The Oz Report: Kilrain Kelly on keys to victory, Quinlan confident of KO, Moloney faces former champ Kono, Caprello faces Broadhurst in crossroads fight, Opetaia targeting Commenwealth title, Carlos fights Ritchie, Goodall relaxed
By Anthony Cocks
Clean living, the ability to make adjustments on the fly and a strong mindset will be the keys to victory when junior middleweight Jimmy Kilrain Kelly puts his WBO Intercontinental title on the line against Dennis Hogan’s WBO Oriental title in the headline fight on the big DDP Sports "Revolution" card at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre this Saturday night.
The winner of the bout is expected to earn a shot at the WBO world title in the next 12 months.
"I’ve always lived a clean life and never taken short-cuts," the 25-year-old Mancunian told the Courier Mail this week.
"Hogan is a lot older than me and he’s knocked himself around in earlier times. I’m young and fresh and coming into my peak. It’s my time now. I’m going to put on a master class and give him a boxing lesson."
Kelly is referring to Hogan’s well-known love of the booze in his younger days, something the 33-year-old Irishman gave up after moving out to Australia eight years ago.
The WBO number three believes that adaptability will be key to his success, something he says Hogan, the WBO number two, struggles with.
"I can make adjustments in a fight, he can’t," said Kelly. "He fought (WBA interim champion) Jack Culcay for the world title and did the same thing round after round.
"He can’t adapt, I can."
Kelly’s trainer Lee Beard, who is best known for his work with another Guinness lover in Ricky Hatton, says his young charge’s self-belief is another point of difference.
“Jimmy has as strong a mentality as I’ve seen and Hogan is in for a big shock. Jimmy’s a level above him in skills, he’s a better all-round fighter and a much better puncher,” said Beard.
The full card will be broadcast live and free on Epicentre.TV this Saturday April 7 from 7:30pm Australian Eastern Standard Time.
RENOLD QUINLAN CONFIDENT OF KNOCKING OUT DAMIEN HOOPER IN GUDGE MATCH
You would think that moving up a weight class to face a world-rated boxer would be cause for a little stress and anxiety.
No so, says Kempsey’s Renold Quinlan 12-2 (8), who insists all the pressure will be on his archrival Damien Hooper 13-1 (8) when they face-off for the WBO International light heavyweight title at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre this Saturday night.
"All of the pressure is on him. He needs to win in his own weight division and be successful in his first
title defence," the 28-year-old Quinlan told the Macleay Argus this week.
"He will be in for a rude shock though."
Hooper claimed the WBO International title in his last fight, a surprise 10-round points victory over previously unbeaten Russian Umar Salamov on the undercard of Jeff Horn’s world title winning effort against Manny Pacquiao last July.
The London Olympian has long since rebounded from his first round knockout loss to former kickboxer Rob Powdrill in 2014 but Quinlan says he still has questions about Hooper’s chin – questions he plans on having answered this weekend.
"It won’t go the ten rounds, I won’t be wasting any of my punches and I will get my chance and take it," said Quinlan, who burst onto the scene with a second round knockout of former WBA and IBF middleweight champion Daniel Geale in his hometown of Launceston eighteen months ago.
"Hooper throws a lot of punches and leaves his hands down. I will counter him and finish him.
"I’m looking forward to getting in there and showing people what I have got."
On Wednesday’s final press conference Quinlan summed up how he expects the fight to play out.
"I’m unpredictable," he said. "They think I’m going to come forward, [that I can’t] can’t box.
"But you can never tell when the storm is going to hit."
JASON MOLONEY KEEN TO JOIN WBSS AFTER HE BEATS FORMER WORLD CHAMP KOHEI KONO
WBA #4 bantamweight Jason Moloney 16-0 (13) has revealed he would relish the opportunity to fight in the World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) if the second year of the competition features the 118-pounders.
"I think the World Boxing Super Series is fantastic," he said this week. "Having the best fighters in the division all coming together and fighting off for the number one spot is exactly what the sport needs."
Last year’s inaugural WBSS featured the cruiserweight and super middleweight divisions. Not only did the tournament set out to crown a definitive champion at 200-pounds – and to a lesser extent at 168-pounds – it also shone a spotlight on the talented fighters in the two divisions and produced some compelling contests along the way.
"These tournaments are producing some great fights and bringing some real excitement for the fans,” said Moloney.
“I would absolutely love to be involved in the tournament. It would be the perfect platform for me to show what I can do and make my mark on the bantamweight division."
Current WBA bantamweight "super" champion Ryan Burnett 19-0 (9) and two-division world champion Naoya Inoue 15-0 (13) of Japan are both rumoured to be vying for inclusion in the WBSS.
Belfast’s Burnett defended his world title on the undercard of the huge heavyweight unification bout between Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker card at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium last weekend, earning a 12-round decision over Yonfrez Parejo 21-3-1 (10) of Venezuela despite breaking his right hand in the early rounds.
“There is no doubt that Ryan Burnett is a talented fighter but to be honest I wasn’t very impressed with his last performance,” said Moloney. “Being the WBA super champion is definitely one of my ultimate goals so the fight with Burnett is a fight that we would love to take and it is a fight which we believe we would win.”
The 27-year-old Moloney will first have to get past former two-time WBA super flyweight champion Kohei Kono 33-11-1 (14) on May 19 at the Malvern Town Hall in Melbourne on the Hosking Promotions and Peter Maniatis Events “Bob Rose Cup” show. It will be Moloney’s ninth WBA regional title fight.
The skilful Japanese is one of only two men – along with the great Pongsaklek Wonjongkam of Thailand – to defeat three-weight world champion and long-reigning WBA bantamweight kingpin Koki Kameda 33-2 (18) of Japan.
“Kohei Kono is a two time world champion and will definitely be the toughest opponent that I have faced,” said Moloney, who is also ranked WBO #7, IBF #12 and WBC #12.
“Kono has only been stopped once in his career, which was to the highly rated Naoya Inoue which tells me he is also very durable. I think the aggressive, come forward style which Kono brings will make for a very exciting fight.”
BLAKE CAPARELLO AND TRENT BROADHURST LOOKING TO REBOUND IN CROSSROADS BOUT IN JUNE
The trend of big domestic match-ups continues when two of Australia’s leading light heavyweights Blake Caparello 26-3-1 (10) and Trent Broadhurst 20-2 (12) clash in a make-or-break 10-round fight at the Melbourne Pavilion in Flemington on June 1.
Caparello was last in action on March 16 when he lost a 12-round decision to Roy Jones Jr-trained Isaac Chilemba 25-5-2 (10). The 31-year-old southpaw from Greenvale, Victoria controlled the action in the early rounds but gave up his lead to allow Chilemba to steal the victory in the last 3-4 rounds.
Trent Broadhurst was sensationally stopped in a single round in his HBO debut against WBA 175-pound champion Dmitry Bivol 13-0 (11) last November in a fight held in Monte Carlo. The undefeated Russian landed a peach of a right cross to the chin of the 29-year-old Queenslander that sent the Aussie toppling backward to the canvas at the end of the first round, prompting referee Howard Foster to immediately wave off the contest.
Both boxers will have much to prove when they meet in the ring with the winner going on to further paydays while the loser must reconsider where they go from here.
JAI OPETAIA AIMING FOR COMMONWEALTH CROWN AFTER LUKAS PASZKOWSKY FIGHT
Australian cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia 14-0 (11) has his sights set on a clash with Luke Watkins for the Commonwealth title once he gets past Russian Lukas Paszkowsky 9-1 (3) on the undercard of the Dennis Hogan vs Jimmy Kilrain Kelly fight at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre this Saturday night.
WBO #14 Opetaia is aiming to add the vacant WBO Asia Pacific belt to the OPBF and IBF Youth straps he claimed last year.
Speaking to World Boxing News last month, Opetaia’s manager Michael Francis provided his shortlist of future opponents.
“We have a number of boxers on our radar with Luke Watkins, the current Commonwealth Champion, firmly at the top of the list," said Francis.
"Luke is 13-0 while Jai is 14-0 and we see him as a great test to see where Jai is at. Jai already holds the OPBF title, which is aligned with the WBC, as is the prestigious Commonwealth title.
“WBO International champion Mairis Briedis is another option we will be chasing, as is Ruslan Fayfer who holds the IBF’s version of the International title.”
At just 22-years-old time is definitely on the talented Opetaia’s side.
EMMANUEL CARLOS VS DWIGHT RITCHIE TOPS TEAM ELLIS CARD NEXT WEEKEND
Unbeaten middleweight Emmanuel Carlos 7-0 (5) is a late call-up to face Dwight “The Fighting Cowboy” Ritchie 16-1 (2) on the next Team Ellis card from the Melbourne Pavilion on April 13.
The 26-year-old Ritchie, who claimed the vacant IBF Youth title in his last bout with a comprehensive 10-round victory over New Zealand’s Shay Brock in December, is a crafty pressure fighter who relies on his high workrate and use of angles to outbox his opponents. The only loss on his ledger was on points to Koki Tyson in a close fight in Japan for the OPBF title in November 2016.
Ritchie’s pro career started in 2009 as a 17-year-old. As he was too young to legally box, his first four bouts have since been rendered “no contests” and do not appear as wins on his official record. If you factor in those victories, his record would be 20-1 (2).
Victorian state champion Carlos is a big, hard-hitting middleweight who turned pro just on a year ago. He has his best win in his last fight, a first round TKO of veteran Steve Maxwell 11-10 (6) of Tasmania on March 10.
“This time last year I made my pro debut in boxing and I was the first fight on the card,” Carlos posted on social media this week. “One year later I will be the main event fight against a world [youth] champion with a record of 20W-1L.
“I’ve taken this fight on very short notice with only one week to prepare but it was an opportunity I couldn’t refuse! This is every professional’s dream, to have a shot at a world champion – a nobody versus a superstar.
“This is my Rocky story!”
This is a big step up in class for Carlos, but with his confidence at an all-time high, he has nothing to lose and everything to gain from this fight.
DEBUTANT JOE GOODALL PRIMED AND READY TO GO
One of Australia’s most accomplished amateur boxer Joe Goodall is relaxed and ready to go ahead of his professional debut this Saturday night in a four round bout against New Zealand’s Lui Te’o 2-7-1 (2) at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre.
"I’m feeling pretty good. The nerves are starting to ramp up now as we get closer. Obviously we’ve got the press conference and the weigh-in, so it’s getting real," said Joe Goodall on Wednesday.
The 6-foot4 heavyweight says he is looking forward to getting in the ring, where the pressure doesn’t affect him.
"I don’t really feel the pressure in the ring, so it’s more on the outside,” said the 25-year-old Queenslander. "A lot of people want to see my debut and this and that, but in the ring it’s all business.”
Goodall became Australia’s first medallist at the World Amateur Boxing Championships in 26 years when he claimed the bronze medal in the super heavyweight division at Hamburg, Germany last year.
The heavy-handed, light-footed big man trains at the Stretton Boxing Club under the guidance of gun trainer Glenn Rushton, who guided Jeff Horn to world championship glory against Manny Pacquiao last year.
Goodall admits he is always keen to finish a fight inside the distance, but says that securing victory is more important than winning by knockout.
"At Stretton I think we all look for a stoppage every time, but I’m just looking to put on a good performance and show my skills," he said.
BILLY DIB AND TEVIN FARMER ORDERED TO BEGIN NEGOTIATIONS FOR IBF SUPER
FEATHERWEIGHT TITLE FIGHT
As first reported here two months ago, Billy “The Kid” Dib 43-4 (24) and Tevin Farmer 25-5- 1 (5) have been ordered to begin negotiations for a world fight for the vacant IBF interim 130-pound title.
With Kenichi Ogawa testing positive for a banned substance after his win over Farmer last December, the IBF have decided to move ahead with an interim title while the Ogawa case is still up in the air.
Veteran Dib fought for his first world title a decade ago, losing a competitive decision to Californian Steve Luevano for the WBO featherweight title. Three years later he claimed the vacant IBF featherweight title against Jorge Lacierva of Mexico, losing it on his third defence by split decision to Russian buzzsaw Evgeny Gradovich in 2013.
In his most recent world title fight Dib was stopped in three rounds by big-punching Takashi Miura for the WBC super featherweight title in Japan three years ago.
The 32-year- old Dib is trained by triple world champion Jeff Fenech in Sydney.
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