The Oz Report: Buttigieg defends Commonwealth crown against Harper, Horns signs contract to fight Crawford, Moloney brothers back at a new venue, Akkawy promises KO, Kambosos clashes with Luis, Fleming joins MTK, Hawton draws Montoya out of retirement

Junior middleweight Anthony Buttigieg says that a change of trainer is only going to make him a more dangerous proposition when he defends his Commonwealth crown against undefeated English boxer Adam Harper at the Melbourne Pavilion on 16 March.

The 29-year-old, who had previously trained under Sam De Moor in Laverton for his entire career, made the difficult decision to change stables at the start of the year. Buttigieg is now trained by former IBO super featherweight champion “Wild” Will Tomlinson at Tribute Boxing & Fitness in the Melbourne inner city suburb of the Docklands.

“I knew if I wanted to progress as a fighter I needed more than I was getting,” said Buttigieg, 13-0 (3). “The first ever boxing gym I stepped foot in was back in 2004, the Laverton boxing gym run by Sammy [De Moor] so the move was hard but I believe it’s in my best interest.

“Training with Will has been very productive. Just little things we are working on and ditching a few bad habits. I think Will is definitely going to add to my game. I’m more motivated than ever and itching to get in there March 16.”

Tomlinson is still something of a novice trainer. The 31-year-old was boxing professionally as recently as 18 months ago but Buttigieg says the age similarity isn’t an issue when it comes to taking instructions in the gym.

“Definitely not difficult taking instructions,” he said. “Throw the age factor out the window, Will’s been there, done that, so he knows what’s up. I trust Will’s judgment and I feel confident having a former world champion in my corner.”

Buttigieg says one of the key differences is the energy Tomlinson brings to the gym.

“Will’s only just recently retired from fighting, so he’s got plenty of energy to work with me and is constantly adding tools to my arsenal,” said Buttigieg.

And while there is an oft-repeated axiom in boxing that it takes a few fights to adjust under a new trainer, Buttigieg isn’t having any of it.

“I disagree,” he said. “I know what’s in front of me and so does Will. We both know what I gotta do. It’s up to me to execute it.”

Buttigieg has been putting in rounds with IBF Youth 154-pound titleholder Dwight Ritchie and 6-foot-3 amateur boxer Campbell Somerville, who will be representing Australia at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in April in the 75kg middleweight division. He also has rounds booked with IBF Pan Pacific middleweight champion Michael Zerafa in the coming weeks.

Harper, a 29-year-old from Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire with an 8-0 record, is a light-punching, high-volume pressure fighter. In his last outing he took Ryan Kelly’s zero to claim the vacant BBBofC Midlands Area junior middleweight title.

“Harper is your typical come-forward pressure fighter,” said Buttigieg. “He is the taller man, likes to throw a million punches and is quite well-rounded. I’m preparing to go in there and beat him at his own game.”

With neither undefeated fighter known for their punch, it is expected that the fight will go the full 12 round distance. But Buttigieg isn’t ruling out an early night.

“As fighters we always prepare to go the distance but in this stylistic match-up, it could happen,” said Buttigieg. “Harper likes to come forward so I’m not going to have to look for him.”

The fight was originally scheduled to take place in October until a knee injury to Buttigieg forced the postponement of the bout.

“Two weeks out from the fight I tore the cartilage in my knee quite badly,” said Buttigieg. “Luckily, Melbourne’s ring doctor Peter Lewis got me in with a great surgeon straight away. It was a long recovery but I’m glad to be fighting fit again.”

Buttigieg is coming off a career-best win in March when he handed hard-hitting prospect Rocky Jerkic his first loss to claim the vacant Commonwealth crown by split decision.

“[My] toughest and best performance came in the same fight with Jerkic,” said Buttigieg. “I knew I had a mountain in front of me. Everyone wrote me off and I loved it. I trained hard that camp and I’m proud of how I performed in the fight. I weathered the storm in the early rounds and knew I had it in the end. I regret taking my foot off the gas in the later rounds, but we live and learn.”

Buttigieg is your quintessential blue-collar boxer. A grinding type of boxer who applies educated pressure from the first bell to the last, he backs himself on his fitness and workrate to see him through.

He sees big challenges as the only way to continue improving in this unforgiving sport.

“It comes with the challenge of stepping up each fight,” Buttigieg said. “You train harder because of what you can see on the horizon. As fighters we learn things along the way and gain knowledge and experience form every fight.”

If everything goes to plan, Buttigieg is plotting a move south to welterweight after he defeats Harper.

“I don’t like to look past opponents, especially undefeated ones, but you will probably see me down at 147 after this one hopefully with some big fights ahead,” said Buttigieg.

JEFF HORN FINALLY RECEIVES FIGHT CONTRACT AS BOUT IS MOVED FROM NEW YORK TO VEGAS

After much back-and-forth WBO welterweight champion Jeff Horn 18-0-1 (12) has finally received the fight contract for his 14 April bout against mandatory challenger Terrence “Bud” Crawford 32-0 (23) in what will be his second world title defence.

The fight was expected to take place at New York’s famed Madison Square Garden but this changed when Horn victim Manny Pacquiao was added to the undercard by promoter Top Rank. The fight will now take place at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, where Pacquiao has fought three times previously.

Pacquiao has been matched in a ten round bout with shopworn slugger Mike Alvarado. If the Filipino senator and part-time boxer can get past the 37-year-old from Thornton, Colorado, he can expect to be matched with the winner of the Horn versus Crawford main event.

It will be Pacquiao’s first fight since being outhustled and outmuscled by the 30-year-old Fighting Schoolteacher in Brisbane last July, losing his world title by unanimous decision in the process.

“Fighting at Madison Square Garden would have been a thrill because of all the great boxing history, but I can fight there at some other time,’’ Horn told the Courier-Mail. “I’ve got a long career in front of me.

“I’m concentrating on beating Terence Crawford anywhere we fight and I’m confident I can do the job. Winning is my focus, not the venue,” he continued.

The change of venue will be a boon for all boxers on the card in one regard: unlike New York, Nevada is one of only seven US states with no income tax.

The card is expected to be broadcast on ESPN pay-per-view, a first in Top Rank’s new four-year deal with the network that was announced last August.

The 30-year-old Crawford from Omaha, Nebraska will be making his 147-pound debut after unifying all four major titles at junior welterweight and claiming the WBO title at lightweight.

Also on the card WBO super bantamweight champion and Las Vegas native Jessie Magdaleno 25-0 (18) will be battling it out with interim champion Isaac Dogboe 18-0 (12) of Accra, Ghana in what promises to be an entertaining, action-packed clash.

MOLONEY BROTHERS BACK IN ACTION AT NEW VENUE ON SATURDAY

Boxing returns to Melbourne this weekend after an 11-week hiatus when the Moloney twins Jason and Andrew continue their quest for world championship glory when they take on highly credentialed opponents at the St Kilda Town Hall this Saturday night on Hosking Promotions’ Punches at the Park 7 card.

Jason, who is ranked as high as number five in the world, will battle it out with Namibia’s Immanuel “The Prince” Naidjala 23-4-1 (13) over 10 rounds for the vacant Commonwealth bantamweight title in a fight that will double as a defence of his WBA Oceania strap. Naidjala went the championship distance with WBO bantamweight kingpin Tomoki Kameda in a losing effort in 2013.

“This is honestly the best I’ve ever felt going into a fight,” said Jason four days out from the fight. “Both physically and mentally I’m 100% ready for this and I can’t wait to get in the ring on Saturday night.”

Andrew, who is ranked as high as number six in the world, will face Filipino Rene “Commander” Dacquel, 20-6-1 (6), the IBF #5 and WBC #10 super flyweight. Andrew will be staking his WBA Oceania title against Dacquel’s OPBF strap over 12 rounds.

“This has been the best training camp of my career so far,” said Andrew. “I’m really looking forward to getting in the ring on Saturday night and making a statement in this fight against Dacquel.”

With both boxers firmly entrenched in the world rankings, it’s not lost on the twins what victory at Punches at the Park 7 will mean for their careers.

“A win over Dacquel should put me in a great position in the world rankings across all the sanctioning bodies,” said Andrew. “It’s really exciting, a win in this fight means we could get the call up to fight for the world title very soon.”

Jason agrees.

“I know an impressive victory in this fight will open the door to some massive opportunities for me, which is really exciting!” said Jason. “I feel like everything is coming together at exactly the right time and I’m only a couple of big wins away from earning my shot at a world title.”