18/10/2026
Ballina Boxing Fisticuffs at the Lennox Heads Cultural Centre
First up, we had Milan Igua facing a late replacement opponent from Heartbreak Conditioning. It was a very close contest where both lads applied their plans well. Milan utilised angles with hook-offs and measured well with his jab, setting up opportunities and openings to land his right from different positions. His opponent applied calculated pressure behind a tight guard and turned the pressure on a little bit more as the rounds progressed. In a tit-for-tat contest, Milan lost a split decision, though he can take a lot from this experience, as it was definitely his best performance to date. Back to the gym with a couple of tweaks here and there will see Milan progress on this performance. Well done, mate. Great effort.
Next up, we had young Kobi Wills continue his good form this year with another performance that asked him to overcome the mental side, with niggling injuries affecting his ability to apply his natural game. Kobi clearly wasn’t his usual presence, wearing his opponents down with continued pressure and Benevidez-like combinations. In another seesaw battle, Kobi turned the pace up in rounds 2 and 3, landing the more telling blows and getting the better of the work, taking a close decision win. Credit to his opponent from Grafton, who would find a way to stay in the bout with good counterpunches, making it a very competitive contest. In a well-matched bout, Kobi, like all winners do, found a way to overcome his personal injuries and take the win. Well done, legend. On to the next one.
Third up, Connor Mathieson stepped back onto the ring of truth against a young and well-skilled opponent from Balmain (James Fox). Connor once again found himself up against it, giving away significant height and reach in a very entertaining, high-level bout. The physical advantages played a big part in the contest, where James possessed good footwork and punch selection, making it challenging for Connor to land successive attacks, as James would slide the angles well and not sit in front of Connor, allowing him to apply his usual pressure on the inside. In another seesaw, very entertaining bout, Connor left no stone unturned as he looked for opportunities to take advantage of his crafty opponent. Going back to 2-minute rounds didn’t favour Connor’s style, as he takes advantage of the final minute as his opponents fatigue. At this stage, early on in his career, it’s good experience against a crafty, tall and awkward southpaw. It was a close contest right throughout. In a very competitive bout, Connor dropped a close points decision. Great effort, Connor. Keep taking the opportunities, as you’ve come so far this year. It’s difficult losing close decisions, but your willingness to take any challenge is why you’ve improved so much this year. Keep up the great work.
Last up, we had young Ethan Mayo stepping into the elite men’s category against a formidable opponent from FiteKlub. Ethan boxed well, taking centre ring, where his opponent relied on counterpunching off the back foot, allowing Ethan to go first and attempt to capitalise on the openings. Ethan applied the game plan well, changing levels and pressing when needed. Going into the third round, I felt Ethan had the better of the first 2 rounds. Credit to Ethan’s opponent, who arguably got the better of the last round. He found a way to stay in the fight. Surprisingly, Ethan didn’t get the spoils, with both the ring announcer and judge conceding they felt Ethan had done enough. Though, in boxing, as in life, we have to accept not everything falls in line with how we may see it. It’s not so much the result where growth happens, but more so the response to the result that shows how far we’ve come on this journey in the ring of life. Ethan showed his maturity by accepting it for what it is: another moment where he can reflect upon and make the adjustments necessary to put himself back in the winner’s circle. It was another entertaining, close contest where Ethan dropped a split decision. Great effort, and with a couple of adjustments in the last round, I feel Ethan will see himself winning this contest.
All in all, 1 win and 3 losses. All fights were extremely well matched, and that’s credit to Nick from Ballina Boxing, who put an enormous amount into this show. All fights were very closely contested in front of a great crowd at one of the better venues and organised tournaments we’ve attended this year. Credit to the referees, who allowed the bouts to flow without intervening or imposing themselves in the contest, allowing the fighters to do their work. The quality of the bouts was a testament to the grassroots level of boxing in Australia. Australia is going from strength to strength on the international scene in amateur boxing, and that’s credit to shows like this that support grassroots-level competition.
Thanks also to the coaches, parents and supporters who made their way down to Lennox Heads, providing continued support and building this culture and team environment into what it is becoming. We are forever grateful ❤️
