SUPER 8 - Sky City Auckland - November 3rd
Posted: 19 Oct 2015, 22:10
A SUPER 8 with a difference. Basically two SUPER 4s on the same night.
Field for SUPER 4 at light heavyweight:
Robbie Berridge
Sefo Falekaono
Reece Papuni
Brad Riddell
Field for SUPER 4 at cruiserweight:
Israel Adesanya
Lance Bryant
Zane Hopman
Jamie Porter
World super middleweight kickboxing champ Brad Riddell and former Commonwealth Games boxer Sefo Falekaono have been confirmed to complete the lineup at the upcoming Super 8 fight night in Auckland.
The duo are the wildcards in the light heavyweight division for the event at Sky City on November 3, joining respective New Zealand belt holders Robbie Berridge and Reece Papuni in the four-man group.
Defending Super 8 champion Israel Adesanya, former five-time Kiwi boxing champion Lance Bryant, world kickboxing champ Zane Hopman and former Queensland cruiserweight champion Jamie Porter make up the four-man cruiserweight division for the fourth version of the knockout tournament.
With a 41-5 record as a kickboxer, 24-year-old Riddell has just returned from the renowned "Tiger" fight camp in Thailand and is training with Adesanya to ensure he makes the transition to the hands only game smoothly. His experience over the three round sprint format makes him a genuine danger to his more experienced boxing opponents.
Falekaono, also 24, possesses an unorthodox switch-hitting style, capable of upsetting his more orthodox opponents. The powerfully built Tongan trains with rising Kiwi heavyweight Hemi Ahio and Monty Betham under well-known coach Lolo Heimuli and will be extremely well prepared.
A potential clash between Berridge, who has dominated the light heavyweight division across Asia Pacific, and Papuni, who has designs on taking over the mantle as New Zealand's top dog in the division, could produce fireworks.
"I don't believe Berridge is above me in skill or power and it's a fight the public wants to see," Papuni said. "I hope we meet in the final and make it a spectacle."
But Berridge is backing himself and readying for a change in style from a 10 round duration, to the sprint format Super 8 demands.
"You've got to get in early and inflict damage from the opening bell," he said. "It's going to be a tough challenge, but I fancy my chances and if it's Papuni in the final - all the better."
The November 3 card will also feature a New Zealand cruiserweight title bout from Monty Betham against belt holder James Langton, while Ahio will face American Samoa's Alapati A'asa for the New Zealand heavyweight title.
Field for SUPER 4 at light heavyweight:
Robbie Berridge
Sefo Falekaono
Reece Papuni
Brad Riddell
Field for SUPER 4 at cruiserweight:
Israel Adesanya
Lance Bryant
Zane Hopman
Jamie Porter
World super middleweight kickboxing champ Brad Riddell and former Commonwealth Games boxer Sefo Falekaono have been confirmed to complete the lineup at the upcoming Super 8 fight night in Auckland.
The duo are the wildcards in the light heavyweight division for the event at Sky City on November 3, joining respective New Zealand belt holders Robbie Berridge and Reece Papuni in the four-man group.
Defending Super 8 champion Israel Adesanya, former five-time Kiwi boxing champion Lance Bryant, world kickboxing champ Zane Hopman and former Queensland cruiserweight champion Jamie Porter make up the four-man cruiserweight division for the fourth version of the knockout tournament.
With a 41-5 record as a kickboxer, 24-year-old Riddell has just returned from the renowned "Tiger" fight camp in Thailand and is training with Adesanya to ensure he makes the transition to the hands only game smoothly. His experience over the three round sprint format makes him a genuine danger to his more experienced boxing opponents.
Falekaono, also 24, possesses an unorthodox switch-hitting style, capable of upsetting his more orthodox opponents. The powerfully built Tongan trains with rising Kiwi heavyweight Hemi Ahio and Monty Betham under well-known coach Lolo Heimuli and will be extremely well prepared.
A potential clash between Berridge, who has dominated the light heavyweight division across Asia Pacific, and Papuni, who has designs on taking over the mantle as New Zealand's top dog in the division, could produce fireworks.
"I don't believe Berridge is above me in skill or power and it's a fight the public wants to see," Papuni said. "I hope we meet in the final and make it a spectacle."
But Berridge is backing himself and readying for a change in style from a 10 round duration, to the sprint format Super 8 demands.
"You've got to get in early and inflict damage from the opening bell," he said. "It's going to be a tough challenge, but I fancy my chances and if it's Papuni in the final - all the better."
The November 3 card will also feature a New Zealand cruiserweight title bout from Monty Betham against belt holder James Langton, while Ahio will face American Samoa's Alapati A'asa for the New Zealand heavyweight title.
