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KINUTHIA TO FACE WITTER FOR TITLE
AUSTRALIAN junior welterweight champion and OPBF No. 3 Fred Kinuthia and his new trainer Terry Fox depart Australia on September 20 on a mission to dethrone Commonwealth junior welter champ UK's Junior Witter (also British and Euro Union titleholder) at MEN Arena Manchester on Saturday, September 27.The bout is the main support to Ricky Hatton's WBU welterweight title defence against Aldo Rios on the Showtime – Frank Warren promotion, which will attract in excess of 14,000 spectators and an enormous amount of TV viewers, making it the biggest event in which Kinuthia has participated other than Olympics 2000.
Witter, 26-1-2 (15 KOs), filled the vacant Commonwealth title in July '02 stopping Ghana's Laatekwei Hammond in round two, and has since relieved Belgian Jurgen Haeck of his European Union crown in round four. Since losing by unanimous points to Zab Judah in the IBF title challenge (June 2000), he has won all his fights inside five rounds.
Kenya born Kinuthia, 8-2 (5KOs), who remained in Australia after the Sydney Olympics to pursue punch for pay career, won the Australian junior welter title in May '02 stopping division's former titlist Steven Marks in the fifth. Prior to this he was the welterweight titleholder, but relinquished to give his slightly heavier teammate Solomon Egberime (also former Olympian) a chance at a title on the same program.
Since winning the title, he has not been challenged nor has he been able to secure decent fights other than with Naoufel Ben Rabah for the IBF Pan Pacific welter title, which he lost on points.
His immediate ambition is to avenge his loss to him and Philip Holiday and fight Lovemore N'Dou.His former trainer/manager Austin Taylor allegedly tried to match him with N'Dou several times, but was unsuccessful.
Kinuthia declined to comment when asked why the sudden split with Taylor.I, and no doubt Aussiebox.com, wish Fred Kinuthia and his new trainer Terry Fox success and a safe trip. If you would like to do the same, please email your message and I will pass it on. Anton Sevsek
BIG BOB'S CAREER GETS A KICK ALONG By GRANTLEE KIEZA - Daily Telegraph
August 30, 2003
AUSTRALIAN heavyweight champ Big Bob Mirovic is in Croatia training with a legendary kickboxer and plans to put his best foot forward in a new career.
Mirovic, who fought the fight of his life to go the distance with the world's biggest boxer on the Danny Green-Markus Beyer undercard in Germany two weeks ago, is contemplating a career switch at 37 to stamp his authority on the lucrative K1 circuit in Japan.
K1 is a combination of traditional boxing and martial arts and its best known practitioners rival sumo wrestlers and baseball stars as Japan's most celebrated athletes.
It has made millions for its toughest exponents and especially for American Bob Sapp, a 170kg failed gridiron player and former mortuary attendant who has become such a big hit in Tokyo that he has three biographies in the stores there and a retail outlet exclusively selling a line of Bob Sapp merchandise.
Mirovic, who pushed the 7ft 2in, 24-stone (217cm, 150kg) Russian Nikolai Valouev through eight close rounds on the Green-Beyer undercard, is now training in Croatia with Sapp's conqueror, the fearsome Mirko "Crocop" Filipovic with a view to hitting Japan like a giant tsunami.
"Not many people know it but Bob is also a black belt in tae kwon do, said his boxing trainer Angelo Hyder, who has spent the last five years in Mirovic's cauliflowered lugs motivating him to meet his potential.
"He's incredibly agile for such a big man and can do spinning back kicks over his head. He really wants to give K1 fighting a shot and the money on offer in Japan is huge. Bob comes from a Croatian background and the people there were over the moon with the way he fought against Valouev, who is in the world top 15 with the WBA.
"He was hurt when he took a knee in the second round but he dug deep and gave the big Russian all the fight he could handle. It's no mean feat trying to battle away with a bloke 150kg bearing down on you, but Bob put in the sort of effort that makes me proud to be his trainer."
Hyder, who has helped rebuild a big following for boxing on the Central Coast and Newcastle with his regular promotions, has been training Mirovic for the past six years. There have been some soaring victories and agonising heartbreaks during that time and he has resorted to some novel motivational methods to get the best out of his talent.
Before the Valouev fight Mirovic shaved his chest, not for cosmetic purposes with the fight being beamed around the world, but to stop Hyder pulling out his chest hairs to get his attention between rounds.
"Angelo reckons I go to sleep sometimes during fights, Mirovic said, "so he comes up with all sorts of ways to make me focus on my opponent. "In some fights he's pulled the hairs out of my chest and that really hurts. He's whacked me in the face, doused me with an ice cold towel and even bitten me on the ears. I guess it all works because he does get me to lift when I need to."
For the Valouev fight, with his man blowing hard and facing five more rounds against a fighter as terrifying as Frankenstein's monster, Hyder resorted to twisting Mirovic's ears between rounds as though he was working the accelerator on a motorbike. It worked.
Mirovic went the distance even though he didn't get the decision _ something that is incredibly hard to do for an out of town fighter in Germany.
Hyder's motivational magic reached its zenith in Mirovic's greatest comeback performance at the Hordern Pavilion 11 months ago. Decked twice by Nigerian Roger Izonritei, Mirovic roared back into action and stopped the massively muscled African in the fifth in a victory that had the fans standing on their seats.
Big Bob had fewer hairs on his chest than at the start of the fight but he had a win on his record that made him a cult hero in the Australian fight game. And if things go according to plan he'll soon be kicking on in Japan.
JAMIE GUY NEW PAN PAC LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMP Light Heavyweight Jamie Guy powered to a dramatic KO win in 52 seconds last night (Aug 22) at Jamie Myer's Southport RSL Promotion.
Stepping up from a loss to Juarne Dowling in a June 27 bout wich will be remembered as one of the great wars in Aussie boxing, Guy demolished opponent Larry Smith with a non-stop barrage, leaving Smith defenceless and a timely stoppage saved the outclassed Smith from further punishment.
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AUSSIEBOX NEWS DOWLING DOMINATES LEDUA Despite a valiant effort by the Fijian champion, Iobe Ledua, Juarne Dowling dominated, with Ledua down for 8 in round 1 from a hefty left hook. The Fijian recovered to score a few solid punches before succumbing to Dowling's superior power. (Fight was stopped in 4)
KATSIDIS RETURNS IN STYLE Michael "Rocky" Katsidis left no doubt that he is back in the game after a forced lay-off by disposing of Mahomed Jamahl Khan within seconds of stepping into the ring at Southport last night (Aug 22).
A super fit Katsidis made his appearance leading a huge team of supporters and wasted no time downing his opponent.
Mick will be hoping for a chance to better showcase his skills at his next outing on September 19 at Tweed Heads. (To be shown on Fox Sports) Go Rocky!
LINK: Katsidis happy with early night
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AUSSIEBOX NEWS TAPLEY & SHAW DUKE IT OUT AT SOUTHPORT Paul Tapley and Matt Shaw duked it out in an entertaining stoush at Southport RSL last night (Aug 22)
Although coming off a long break and outpointed by a stronger, crisper Tapley on the night, Shaw left no doubt that there is plenty of fight in him yet. A great performance by both fighters. Paul Tapley the victor by unanimous decision.
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Kina Malpalpatida - REMEMBER THE NAME The prize for bloodiest battle of the night at Southport went to the women. Kina Malpalpatida gave an impressive performance against Katrina Harding, who, with bloodied nose, fought well & bravely but had no answers for the speed and power of the dynamic Malpalpatida.
In other bouts - Damien Smith made a strong debut against Rafael Munoz, well ahead until Round 4, when Munoz exploded from the corner with a stunning barrage of punches to grab the victory.
Fabric Hona emerged the winner against Wayne Maynard in a hard fought opening bout.
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