Australian notebook

July 5, 2001 – SecondsOut’s Contributing Editor Paul Upham takes a look around the Australian fight scene and provides all the latest news from down under.

O’Connor Sports Makes Big Promotional Debut
There is a buzz on the Australian fight scene with the arrival of new promoter O’Connor Sports who is planning a huge card for their debut at the Randwick Racecourse in Sydney on July 13.

Welterweight contender Shannan Taylor will headline a strong card that will include Kevin Kelly, Justin Rowsell, Daniel Rowsell, Solomon Haumono, Paul Griffin and Jason De Lisle. Tickets are being snapped up fast and can be purchased through the Spectacular Group on (02) 9212 6639.

Promoter Kieran O’Connor is promising a special night for the fans, who will not be disappointed by the fights or the overall production. The card will be broadcast live around Australia on Fox Sports and is the first of a regular monthly series of fight nights to be held at the racecourse pavilion to be known as the “Octagon”.

Melbourne Fight Night
Promoter Murray Thompson has a seven-fight card this Friday night, July 6 at the Knox Netball Centre in Melbourne commencing at 7.30pm with tickets on sale at the door. Australian welterweight champion Julian Holland will headline against Thailand’s Pichai Panita over 10 rounds. Also on the card will be Tony “Mad Dog” Miller and popular female boxer Rain Mako.

Gold Coast Sunday Afternoon Fights
This Sunday afternoon at 3pm there is a combined boxing/kick boxing eight fight card at the Jupiters Casino at Southport on the Gold Coast. There is three Australian boxing titles on the line with the main event seeing exciting rising star Paul Briggs defend his light heavyweight title against Jeff Tupu, Australian heavyweight champion Nathan “Nasty Boy” Briggs vs. Bob Mirovic and “John” Wayne Parr vs. Andriy Khamula for the vacant Australian middleweight title. Tickets are on sale at the box office at Jupiters Casino.

Bankstown Fight Night Success
Last Friday night at the Bankstown Bellevue Function Centre, Nedal “Skinny” Hussein won the vacant WBU super bantamweight title in front of a packed house of over 2,500 people, which again showed the resurgence of the sport when the promoters bring the best fights to the fans.

WBU President Jon Robinson was very impressed with the night on his first trip to Australia and will be returning in September when WBU champions Jan Bergman and Sebastian Rothmann from South Africa defend their titles at the Randwick Racecourse.

The next Fenech Fight Night will be on August 3, at the Leichhardt Le Montage Convention Centre in Sydney. A big card is planned featuring WBO No.1 flyweight Hussein Hussein, IBF No.6 junior middleweight Nader Hamdan, Adam Watt, Marc Bargero, Danny Green and Vic Darchinian with the action broadcast live around Australia on Fox Sports.

Anthony Mundine Live Fight Coverage
Anthony Mundine’s overseas debut in Montreal, Canada against Kevin Pompey will be seen live by Australian fans on Wednesday morning July 11. The card is available on Main Event Pay-Per-View with the undercard commencing at 9am EST. There will be a replay of the Mundine bout after the main event of Eric Lucas vs. Glenn Catley for the vacant WBC super middleweight title, with a full replay of the entire card at 6.30pm.

Fox Sports Pub and Club Vision will commence their coverage of the Canadian card at 10am EST with a replay of the Mundine fight after the main event for lunch time workers who may have missed “The Man” in action. There will be a full replay of the entire card at 6pm.

Speaking from Montreal, Mundine’s manager Khoda Nasser is expecting a big crowd. “The promoter told me they have sold over 8,000 tickets for the arena which holds 12,000 people,” said Nasser. “Anthony is loving it over here and can’t wait to get into the ring. We’ve got ESPN coverage of the fight for the USA, so the world will be able to see him at his best.”

Fox Sports Screens Big USA Fights
Foxtel continues its commitment to Australian boxing fans with some excellent delayed broadcasts over the next two weeks. This Saturday night at 9.30pm Fox Sports Two will screen the WBC super featherweight title fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Carlos Hernandez. On Tuesday night at 11.30pm. Fox Sports will screen Heavyweight Explosion with the main event between Al Cole and Jameel McCline.

Next Saturday July 14 at 9.30pm, Fox Sports Two will show Fox Sports Net Sunday Night Fights, featuring this weekends super middleweight clash between former junior middleweight champion and 1996 Olympic Gold medallist David Reid and Maurice Brantley

Shane Mosley and Roy Jones Jr. Cards Live
Sky Channel has obtained the exclusive rights in Australia for the Shane Mosley-Adrian Stone card from Las Vegas on Sunday 22 July and the Roy Jones Jr.-Julio Gonzalez card from Los Angeles on Sunday July 29. Both cards will commence at 11am EST. Program Manager Melissa Young has arranged fight posters signed by Mosley and Jones Jr. to be given away during broadcasts of both cards.


Paul Upham
Contributing Editor