Fraser Coast’s 11 best boxers, Muay Thai boxers
The Fraser Coast’s boxing and Muay Thai gyms are nurturing the talents of some very impressive young fighters. See the list of the young boxers to watch. VIDEO
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From competing in national titles to world championships, Fraser Coast’s boxing and Muay Thai gyms are home to some talented young fighters.
While many boxers are just starting out in the sport, some have enough experience, talent and passion for it that they now train aspiring young fighters in their own gyms.
The Chronicle spoke to two of the region’s leading boxing coaches who are now teaching the region’s rising young talents in boxing and Muay Thai.
Here is our list of 11 promising young fighters to watch.
Jack McInnes
Jack “The Ripper” McInnes is a coach and owner of Rippers Gym, a Muay Thai and boxing gym in Hervey Bay.
With more than 14 years experience and 59 fights behind him, Mr McInnes now trains aspiring young fighters alongside his partner Courtney Rainbow.
Some key achievements in his career include North Queensland Muay Thai Champion in 2010 and 2011, and Muaythai (sic) Australia Australian Champion in 2019.
Jack also made the top 18 heavyweight division in 2019 at the International Federation of Muaythai Associations World Championships.
He saidit was “great fun” teaching kids at the gym.
Not only does muay thai boxing get kids “off the streets”, but teaches them how to “defend themselves”, he said.
McMcInnes said he was currently training for his 60th fight, and hinted it would be his last before heading into retirement.
Reed Rainbow
This young boxing talent joined Rippers Gym in 2017.
Reed Rainbow, 12, has been training for seven years and has already made some incredible boxing achievements.
He was a silver and bronze medalist at the National Muay Thai Australian Championships, and was also selected to attend the IFMA World Championships.
Unfortunately, the championships did not go ahead due to Covid.
Paiten Rainbow
Boxing genes run in the family, with Reed’s older sister Paiten also a Muay Thai boxer.
Paiten, 15, started boxing when she was just five years old.
She’s now been training for 11 years and joined Rippers Gym in 2017.
Key achievements for Paiten include competing in the World Muay Thai Games, winning bronze in Thailand.
The young boxing talent also won gold at the National Muay Thai Australian Championships, along with three silvers.
Paiten took home silver place at the State Championships, and has been selected for the IFMA World Championships twice.
Graeme Clarke
Graeme Clarke has been Muay Thai boxing for four years, joining Rippers Gym in 2018.
One of his greatest achievements in this boxing journey to-date, was being selected to represent Australia at the Muaythai Youth World Championships in Malaysia, in August 2022.
Along with taking home medals at the National Muay Thai Australia Championships, big highlights for this young talent include meeting industry professionals like Albert Tua and John Wayne Parr.
Sean McNamara
Sean McNamara, 32, has been training on and off for the past eight years and joined Rippers Gym in 2018.
For Sean, Muay Thai turned his life around.
As a recovering addict, he said the sport has helped him “stay clean” and “stay focused”.
Sean was crowned Rip it by the Beach King of the Ring in September 2021, and was a bronze medalist at the Muay Thai State Championships in 2018.
He was also the amateur middleweight runner-up at the same championships in March 2021, and the Road to Glory boxing title runner-up in April 2022.
Jacqui Noske
Jacqui Noske is the founder of Hervey Bay boxing gym, Against The Ropes.
The single mum of four boys and two girls moved to Hervey Bay at the end of 2018, and in her first year of being in the city, competed in four fights and represented Australia twice.
“I initially founded the gym out of a need to help my kids heal, grow and excel; to help them settle in to a new place where they knew no one and felt as though they didn’t fit in. They struggled to find kids their age that they could relate to, kids that were goal driven and held similar interests,” Ms Noske said.
She’s a strength and conditioning specialist, personal trainer and became a herbalist during Covid.
She also holds her Coaching, Judge and Referee accreditations with Boxing Australia.
In 2000, Ms Noske worked alongside the USA Olympic boxing team, but said just before “taking the leap to move” for a professional boxing contract, her life “took a turn”.
At 40 years old, Ms Noske has started to fight again, and has a passion to “change the course of other kids’ lives for the better”.
“I feel stepping through those ropes is a powerful message that it's never too late, you’re not too old to chase your dreams and that you are capable of incredible and miraculous things. All you have to do is believe in yourself, drown out the white noise and push forward, one foot in front of the other in the direction of your dreams,” she said.
Abdullah Bassal
Abdullah Bassal, 18, has been boxing since 2018, and hopes to one day become a professional boxer.
The rising young boxing star trains at his family business, Against The Ropes.
He hopes to represent Australia at the world championships next year, and go to Paris for the Olympics.
After moving to Hervey Bay, his mum encouraged him to get into the sport which he said he “immediately fell in love with” and knew it is what he want to do for the rest of his life.
Key achievements for Abdullah include winning gold at the Queensland State Championships, becoming the new 63.5kg (super lightweight) Queensland Champion in 2022, and placing silver at Golden Gloves in 2019.
He holds his Level 1 Boxing Coach and Level 1 Referee & Judge accreditations with boxing Australia.
Ms Noske said aside from training, Abdullah mentored and shared his “love and knowledge of boxing” at the family gym by assisting and taking classes.
The 18-year-old is also flying to the Philippines next week for a two-week training camp.
Khaled Bassal
Khaled Bassal, 15, has been boxing on and off since 2018, and has followed in his brother Abdullah’s footsteps when it comes to boxing.
He started taking boxing seriously when his family opened Against The Ropes in 2021.
For Khaled, his goal is to represent Australia at the Commonwealth Games, World Championships, and one day, the Olympics.
His long term goal is to become a professional boxer and help his family “put Against The Ropes and Hervey Bay on the map in the boxing world”.
Khaled has competed in three fights, with the last two at the North Queensland Games in Townsville earlier this year.
He has been training for the Golden Gloves competition, and like his brother, holds Level 1 Boxing Coach and Level 1 Referee & Judge accreditations with boxing Australia.
Samara Mohamad
The boxing passion runs in the family with 10-year-old boxing talent, Samara Mohamad.
Samara is the young sister of Khaled and Abdullah, and has been training on and off since 2018.
Like her brothers, she started taking boxing seriously with the opening of the family business, Against The Ropes in 2021.
Samara hopes to launch her boxing career with her first fight in Bundaberg at the Wide Bay Titles.
She helps with the gym’s junior boxing class and now trains in the fighters class, making her the youngest in the team.
To help build confidence and skills as she steps into her boxing career, Samara also attends Boxing Queensland development camps and women’s only camps.
For Samara, her goal is to “become world champion one day”.
Wiremu Bentley
Wiremu Bentley, 12, has been boxing for three years.
During Covid, Wiremu said he did both boxing and rugby, and started training at Against The Ropes when it opened in 2021.
He said his goal was to “become a world champion by 2030”.
Wiremu has competed in one amateur fight, and while he fought bravely, he realised he was in the wrong weight category.
Coach Jacqui Noske said after Wiremu competed in the fight, he had been training twice a week to “ensure a victory when he goes back in at the Wide Bay Titles in September”.
“Wiremu is a great asset to the club, helping with the junior’s class and overall polite, hardworking and a great role model,” Ms Noske said.
Wiremu is also in the fighter’s class at the gym, making him the second youngest in the team.
Simon Lemanu
Simon Lemanu took over as head coach at Against The Ropes in June 2022.
He started boxing when he was younger with his uncle.
A highlight in Mr Lemanu’s boxing career has been meeting quality people and developing long term friends.
A key memory was winning an Australian title, after only competing in one amateur fight.
A goal for Mr Lemanu is fighting for the Masters super heavyweight titles titles, but for now, he enjoys coaching and inspiring the next generation of young fighters.
“Growing up with a difficult life, someone showed me how to be a better person, and to do something positive for the next generation,” he said.
“I feel that I am meant to help and change peoples lives, to help kids on the wrong track, to get on the right track.
“I work with schools and coaching, and now with Against The Ropes, as they align with the work I feel is my calling in life.”
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