IT’S as tough as sport gets but, for boxers looking to make the leap into the pro ranks, getting punched in the face can sometimes be the easiest part.
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While their focus should be what happens in the ring, promotional duties often fall to a fighter and his camp and can become and unwelcome distraction. Seeing fighters deal with such headaches has prompted combat sport veterans Kosta Skrapis and Nudge Mieli to create KS Promotions.
The Wollongong-based promoting company aims to give the region’s best fighters a chance to ply their trade on home turf, and help give up and comers a chance to graduate from thriving amateur scene into the pro ranks.
“We’re trying to bring professional boxing back to Wollongong and we want to showcase what we can do in regards to our amateurs and professionals.” Mieli said.
“We’ve got some really good amateurs coming through who have ambitions of turning pro one day. If the kids see there’s a pathway and a platform hopefully it’ll keep them in the game.
“The first 10 or 12 fights is where it’s most difficult because the business side of it just cruels you. If we can give them the pathway and the platform, and if the local community can get behind it, we can get them to that next level.
“Being able to promote, being able to make those decisions and be able to put money into the next promotion, we can help give them that step-up. It’s to help the local guys and hopefully, if it’s successful, we can go to that next level as well.”
Anthony Mundine fought fellow world champions Sam Soliman and the Bulli Blaster Shannan Taylor in Wollongong through the 2000s and – while initial plans are to hold three pro-am events a year – Mieli hopes the new venture could ultimately bring marquee world title fights back to Wollongong.
“We want to give all the local amateurs opportunities to fight at home,” Mieli said.
“There’s already some local promotors doing a really good job of that and being able to fight in front of a home crowd is always a good thing. We want to make it community based and we’re really hoping the local community gets behind it and supports it. We’ve got great amateurs and great coaches here.
“We want to do it three times a year minimum and hopefully, in the next three or four years, we can bring a big fight back to Wollongong and get to the Entertainment Centre. We’ve got to get people back to come and watch boxing so we’re going to put on good fights.
“We want to showcase boxing and we’d love to get it to the point where we can get a big fight back in Wollongong.”
KS Promotions will hold it’s first event at The Fraternity Club on November 24. Forte Boxing Academy’s Haithem Lamoouz – who claimed the Australian lightweight title with a second-round KO in his last appearance at the venue – will headline against 5-0 lightweight Francis Chua for the WBC Asia title over 10 rounds.
A host of other local and professional talent will also be on show.