Justis Huni to pack a punch in his heavyweight bout against Kiki Leutele
Justis Huni must not only beat Kiki Leutele on Friday night. he needs a knockout win over the Kiwi fighter.
Boxing/MMA
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Anything less than a knockout win over Kiki Leutele at Nissan Arena on Friday night will be a career setback for Australian heavyweight boxer Justis Huni.
That was brutal reality delivered on Monday by trainer Justin Fortune, who has worked hard adding more power to Huni’s punches.
Despite being undefeated in his six professional bouts, 23-year-old Huni’s “slapping” habit from his amateur days must be rectified if he’s to win a world title.
Los Angeles-based Fortune, who fought Lennox Lewis, said Huni knew how to “box” but needed to learn how “to punch”.
“There’s no counter or defence for a fighter from power,” said Fortune, who recently put Huni through his paces at a Hollywood camp.
“He (Huni) needs to go out there and make a statement.
“The longer the fight goes, the worse Justis will look. He has go out there and finish it, and it’s well within his abilities to do that.”
Leutele won’t be a pushover, but Fortune said the Kiwi slugger would provide Huni with a “target” to hit.
“He’s a ‘walk-up’ guy,” Fortune said of Leutele.
“He can throw hooks which are dangerous, but ... if you can push him backwards, he’s gone because he doesn’t know how to fight going backwards.
“Justis should be too fast and too smart for him.”
Huni said his power was “coming along nicely”.
“I can feel it myself sparring,” Huni said.
“Off the jab from the first bell, getting my opponents on the back foot straight away.
“Everything Justin has been teaching me, I’ve taken it on board, because he’s been in this position as well. He’s fought the best – he’s fought Lennox Lewis.
“Power is an extra thing for me to have on board. Like I’ve always said, there’s always room for improvement and I’ve had the benefits of being able to train with the best in the world.”
Leutele, who has won eight of his 11 fights, said either way, the fight would not go the distance,
“Someone going to fall over,” he said.
Originally published as Justis Huni to pack a punch in his heavyweight bout against Kiki Leutele
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