Fortitude Gym’s Jade Williams, right, knocked out Porirua’s Joe Long. PHOTO/SUPPLIED
THAI BOXING
CHRIS COGDALE
[email protected]
Two Wairarapa fighters had big wins at the Thai Boxing Capital Punishment 48 at Te Rauparaha Arena in Porirua on Saturday night.
Jared Pye and Jade Williams have previously competed for the Fortitude Gym at junior level. They have returned to the club’s roster as senior athletes.
Pye, 21, fought Thorin Dunlop from the Combat Room Wellington in three, two-minute, rounds contested under modified Thai boxing rules, in which elbow strikes are not allowed.
Pye came out strong and imposed his dominance early with a clear height and reach advantage over his opponent.
He fought to his strengths and easily captured the first round. The second and third rounds followed in similar fashion with Pye knocking down Dunlop in each round. It was a clinical and dominant unanimous points victory for Pye.
Williams, 23, the more experienced of the two young fighters, fought Joe Long from FTA Porirua at 68kg – also under modified Thai boxing rules.
Williams was full of energy and ready to explode out of his corner.
He used made quick work of his opponent with clean strikes from his arsenal of moves.
Late in the first round, Williams hit Long with a front kick to the midsection that left his opponent hurt. Williams showed his maturity, baiting his opponent and backing him into the corner before landing a powerful body punch that knocked Williams out.
Meanwhile, Fortitude Gym are under way with training corporate boxers who have signed up to compete in the club’s second ‘Hands of Hope’ event on October 12.
Trainer Zane Hopman said the event would raise money for a charity for breast cancer.
“The show will be showcasing corporate boxing and amateur Muay Thai bouts as we did in last year’s event.”
A New Zealand middleweight Muay Thai title fight between Aaron Coles of Alpha Muay Thai Porirua and Fortitude Gym’s Brent Sugrue will be the feature bout on the card.
Hopman said the interest in the event has been incredible.
“Corporate tables sold out four weeks ago without us advertising. It has been amazing and humbling to receive the support from local businesses for the cause,” he said.
