The Aussie boxing scene

THE BIG MAC INDEX HAS RISEN AHEAD OF THE JEFF HORN VS ANTHONY MUNDINE BOUT

Millionaire boxing trainer Glenn Rushton has instigated his own Big Mac index ahead of his charge Jeff Horn’s 71kg (156.5-pound) catchweight bout against Anthony Mundine at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium on November 30.

Explaining the weight penalties in place for Mundine, Rushton said that the Sydney veteran can weigh no more than 75kg (165-pounds) two hours before he enters the ring against the former WBO welterweight champion.

There are stiff financial penalties in place if he comes in more than four kilograms above the contracted limit.

“For every Big Mac, it will cost him about $120,000,” Rushton revealed at a press conference in Sydney to promote the fight. “It’s going to cost him dearly because there’s a lot more risk there.”

Horn, 30, will be having his first fight back since losing his welterweight world title to classy American Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford in Las Vegas in June. This fight will be contested almost 10-pounds heavier than his best weight.

“I know he’s not going to make it as easily as he used to, but he’s made that weight comfortably before,” said Horn.

“We will definitely make the weight easier than he will because I normally fight at 66.7kg [147-pounds]. I’m fighting at 71kg now and pretty much don’t have to lose any weight.”

Horn is expecting the slick-boxing Sydneysider, 43, to try go against type and try to impose his physicality on the former Brisbane schoolteacher from the get-go.

“Mundine knows the longer the fight goes, the more disadvantaged he’s going to be against me,” said Horn.

“Because of my work rate, he’s not going to be able to keep up with it. But he’s definitely going to be coming out swinging early in the fight.”

REAGAN DESSAIX OUT TO STAKE HIS CLAIM AS THE BEST LIGHT

HEAVYWEIGHT IN AUSTRALIA WITH VICTORY

WBA number 15 ranked light heavyweight ‘President’ Reagan Dessaix 15-1 (10) is set to take a big step up in class when he faces Steve Lovett 17-2 (13) over 10 rounds at Seagulls Rugby League Club in Tweed Heads, New South Wales this Saturday night.

It’s a challenge the 22-year-old Brisbane boxer says he is more than ready for.

“Everyone is saying it’s a big step up for me and I respect Steve, his team and what he’s done so far in his career,” said Dessaix, who will be defending his WBA Oceania title. “But it’s been the story of my life, I’ve always stepped up whether it be in or out of the ring.

“In life in general I’m always ready and prepared to step up to the plate and I cannot wait to show everybody this Saturday night that I can!”

According to Dessaix the winner of the fight will be able to claim the mantle as the best 175-pound boxer in Australia – a division that includes former world title challenger Blake Caparello and world-rated Damien Hooper.

“The styles and who comes out on top of this fight will decide who is the best light heavyweight in this country,” said Dessaix.

“As of the other contenders, one doesn’t know what weight division he is in and the other doesn’t even know what planet his living on.”

Canberra’s Lovett, 33, has been based in the United States for much of his pro career but has a relatively low profile in his native Australia outside of hardcore fans of the sport.

A talented amateur, Lovett’s whiskers have let him down twice as a professional when he was knocked out by Craig Baker in eight and Lionell Thompson in four in back-to-back fights. Lovett has since returned to Australia to log wins over journeymen Aswin Cabuy and Steve Moxon.

Dessaix is confident he can finish Lovett off before the final bell.

“One hundred percent I do,” he said. “This is boxing and anything is possible at anytime.”

Dessaix suffered his own setback early on in his career when he was stopped in one round by old amateur foe Mose Auimatagi Jr in what was his seventh professional bout.

“The big thing I learned from that fight, was coming into a fight underestimating an opponent,” he said. “It was a very humbling experience losing to somebody I beat quite well in the amateurs.”

Don’t expect Dessaix to make the same mistake again.

WILLIE NASIO RECOVERS FROM EARLY KNOCKDOWN TO DESTROY HERMAN ENE PURCELL IN FOUR ROUNDS FOR QUEENSLAND HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE

In an exciting heavyweight brawl for the vacant Queensland state title Willie ‘Wild Bill’ Nasio 12-3 (11) bounced back from a first-round knockdown to overwhelm Herman Ene Purcell 13-8 (7) stopping him at 2:50 of the fourth round of a schedule eight round contest at Rumours International in Toowoomba, Queensland on Saturday night.

Former national champion Nasio, 32, was trailing on all three cards 26-30 going in to the fourth round when he decked the 23-year-old Samoan-born Purcell twice before the corner threw in the towel.

In the main event big-punching junior welterweight Steve Spark 7-1 (7) dominated 38-year-old Japanese veteran Taisho Ozawa 21-12-2 (13) stopping him on cuts in the sixth.

It is the second fight in a row that Spark, 22, has won on cuts after claiming the vacant Australian 140-pound title against Gearoid Clancy 9-6 (2) with a fourth round TKO in August.

Also on the Brendan Smith-promoted show former amateur star Chris Hamilton 10-1 (4) continued his comeback with a unanimous decision win over Brent Moore 4-6-2 (4) in a five round bout at super middleweight.

The 37-year-old Hamilton, who gave the game away aged just 24, returned to the ring in July last year and has now strung together three straight wins.

‘SUGAR’ KANE WATTS VS JAYDEN ‘PLUGGER’ NICHOLS ADDED TO BIG TIME BOXING DECEMBER SHOW

In an intriguing clash between former Australian cruiserweight champions ‘Sugar’ Kane Watts 20-3 (13) and Jayden ‘Plugger’ Nichols 7-1-1 (1) will meet for the vacant WBA Oceania cruiserweight title over 10 rounds at the Melbourne Pavilion on Friday December 14.

Watts, 36, has won two fights by stoppage since losing a wide 10-round points decision to Danny Green two years ago. Tasmanian Nichols lost his national crown to Queenslander Ben Kelleher in Brisbane in July.

The fight is part of the blockbuster Big Time Boxing show that will also feature popular Mornington Peninsula super middleweight Jayde ‘El Matador’ Mitchell 17-1 (9) against Austrian-based Dane Kim Poulson 28-4 (7) over 10 rounds and Tej Pratap Singh 13-4-2 (7) versus Jason Lueken 7-1 (3) for the vacant Australian middleweight title, also over 10.

Undefeated heavyweight Willis Meehan 6-0 (5) will square up against Osumanu Haruna 7-0 (4) of Ghana over six rounds on the card.

The 6-foot-5, 280-pound southpaw is the son of former WBO heavyweight title challenger Kali Meehan, who lost a disputed 12-round split decision to Lamon Brewster for the world title in 2004.

SURE SHOTS

Super middleweight ‘Bangin’’ Bilal Akkawy 18-0-1 (14) is expected to fight on the Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez versus Rocky Fielding card at Madison Square Garden in New York on December 15 against an opponent to be named. The 25-year-old from Peakhurst in Sydney has been part of Alvarez’s last two training camps and is now trained by the Mexican superstar’s coach Eddy Reynoso.

Susie ‘Q’ Ramadan 27-3 (12) was unlucky to not get the nod against WBC bantamweight champion Mariana ‘Barbie’ Juarez 51-9-4 (18) in San Luis Potosi, Mexico on October 27. The Australian veteran, a two-time world bantamweight titleholder, had the champion hurt in the 10th and final round but couldn’t finish the job. Despite the loss, Ramadan won over the parochial crowd with her performance. All three of Ramadan’s losses have now taken place in Mexico, with Yazmin Rivas twice defeating the natural super flyweight in contentious bantamweight world title fights.

‘Aussie’ Joel Brunker 33-3 (19) returns the ring this Saturday night when he takes on Rivo Rengkung 37-27-6 (14) of Indonesia in a 10-round bout at Panthers in North Richmond, New South Wales. The former world-ranked featherweight is having his first fight back since dropping a 10-round split decision to crafty Kiwi southpaw Nort Beauchamp 17-2 (3) at the Melbourne Pavilion in July.

In an intriguing match-up former amateur star Liam Wilson 2-0 (2) will challenge Australian super featherweight champion Brent Rice 8-0 (2) in a 10-round fight for his national crown on the Horn-Mundine undercard. The 22-year-old Wilson has boxed a total of just over four minutes in his professional career. Toowoomba’s Rice, 25, has been the 10-round distance twice and has boxed a total of 40 professional rounds. If Rice can avoid Wilson’s explosive attack in the early rounds, this could be an interesting contest down the stretch.