (6) will be ready for a world title shot by the end of the year after scoring his 14^th straight professional win with a seventh round stoppage of Tanzanian Mohammed Kamburuta 13-2 (3) at the Town Hall in Hobart, Tasmania on Saturday night.

"I would love to see him win a world title, he deserves a shot," said Hussein after the fight.

"The kid has accomplished everything as an amateur. Our job is to bring the best fight to Luke Jackson and right now the best fight for Luke Jackson is [WBO featherweight champion] Oscar Valdez. That’s all we see, we’re chasing the number one.

"There is no other name for us, we want Valdez."

Valdez stormed the world stage with a fourth round TKO of popular former IBF featherweight champion Evgeny Gradovich on the undercard of Manny Pacquiao vs Timothy Bradley III at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV in April last year. Valdez dominated the fight and busted up Gradovich’s face, leaving his right eye swollen and the bridge of his nose bleeding by the fourth round when the normally durable former champion found himself on the canvas and referee Russell Mora waving off the fight after the count of five.

Gradovich, affectionately known as the "Russian Mexican" for his aggressive fighting style, won the IBF title with a split decision win over Sydney’s Billy "The Kid" Dib in 2013. He lost the title in his fifth defence against Welshman Lee Selby by technical decision after a clash of heads brought the contest to a premature end in the eighth round.

Since the Gradovich victory Valdez has more than lived up to his hard-hitting reputation, winning the vacant WBO world featherweight title against then-unbeaten Argentinean Matias Rueda – 26-0 (23) at the time – by TKO2 on the undercard of the Terrence Crawford vs Viktor Postol 140-pound unification bout at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV last July.

The Pacquiao vs Jesse Vargas fight last November saw Valdez dominate Japanese challenger Hiroshige Osawa on the undercard to successfully defend his title by TKO7 at the Thomas & Mack Centre in Las Vegas, NV.

Next up for Valdez is Colombian banger and WBO mandatory contender Miguel Marriaga 25-1 (21) at the StubHub Centre in Carson, California on 22nd April on a Top Rank promoted world title triple header.

A fight against Valdez 21-0 (19) would be a massive step up in class for Jackson.

The Mexican powerhouse has a spectacular knockout ratio of over 90% and superlative left hook can that can do damage to his opponents’ bodies and heads.

Hussein is an astute student of the game and if he says that the 32-year-old Tasmanian can match it with Valdez, only a fool would dismiss his opinion.

Meanwhile one interested observer of Jackson’s fight on the weekend was Sydney’s WBA #11 featherweight Joel Brunker 31-2 (18). Fresh off a second round TKO of Indonesian journeyman Jason Butar Butar 24-22-1 (15) on the undercard of Zac Dunn vs David Brophy at the Melbourne Pavilion on Friday night, Team Brunker have called out fellow Olympian Jackson.

“It could possibly be [Brunker as his next opponent],” said Jackson. “I would be willing to fight anyone. But we want Valdez, that’s who I want and am aiming for.”

Brunker’s only two losses have come against reigning IBF featherweight champion Lee Selby and unbeaten WBC and IBF #3 Josh Warrington.

The former amateur rivals would make for a terrific preliminary final before the winner – hopefully – goes on to challenge Valdez for world honours before the year’s end.

HOSKING PROMOTIONS STARS SHINE AT PUNCHES AT THE PARK III

ANBHOF Fighter of the Year Jayde Mitchell 12-1 (6) scored a TKO4 over seasoned campaigner Les "Lock & Load" Sherrington 35-10 (19) to claim the interim WBA Oceania super middleweight title at Hosking Promotions Punches at the Park III at Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Victoria on Saturday night.

Fighting in front of a large parochial crowd of "J-Mitch" supporters, the popular Mornington Peninsula puncher took a round to size up his Queensland opponent, but after that it was all one-way traffic. The 31 year-old, who only turned pro two-and-a-half years ago, piled on the pressure as the rounds progressed, landing heavy blows to the body and head of the 15-year veteran.

When the 34-year-old Sherrington hit the canvas early in the fourth the writing was on the wall. A follow up barrage forced his corner to hurl in the towel.

Mitchell, who describes himself as "just a fat concreter", weighed 130kg (286lb) as recently as five years ago. Think about it. That’s a bantamweight and change above his current fighting weight of 76.2kg (168lb).

For Sherrington, who has now lost four of his last six bouts by TKO, it might be time to consider hanging up the gloves and moving into another role in boxing like training the new generation of fighters coming through. In his 45 fight professional career Sherrington has ducked no-one, never dogged it in a fight, and has always gone out on his shield. It would be a shame to see this proud servant of the game become a punching bag for up-and-coming prospects.

The Balla brothers were both successful in their respective bouts, with featherweight Ibrahim 11-1 (7) scoring a hard-fought 10 round decision over tough and durable Filipino Vergil Puton 16-8 (8), while Qamil 11-0-1 (5) destroyed Colombian Rodolfo Puente 18-3-2 (14) by first round KO to claim the interim WBA Oceania lightweight title.

The Lim Jeka-trained fighters were both impressive in their own ways despite very different performances against very different opponents. Puton definitely lived up to his nickname "Strong Man".

Bantamweight Sylvia Scharper 6-1-2 (1) and Kori Farr 2-3-2 fought to an entertaining majority draw for the vacant WIBA 118-pound title. Both corners were disappointed with the result and could lay claim to victory in what was a contrasting clash of styles.

Farr was the busier of the two in the first half of the fight, backing up the harder punching Scharper. The Melbournian stood her ground more in the second half of the fight, landing big shots in ones and twos.

After the 10 two minute rounds were complete, two of the judges had the fight even at 95-95, while the third judge had Scharper a runaway winner 97-93.