BoxRec

Unbeaten featherweight Luke Jackson will take on Filipino John Mark Apolinario in Tassie on 5th March. Apolinario is 18-6-3 and has fought some gooduns. Including Koki Kameda for the WBA title.

Luke Jackson will face former world title challenger John Mark Apolinario at Hobart's City Hall on March 5th for the recently vacated WBA Oceania featherweight title.

A few quotes from Jackson a month out from the fight :

“I’ve now had ten fights and at the age of 31, I feel it’s now or never for me."

“I’ve had an extensive amateur career fighting against the top guys and beating the likes of Toledo Lopez, Nicholas Walters, Sharif Bogere and many others. I know that I can compete with these guys in the professionals,”

“It’s just about believing and backing yourself.”

“Anyone that trains with me knows I train very hard and I’m in the gym all year round, I live in the gym,”

“I have the best coach in the world in Billy Hussein and whoever he puts me in the ring with I believe I can beat,”

“As an amateur I boxed and beat Corey McConnell, Joel Brunker and Paul Fleming – all in 3 days – so that should show that I’ll fight anyone my team tell me. I respect all fighters and I wish them all nothing but the best.”

“It’s been a hard few weeks training with Grant Brown and lots of running on the track,” he added.

“I’ve had some Irish guys down from Sydney for sparring and then last weekend, Josh English, who is vying for a spot at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro,”

“I head to Sydney on Saturday to join camp with the likes of Billy Dib, Paul Fleming and Billel Dib. The sparring and atmosphere in the Bodypunch gym is amazing, we all push each other to the limit and support each other,”

“I will fight anyone my manager Mike Altamura, promoter Adam Wilcock and coach Billy Hussein tell me,” he concluded.

“I’m ready to step it up.”

http://www.aus-boxing.com/2016/02/04/lu ... tep-it-up/

Luke Jackson and John Mark Apolinario face off over a scheduled 10 rounds for the vacant WBA Oceania featherweight title at City Hall in Hobart, Tasmania, on Saturday, March 5.

Jackson 31, who fights out of Hobart, is an undefeated three-year pro (10-0, 5 KOs) who won Australia’s featherweight title by beating Will Young via split decision last March. “Action” most recently fought this past November, stopping Thongchai Kunram by sixth-round TKO.



His 26-year-old Filipino opponent is a 10-year ring vet (19-6-3, 5 KOs) who most recently fought last December, beating Ronnie Sunido by unanimous decision. Although “Iceman” won the vacant WBO Oriental super flyweight title by beating Vincent Palicte via unanimous decision in September 2010, he twice drew against Roberto Vasquez for the interim WBA World bantamweight title (in November 2012 and March 2013) and failed in his quest for the WBA World bantamweight title, losing to Koki Kameda by unanimous decision in July 2013.

“There’s no such thing as an easy fight,” said Jackson, noting that Filipinos “all fight the same. They come forward and try to knock your head off.”

http://www.wbanews.com/boxing-news/jack ... ight-title

"Everybody thinks this is a tough man's sport.
This is not a tough man's sport.
This is a thinking man's sport.
A tough man is gonna get hurt real bad in this sport."

- Luke Jackson

The fight is on tomorrow night. Good luck Luke.

Luke looks shredded and ready to rumble >>>

Luke got the job done too. Fight went the distance.



Luke moves to 11-0 and a likely top 15 WBA world ranking.

Terrific result for Luke Jackson.

“I’ve battled with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder since I was a young kid” - Luke Jackson

http://www.aus-boxing.com/2016/03/15/lu ... -with-ocd/