Hasley ‘Haze the Huntsman’ Hepi is set to fight on the Tim Tszyu undercard for a Qld heavyweight title

Eight years after injuries forced him into a downward spiral that culminated in a suicide attempt, Hasely Hepi has become an influential businessman with more TikTok followers than the global superstar headlining the fight card he is on this weekend.

EIGHT years after injuries forced him into a downward spiral that culminated in a suicide attempt, Hasely Hepi has become an influential businessman with more TikTok followers than the global superstar headlining the fight card he is on this weekend.

The 32-year-old, known as ‘Haze the Huntsman’, will feature on the undercard of Tim Tszyu’s WBO super welterweight world title defence against Mexican Carlos Ocampo at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre on Sunday.

Sporting traditional Maori tattoos across his face, Hepi forms one of the most intriguing subplots of the event. Officially an orthodox boxer, there is nothing orthodox about what Hepi has done in or out of the ring and it’s a big reason behind his success.

Boxer Hasely Hepi has opened up about his journey to the Qld title bout. Picture: Glenn Hampson

The Norse pagan believer follows the same gods as the Vikings, including Thor and will be looking to bring the thunder after battling his way to a shot at the Queensland heavyweight title against Troy Pilcher.

Tszyu may be the main act but Hepi is the one with the greater reach on social media platform Tiktok, with 56,000 followers.

His views are in the millions, with a video of a knockout punch in his return to boxing on a Jamie Myer fight card in 2022 watched by around seven million people alone.

But none of it may have happened if Hepi didn’t manage to turn his life around in 2016.

Hepi burst on to the professional boxing scene in 2012 after a successful amateur career but dislocated his shoulder in the lead up to his debut.

He still managed to win but the now father of three daughters, who had two children at the time, was unable to fight for four years.

Boxer Hasely Hepi has opened up about his journey to the Qld title bout. Picture: Glenn Hampson

Instead he had to toil through shoulder pain daily while doing manual labour as a stone mason, in security and as a plasterer.

“I was doing anything and everything because I had to provide for my family,” Hepi said.

Hepi managed to return in 2016, suffering the only loss of his career when beaten by Conrad Lam, dislocating his shoulder twice while still managing to finish the fight.

He won twice more that year while carrying a torn labrum but things turned south quickly after.

After being promised to have shoulder surgery paid for by his financial backers it fell through and he suffered mentally by not being in the ring. It led to Hepi attempting to take his own life.

“It was when I couldn’t fight and I felt like I had no way out,” Hepi said.

“I was depressed. But one proper attempt (on my life) was enough. I felt like I needed pain. “Without sounding grotesque that is what boxing is for me.

“I’m a violent person by nature and I needed that release for my testosterone or it becomes toxic.

Boxer Hasely Hepi has opened up about his journey to the Qld title bout. Picture: Glenn Hampson

“It was more of a spiritual death then a physical one. I wasn’t becoming the man I thought I could or needed to be and my life wasn’t taking me in the direction I wanted.

“The boy needed to die so the man could be born. That is around the time I found the Norse pagan religion. It made sense to me and I got on the right path again.”

His battled with mental illness are the reason Hepi has a massive portrait of Tyson Fury, a big mental health advocate, on the wall of the gym he owns and operates.

Now the man who scrapped by for his family runs five businesses, including the gym, with his partner.

One of those is a promotional business that will be part of Sunday’s event.

Hepi will walk out to a group of around 30 people performing the haka on Sunday to take on Pilcher for a second time.

The two first fought in 2022, with the bout recorded as a majority draw.

The Huntsman believes things will be different this time as he prepares to weigh in at 130kg.

“I was coming off a long lay-off last time and didn’t have a coach,” Hepi said.

“I have got my old amateur coach Dave Turner to prepare me for this fight and I have dropped a few pants sizes.

“I think I have him for power and speed and I have got him in ring craft and IQ. He is very fit and tough but hopefully I can bring it to him and get him early.

“I don’t fight like a typical heavyweight. A lot of my style is stalking, hunting and walking opponents into traps.”

Hepi said a victory and his first pro title could open new doors in his career but his number one priority was to inspire the young boxers in his gym.

“It could do a lot for me, especially being on a No Limit card which has such a big platform on the world stage,” Hepi said.

“It’s more for my boys at the gym and to bring a title back to show them nothing is out of reach.

“If I can do it at 32 with a broken body that would be great. I just love fighting and the science of it. That is reward enough for me, to do what I love in front of the people I love.”

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Originally published as Hasley ‘Haze the Huntsman’ Hepi is set to fight on the Tim Tszyu undercard for a Qld heavyweight title