Five Junee locals are preparing for some of the biggest fights of their careers ahead of an upcoming Adrenalyn boxing event on December 7 at The Range Function Centre in Wagga Wagga.
The night, which will see 26 fighters take to the ring over 13 bouts, will be headlined by a state title fight between Junee’s own Connor Wright and Sydney-based Muay Thai boxer Nicolas Fraietta.
Co-promoter and trainer Rick Judd said he is excited at the prospect of a title fight headlining what is shaping as the biggest night in local boxing this year.
“The main fight is a state title fight and it is actually one of the born and bred Junee boys, Connor Wright, who is now living in Adelaide and fights out of a gym called Full Tilt under Matt Moss,” Judd said.
“They are making the trek over with a couple of other fighters for the night and he’s going to be fighting an undefeated opponent from Bulldog gym Manly in Sydney under Nick Stone, it’s quite a reputable gym.
“That’s the main event for a title fight and it’s going to be a cracker.
“That one is a full Muay Thai, so elbows, knees, the whole kit and caboodle.”
As for the format of the other fights on the night, Judd said that there will be a range of disciplines showcased, giving plenty of variety to the event, which features amateurs only.
“We have three full Muay Thai fights on the card, one kick boxing fight, and four Mod Thai fights, [which is] the same as Muay Thai but no elbows and no knees to the head,” he said.
“The card is subject to change, but at the moment as it presently stands we also have five boxing fights, a couple of those are going to be exhibition bouts.
“We have some large boys and there’s two very skilled boxers.
“It’s an all amateur event, there’s no pros.”
In addition to Wright’s state title fight, four other Junee products are also set to showcase their skills at the event, with two being of particular interest according to Judd.
“There’s two matches in particular in the boxing that I’m very excited to see, and one of those is the other Junee local, Jay Butler, and he comes from Canberra,” he said.
“It is one of the exhibition bouts but he is taking on one of the Wagga locals in the talented Dan Jefferies.
“Even though it is only exhibition, it will be a great show of skills, both those boxers are quite established.”
“The other Junee boys are Dru Brodan who is stepping in for his third fight, under the full Thai rules. He will be either the second last or third last fight on the card.
“That one is expected to be a banger, Dru is a fan favourite.
“He brings the action and is constantly making waves and a lot of established coaches we come across have been giving him some big wraps.
“I’m excited to see him go again, obviously a little bit nervous from a coaching perspective as to whether he can keep it up, and he also has an opponent coming from Sydney who is also undefeated as well.
“That one is going to be an absolute banger as well, it’s got fight of the night written all over it.”
Finally, Judd said the two remaining Junee fighters include an older head and an up and coming star fighting another local prodigy from Cootamundra.
“Tom Diggins is stepping back in, he’s the K1 (kick boxing) bout,” Judd said.
“This is his third fight, his first fight he had a kick boxing fight and he got fight of the night.
“He then turned his attention to boxing for his second one and while he still looked like the better fighter, he got a point deducted and it probably cost him the fight.
“He’s returning back to kick boxing and we will see whether he can put on another fight of the night performance.
“He always has a bit of a crowd behind him, even though he’s a bit older than most of the other fellas in our fight team, and that one will be an exciting one for the viewers.
“Tom Mcdermott is having his debut, he’s 17, so under mod Thai rules, no elbows and he will have shin pads for that one.
“He’s fighting a 17-year-old from Cootamundra, a bit of a local derby fight, and both are under 56kg.
“He’s been training for an extended period of time, and he’s quite close with Connor Wright, and he idolises Dru as well.
“For him to have his debut on a card with those two boys as well as Tom Diggins. He’s on a card with a lot of fighters that he looks up to and I think it was time for him to have a debut against the local and it’s pretty hard to come across debutants around the same weight class, let alone the same age.”
With the event fast approaching, Judd said that tickets are still available for the night.
“We are at The Range in Copland Street in Wagga, tickets are $70 online or $80 at the door and we are hoping that the event is going to sell out, it’s on track to,” he said.
“It’s a family friendly event and we say kids will need to be seated and with a mature adult or legal guardian with them.
“We have some VIP tables and a lot of those have been bought already, but there are a few remaining.
“They are $2000 for a table of ten and that includes your entry with VIP seating, a two-course meal (entree and main) and five beer or wine tickets per person or fifty per table.”
-Tallon Smith
