Aussie boxing news
By Anthony Cocks
LUKE JACKSON VOWS TO CONTINUE ON
Luke ‘Action’ Jackson 16-1 (7) put up a brave stand against Belfast’s Carl ‘The Jackal’ Frampton at Windsor Park last weekend only to lose by TKO when his corner hurled in the towel early in the ninth frame.
Jackson was on the receiving end of some one-sided punishment, getting dropped in the eighth from a well-placed body shot from the former two-division world titleholder.
Frampton continued the punishment in the what was ultimately the final round, ramming home another devastating shot to the ribs before coming in over the top with a series of blows to the head. Coach Billy Hussein was quick to stop the fight before the inevitable happened.
“I wanted to finish the fight but I respect my coach and my team’s decision,” said the 33-year-old Jackson. “I’ll live to fight another day.”
Hobart’s Jackson mounted a challenge in the fourth and fifth rounds, but the skillful Ulsterman had his measure at every turn.
After the fight Jackson posted a portrait of his injuries, with his right eye swollen closed and various marks, swelling and bruises spread broadly across his face.
“You don’t play boxing!” Jackson observed in a social media post. “Two perforated ear drums – left ear in round 3, right ear in round 6 and then the body shot in round 8.”
JAYDE MITCHELL VS KERRY FOLEY CLASH HEATS UP
Tensions are rising as the highly-anticipated interstate clash between Melbourne boxer Jayde ‘J-Mitch’ Mitchell 16-1 (9) and Sydney knockout artist Kerry ‘Capt’n’ Foley 19-3-1 (16) draws nearer.
The fight will headline the sold-out show at the Melbourne Pavilion on September 7 and will be for the vacant IBF Pan Pacific and interim WBA Oceania titles at 168-pounds.
The popular Mitchell, 32, from the Mornington Peninsula, is confident that the variety of his attack will be a stylistic nightmare for big hitting Foley.
“This is the first time in my pro career I’ve entered a fight without an injury,” said Mitchell. “I’ve been sparring with bigger guys, powerful guys, and getting fresh guys in after a few rounds to keep me focused.”
Foley is equally buoyant about his chances after one of the longest camps of his career.
“With the extra time to prepare this has by far been the best preparation for a fight I have ever had,” said Foley, who has never lost a fight at the super middleweight limit.
But according to Mitchell, Foley is the perennial underachiever who has never been able to capitalize on his potential.
“What I am expecting is the very best Foley possible. That’s what I’ve prepared myself for mentally and physically. But he’s a Foley who has never reached his potential,” said Mitchell.
“Full prep or no full prep, he’s had 75 trainers. I don’t understand how you’re going to come into this fight and show me anything different.
LIAM PARO LINES UP ONCE-BEATEN ROBERT TLATLIK, DEMSEY MCKEAN RETURNS AFTER LAYOFF
WBO number seven ranked junior welterweight Liam ‘The Prodigy’ Paro 14-0 (10) takes a step up in class when he faces Robert Tlatlik 22-1 (16) of Germany by way of Poland for a WBO regional title at the Mansfield Tavern in Brisbane on October 13.
The 22-year-old southpaw, who was the lead sparring partner for former WBO welterweight champion Jeff Horn’s last two fights against Manny Pacquiao and Terence Crawford, won the WBO Youth title by second round knockout of Sebastian Bytyqi 11-1-1 (8) in May.
“Liam’s a very good all-round boxer,’’ Horn said to the Courier Mail. “He’s very composed, excellent in attack and defence and I can see him having a big future.’’
The Ace Boxing Promotions card will also feature the return of Australian heavyweight champion Demsey McKean 11-0 (5) who is coming off a lengthy layoff due to injury.
The 6-foot-6 Ipswich southpaw has been matched with Australian-based Russian powerhouse Victor Oganov 32-5 (30) who appeared in the local version of The Contender reality television program in 2009.
McKean scored a career-best win over ‘Wild’ Willie Nasio 11-3 (10) to claim the national crown in his last bout in Melbourne almost a year ago.
Oganov has fought just once since being stopped in five rounds by the talented Brad Pitt in cruiserweight bout in 2011.
US TRAINING CAMPS PAY DIVIDENDS FOR BILAL AKKAWY
Peakhurst banger Bilal Akkawy 17-0-1 (14) will make his USA debut on ESPN on September 13 in an eight rounder at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV, after spending back-to-back training camps in the United States helping Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez prepare for his rematch with Gennady Golovkin for the world’s middleweight championship.
The 25-year-old was drafted in to help Alvarez prepared for his aborted May 5 rematch with the Kazakh bomber before that fight was scrapped after the popular Mexican turned in two positive drug tests for the banned substance clenbuterol in February, results that the Alvarez team blamed on tainted Mexican beef.
Akkawy’s concussive punching and pressure fighting style impressed Alvarez’s trainers, father and son team Jose ‘Chepo’ Reynoso and Eddy Reynoso, and promoter Golden Boy Promotions enough to give him the call up the second time around as they prepare for the highly-anticipated September 15 second go-round.
The big-hitting super middleweight was last in action in February when he outboxed crafty Italian Giovanni De Carolis 26-9-1 (13) who briefly held the WBA super middleweight title in 2016.
UNBEATEN MIDDLEWEIGHT ‘DIAMOND’ DAVID TOUSSAINT HANGS UP THE GLOVES
Canberra middleweight ‘Diamond’ David Toussaint 13-0 (8) has made the difficult decision to hang up the mitts after receiving medical advice advising him to retire.
In a statement on social media, Toussaint detailed the reasoning for the announcement.
“Got some bad news guys, after months of trying to figure out what’s wrong, every test I’ve done has come back clear and this morning I went to see another doctor who said I more than likely have some sort of neurological degeneration not caused by boxing but having boxed has probably bought the symptoms up and made them worse,” Toussaint posted on August 4.
“Things seem to be improving not doing any contact work and he has recommended I retire from boxing and look at another career path instead.
“I’m going to take his advice and retire from the sport.
It’s a bit of a shame to be having to call it quits when I’m 13-0 and Australian Champion but my boxing career won’t last my whole life and I have to put my health first so it’s just not worth the risk continuing."
Toussaint scored a quality win over Shane Mosley Jr 10-2 (7), who will be a contestant on the reboot of reality TV program The Contender, on the undercard of Jeff Horn’s historic win over Manny Pacquiao at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium in July last year. In his last outing he outpointed teak-tough Kiwi Gunnar Jackson 27-11-4 (12) at the Hellenic Club in Canberra in May.
“I’ve been boxing for 18 years now and had over 80 fights in that time,” continued Toussaint. “I always said I wanted to get as far as I could in boxing and if this is as far as I can go then so be it, I’m proud of my career and what I’ve achieved. I’m still young and have my whole life ahead of me so look forward to what comes next.”
The 26-year-old former sparkie was nominated at the Aussie middleweight to watch in 2017 by Maxboxing and was well on his way to living up to his tremendous potential. Maxboxing hopes to see him continue in the sport in some capacity outside of the ropes and wish him all the best in his retirement from the ring.
NEW 4,000 SEAT BOXING VENUE PLANNED FOR MELBOURNE
Australia’s leading promoter Brian Amatruda of Big Time Boxing has announced plans to convert an existing property in Melbourne’s inner western suburbs into a purpose built boxing venue after outgrowing his previous venue, the Melbourne Pavilion.
The property developer and promoter will continue to run the Melbourne Pavilion and rent it out to fellow promoters for smaller shows, but with his own shows regularly selling out in a matter of days he recognized the need to build a bigger facility to satisfy the increasing demand for live boxing in sports-mad Melbourne.
“Over the last few years we have constantly sold all our shows out, so to show a commitment to the sport a new venue has been purchased being able to seat 4,000 plus people,” Amatruda revealed on social media.
The yet-to-be-named venue covers six acres of land on Geelong Road and will be the biggest privately-owned sporting venue in the country.
The Melbourne Pavilion has grown to become known as the home of boxing since its grand opening 12 years ago and has hosted some of the most memorable boxing event in this country over the past dozen years.
The new venue will include onsite accommodation, permanent filming facilities, state of art change rooms and warm up areas, merchandise rooms, onsite parking and much, much more.
Both venues are available for hire to other boxing promoters but are also designed for other multi-use requirements.
The new venue is expected to open in at some stage in 2019.
“[We’re] about to go the next level,” said Amatruda.
SURE SHOTS
World ranked featherweight Nathaniel ‘Cheeky’ May 19-1 (11) has signed a managerial deal with MTK Global. The Bunbury boxer-puncher is now trained by Freddie Roach at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, CA.
Brisbane junior middleweight Dennis ‘Hurricane’ Hogan 27-1-1 (7) has been installed as the WBO number one contender for Jaime Munguia’s world title in the August rankings.
In other ratings news, Zac ‘Dynamo’ Dunn 26-1 (21) is up two place to number nine in the WBO super middleweight rankings.
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