BoxRec

I am an American who has recently married an Australian girl and moved to your great country. I am a boxing fan and would like to know who I should look out for on the Australian scene (either live, I live in Brisbane, or on Pay TV).

No offence, but not too many Australians are known in US boxing circles. Don't take that as a criticism, we tend to only really focus on our own. I did watch the Danny Green fight the other night. I had heard of him, but only because he beat Jones, which was noted back in the US. For what it's worth, I think Green did Australia proud the other night against Wlodarczyk, age was the only thing that beat him.

I'm not just interested in 'names' though, I am interested in who I should be watching, young up and comers, and other entertaining local fighters (who may not necessarily have the ability to ever make it on the international stage, but are still worth watching for the true boxing fan). Any weight division.

In short, I need a quick Australian boxing scene education. Any replies/suggestions appreciated.

We presently have two IBF World Champions in Daniel Geale at middleweight and Billy Dib at featherweight. Anthony Mundine holds the WBA Interim Light Middleweight title, putting him at no three in that outfit behind Cotto and Trout. Kali Meehan holds the World Boxing Foundation Heavyweight title, but I doubt that even he takes that seriously. Alex Leapai is the number one ranked heavyweight in the country but somebody else holds the Australian title which is not regarded as highly as it used to be. Any Australian champion who wins a regional or world title has to relinquish the Australian title.

There is a fair bit of debate about the value of IBO titles which Australians win regularly. Will Tomlinson won the Super Featherweight IBO title last week, others can fill you in any I have forgotten. Most divisions are fairly competitive.

We have also got some Aussie imports boxing in the US today,Vic Darchinian and Sakio Bika

Bika busted the journeyman up.

import- as you well no doubt get avalanched if you are actually living in this country then you will learn that;
1)there is cricket( and well there should be)
2)there is AFl
3) there is rugby league and union(the latter more relevant at national level in terms of mainstream nationwide, but league more in your face nationwide during witer, moreson on the eastern seaboard)
4)many other sports
5) then there is boxing. A tiny sport in this country. BUT..if you are too watch anything but a Mundine card then as a rule you will likely enjoy a decent evening of fisticuffs. Dib/Geale/Flethcer/Pitt/Vic/Bika/Tomlinson/Katsidis and dare i say it Mundine when/if he steps up again(think he still has one big one left in him despite his BAAAAAD weight decrease). And if Green laces up again well theres another. May not be pretty but.........Wanna fight....you'll get it. Welcome to the country mate!

My list of Australian prospects to look out: Ben McCulloch, Rohan Murdock, Paul Fleming, Shannon King, Craig Hill Jr,Bilel Dib, Andrew Green and of course Blake Caparello.

If i was asked to pick fighters who will make the world scene out of our prospects, besides our established crop of Green,Vic,Katsidis,Mundine,Dib,Geale,Bika,Soliman and Ndou, i would have these guys making waves soon;

Omotoso
Pitt
Fleming
Fletcher
Tomlinson
Caperello
Leapai

More so the first 4 will do something big on the world stage, the last 3 are exciting and talented i'm just not 100% as this time if they could win a world title.
Leapai has Imo the hardest task in trying to wrestle a title from the Klits.

You might catch a few good cards if you make the 2 hr drive to Toowoomba mate. That is where Katsidis is from and they sometimes put a decent local card on out there.

The best cards on in Brisbane are usually at the Mansfield Tavern, which is on the Southside about 15 minutes drive from the city. Good card on there on March 2!

Also the gold coast can sometimes have a decent card on. They have a good card for the Australian Heavyweight title at Southport next Friday, but it will be free on Foxsports if you want to watch it on tv.

As for Aussie boxres to watch:

Will tomlinson
Dan Geale
Billy Dib
Mick Katsidis

They are some of my favourites