Jackson “Stoneleigh” Griffiths to lock horns with Mexico’s Miguel Vazquez in massive fight night
One of the biggest nights in Toowoomba boxing history is set to take place in November, with boxers from across the globe descending on Rumours International, including a fighter who has fought Canelo Alvarez twice.
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A new chapter in the esteemed history of Toowoomba boxing will be written on November 8, when Pittsworth’s Jackson “Stoneleigh” Griffiths takes on Mexico’s Miguel Vazquez at Rumours International.
Along with the blockbuster bout for the WBC Grand Champion Belt, there will be Australia titles on the line and an Australia/India cup up for grabs.
Promoter Brendon Smith has organised some of the biggest fight nights in Toowoomba history and was excited by what awaits in this upcoming card.
“(I am) very excited, this is the biggest show we’ve done,” he said.
“Super excited, super proud. it’s all coming together, this is an exciting opportunity for our fighters.
“This man (Vazquez), he has fought more world champions than Jackson has fights.”
Griffiths has had a meteoric rise through the boxing world and has what it takes to be one of the supreme talents in the world of boxing if his rise continues.
However, he is under no illusion about what is at stake for him.
“It is a massive fight coming up, it’s a massive test, these next 11 weeks are going to be very crucial for me and my team in the camp so we are going to put it all on the line for this,” he said.
“There’s a lot at stake – the WBC Grand Champion – if I could pull this off it would really make my name on the world scene.
“We have watched this fella a few times and we’ve really got to sit down and watch him but there’s a step for being from where I am to the next level and we’re really going to give it a go and roll the dice to see if we can make it to the next level.
“I’ve got youth on him, I’ve got the strength on him I believe, but I can’t underestimate him, he’s only 37, I’ve seen many great fighters pull off great fights at that age so I can’t underestimate him.”
Vazquez brings experience which Griffiths – who won the WBC World Youth Welterweight Title Belt this year – has never faced before.
“He’s very high calibre of fighter, he’s fought Canelo Alvarez twice,” Griffiths said.
“He went the distance with him and they were in their primes when they fought so its gonna be a big test for me.
“It is nerve-racking in some ways but in some ways it excites me, I really want to go to that next level and be an excitement.”
Along with pitting such a massive fight between two world-class fighters, the next generation of Darling Downs boxers will feature on a stacked night, with amateurs entering the ring and some Queensland pugilists making their professional debuts in the inaugural Australia/India Cup.
“It is really exciting where this goes,” Smith said in regards to the new cup which will feature multiple boxers from both countries.
“The calibre of fighter that’s coming from India for this, for example Nathalie Pavlides’ opponent, she’s five and one she’s the number one ranked fighter in India she's in the top 100 in the world already.
“This is her (Pavlides) pro debut fight so they’re all in for good hard fights on the night.”
William Anderson is hoping to kickstart his pro career in style with his debut pro fight taking place as well.
“It is an honour to represent Australia in my first ever professional fight,” he said.
“To be on the card with one of my good mates Jacko, I’ve grown up with him in Pittsworth for as long as I can remember and then under Herm (Ene-Purcell) and Dylan (Biggs) and all the other big names as well, it is a real honour.”
When quizzed on his goals for boxing, Anderson let his personality shine through, giving fans a taste of what to expect.
“Honestly I just like to fight, I just want to go out and punch on but in the grand scheme if I could win an Australian title I would be happy,” he said.
“I go out there to have fun, I’m not going out there because I feel I need to prove a point or because I had to learn how to fight or anything like that, I’m just going out there to do what I love to do and the adrenaline rush is nothing like it.
“So that’s me, that’s why I do it and that’s why I love it.”
Young gun Andy Kisiel is featuring on the amateur card and is eager to bring the Rumours patrons to their feet.
“I bring the big heavy punches, I’m a forward fighter, you don’t see too many of them these days,” he said.
“I’m very proud of my style and I think it’s the greatest for myself and for the fans to watch.”
The Darling Downs boxer has already featured on big cards and hopes to one day headline these nights himself.
“I love my amateurs but the end goal is to be a pro and hopefully one day I will be headlining this main card myself,” Kisiel said.
“That’s a dream for me, when I do that, that’s when I know this is the real deal and I would be super grateful for that.”
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