Gold Coast fighter Jacob Ng reveals massive injury toll that threatened his career
Ahead of his biggest challenge since undergoing career saving surgery, a Gold Coast fighter has revealed just how close a decade-old injury came to having his dreams stripped from him.
Local sport
Don't miss out on the headlines from Local sport. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Even forced out of the ring for 11 months, his feet getting itchier by the day, Jacob Ng knew his extensive injury recovery had saved his career.
Ahead of his return bout on March 19 against former world featherweight champion Billy Dib, the Gold Coast pugilist revealed that without undergoing shoulder surgery last year he would never have fought again.
The 27-year-old has frequently suffered dislocated shoulders ever since it first popped out in his final year of high school, defying his father’s wishes and playing one final season of rugby league.
Taking on far larger young men — some with more than 30kg on him — proved the catalyst for a recurrent concern which threatened his pursuit of a world title.
Ng said even before his last bout — a March 27 triumph over Blake Minto — he was teetering on the edge and needed to make a clutch decision.
“My dad told me not to (play rugby league), but I’ve gone out and everyone was 80 to 90 kilo front rowers and I was 56kg. I’ve had issues ever since,” Ng said.
“I’ve dislocated it over 10 times … it got worse and worse, and I barely got into the last fight because my shoulder was so wrecked.
“If I didn’t get that surgery I would never be fighting again. My thoughts had always been to never get surgery and wait as long as I could because you never know what can happen in surgery.
“I held out for as long as I could, and it blew before that fight and I lost a lot of strength. “Even in the fight my arm was dropping every time I threw it.”
Three months after barely being able to move his arm, Ng was slowly launching his comeback.
The longer he spent out of the ring, the more his ranking slipped; going from a top five world fighter to 11th in the IBF and WBO lightweight division.
However ‘The Flamingo’ believes his time on the sidelines has been a blessing in disguise.
Now Ng said he knew what it took to overcome any adversity, and adapt on his road to continuing his unbeaten career.
“Fighting is a people hurting business, you get punched in the face for a living. Having this and working through the shoulder injury has taught me how to adapt to certain situations and come out victorious,” he said.
“I have very itchy hands, it’s been a long time. I was in a sling sort of thing and couldn’t use my arm for the first three months.
“It was all good, I’m pretty chill and not much really fazes me. I punch on for a living so I’m calm and chill about most things.”
While his comeback nearly a year on will be against a man of Dib’s calibre, Ng was quick to turn the heat up on his more seasoned rival.
Despite Dib’s pair of global championships — at times holding the IBF featherweight mantle and the IBO super-featherweight belt — Ng said he would not be the one daunted by the occasion.
“I think he’s getting thrown to the wolves actually. I’m the young world rated fighter, he’s past his prime now,” Ng said.
“He’s an older fella having another shot at glory, so he’s challenging me for my belt. I’m the wolf on this occasion.
“I’m keen to put on a show for everyone, I have a strong, stable shoulder that doesn’t pop out anymore.
“Everyone gets a little bit nervous, it’s how you use that energy. It’s just another day in the office for me; I’ll enjoy the experience and put on a show for everyone.”
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 'FUTURE WORLD CHAMPION': GALLEN SPARS TITLE HOPEFUL
Retired NRL star Paul Gallen brought an enormous profile to boxing when he made the shift into the ring and believes the sport’s next great identity comes in the form of world title hopeful Jai Opetaia.
The Cronulla Sharks premiership player took Opetaia through his paces in six rounds lasting three minutes each in the heart of Surfers Paradise on Thursday as the latter prepares to fight Latvian Mairis Briedis for the IBF cruiserweight title on April 6 at the Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre.
Gallen has featured on some of the biggest fight cards in Australia in recent years, bringing new fans to the sport outside of the traditional boxing audience.
The former NSW State of Origin captain said Opetaia would be the next to capture the hearts and minds of the country.
“All of Australia really needs to start supporting this guy,” Gallen said.
“I copped a bit of flack for jumping into boxing to earn a coin but I bring a profile to this sport. Jai needs a profile behind him and I’m happy to help. I urge all of Australia to get behind this bloke.”
Gallen, 40, flew to the Gold Coast from his Sydney base free of charge to help Opetaia prepare for Briedis, who boasts a similar build to the former league player.
“I’m happy to help however I can. To say I jumped in the ring with a future world champion, that is something pretty cool that I can tell my kids,” Gallen said.
The duo first crossed paths in 2011 in Sydney when Opetaia visited an Australian Kangaroos training camp. Gallen has followed his career ever since and even supplied football boots to Opetaia’s younger brother Elvis, 18, on occasion.
Opetaia, 26, said Gallen provided the perfect sparring partner.
“I’m a NSW boy from the Central Coast and he (Gallen) is a living legend where I am from,” Opetai said.
“It is an honour to have him behind me. He has shown it on the field and in the ring, he is a soldier.”
Tickets for the world title fight are on sale now, with prices starting from $39.95.
How Gallen will help shape world title bid
FORMER NRL star Paul Gallen has been brought in to help prepare Gold Coast boxer Jai Opetaia’s world title bid.
Gallen, an NRL premiership player who has gone on to become an accomplished boxer, will fly into the Gold Coast today to put Opetaia through his paces in the ring.
Opetaia will fight Latvian Mairis Briedis for the IBF cruiserweight title on April 6 at the Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre.
Opetaia, 26, and Gallen first met when Opetaia attended a training camp the Australian Kangaroos representative rugby league team was conducting at Redfern in Sydney in 2011 when he was 16.
Opetaia was preparing for the Olympic Games at the time and both he and Gallen have remained in contact ever since.
“I have known Jai for a long time,” Gallen said.
“I have sparred with him a couple of times but not for a number of years now.
“We met at that training camp and I have followed his career ever since.
“It’s unreal to see him get a shot at the world title. I take my hat off to him with how hard he has trained and his dedication to the sport.
“I’m proud of him and happy he has been able to get to where he is. Fingers crossed he gets the win and becomes the next world champion for Australia.
“The boxing community and sporting community in general should really get behind him.”
Gallen still has a contract in place for two more fights but they will need to happen before the end of 2022, with the 40-year-old confirming he would retire from boxing at the end of this year.
“I haven’t got anything in the pipeline at the moment,” he said.
“I have to sit back and wait to see what happens.
“I don’t have a lot of fights left in me. I’m getting to the age where I am ready to retire. I retired from rugby league a few years ago and boxing has been great but I’ll be retiring soon. Without a doubt (by the end of the year.”
Justis Huni, who beat Gallen last year, is on the undercard of the Opetaia and Briedis fight and has been training with the world title contender but Gallen said there would be no rematch between the pair.
“Justis is another great boxer and one I wish all the best for. Hopefully Australia can get behind him and he can fulfil his dream of getting to a world title fight too,” Gallen said.
Huni's plans to deliver KO in long-awaited comeback
Australian heavyweight champion Justis Huni has vowed to become the first to knockout Kiwi Kiki Leutele in his long-awaited return to the ring.
Huni will feature on the undercard of the May 11 showdown between Jai Opetaia and Latvian Mairis Briedis for the IBF cruiserweight world title at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre.
It will be the 22-year-old’s first bout since beating former NRL star Paul Gallen in June last year.
Huni has had a horror run of luck ever since. A hand injury, worsened in his fight against Gallen, forced him to withdraw from the Tokyo Olympics while he has caught Covid twice in recent months.
The first was in December during a training camp with Justin Fortune, who was the strength and conditioning trainer for Manny Pacquiao, in the US while the second happened back in Australian in January.
Huni said he is back to 100 per cent health and fitness and was itching to get into the ring again.
“It feels amazing to finally be able to train for a fight again,” Huni said.
“It’s been a long time coming. I feel good. I am very energised and excited for this.”
Huni said he wanted to be the first to floor Leutele.
“It’s a good challenge for me. He has never been knocked out and I’d like to be the first to do it.”
Huni could potentially move into the top 15 in the world for multiple boxing bodies if he beats Leutele, putting him on the path to a world title shot.
“It’s (Opetaia’s) time (for a world title fight) now. My time will come in the near future,” Huni said.
Huni said he brought home a boxing style packed with more power from his stint in the US after transitioning from amateur boxing where points meant more than punishing an opponent physically.
Meanwhile Opetaia is in the shape of his life, sitting at 94kg as he prepares to take to the ring at 91kg against Briedis.
The fight had to be pushed back from April 6 after Briedis caught Covid and Opetaia said it played into his hands.
“We were already going to be ready and now they have given us more time. I feel like they are digging themselves a deeper hole,” Opetaia said.
Briedis has only been beaten once in his career, by current world heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.
Promoter Dean Lonergan said Briedis would arrive in top shape and that it was “fair to say there is drug testing in the contract and we will be doing it.”
EARLIER:
THE Glitter Strip will remain the host of Jai Opetaia’s world title fight, with promoters locking in a deal with the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The IBF cruiserweight showdown between Opetaia and Latvian Mairis Briedis was originally scheduled to happen on April 6 at the Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre, before the latter contracted Covid.
Promoter Dean Longeran said a suitable new date couldn’t be agreed upon with the same venue, with the fight now shifted to the Broadbeach precinct on May 11.
“After two years of Covid-struck events, organisers and promoters are booking venues left, right and centre, so to secure dates can be difficult,” Longeran said.
“We are grateful the Convention Centre had a date that was available.”
The crowd capacity at the original venue was going to stand at 5500 and will be similar at the Convention Centre, which can hold 4500 for the fight.
“This will be a really tough fight for Jai but he can win it,” Lonergan said.
“He can see the Gold Coast becoming a long term host of events so if Gold Coasters want world-class boxing then come on out and support it, because it is going to be something special.”
Australian heavyweight boxer Justis Huni will feature on the undercard, with Kiki Leutele confirmed as his opponent.
Opetaia already has a stacked resumé. He won the light heavyweight 2011 Junior World Championships as an amateur and became the youngest Australian to qualify for the Olympics at the age of 16, going on to represent Australia at the 2012 London Games.
“These are two of the best boxers to come out of Australia in the last 100 years,” Lonergan said.
REVEALED: Where Opetaia’s world title fight will be
GOLD Coast has won the race to host Jai Opetaia’s world title fight against Mairis Briedis in what promoter Dean Lonergan says will be the first of many first class bouts on the Glitter Strip.
Lonergan has revealed the Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre, based at Carrara, will be the scene for the IBF cruiserweight showdown on April 6, with officials estimating a capacity crowd of 5500.
Sydney, Brisbane and Newcastle were also considered but Lonergan said the support from Major Events Gold Coast and Tourism and Events Queensland ultimately tipped it in Gold Coast’s favour.
“Our intention is to have a lot more fights of this calibre in Australia and right now, because of the support we are getting from Major Events Gold Coast and TEQ, I’d like to think we could come back here to the Gold Coast regularly with world class boxing events.
“The reason is because Gold Coast is a world class destination that is renowned for its amazing beaches, cafes, fantastic lifestyle and great weather.”
Opetaia has been living on the Gold Coast on and off for the past two years but permanently for six months.
The decision means the 26-year-old Surfers Paradise resident will have access to all his usual training facilities and support staff from the comfort of his home.
“Getting the world title fight is something we have been really working hard on and it is a big deal and a blessing to have it in Australia,” Opetaia said.
“I’m not looking to go an compete, I’m looking at winning and then I have got further plans down the track to unify the world titles. I’m going in with a winning mentality.”
The bout will be the first world title fight held in Australia since Jeff Horn beat Gary Corcoran in Brisbane in 2017.
Briedis, 37, has enjoyed success when fighting outside of his home of Latvia, winning in England, Germany, Greece and the US.
But Lonergan said there were a couple of reasons why this road trip would be harder for the reigning champion.
“Jai has a chin of granite, is in the shape of his life, is in the best training environment he could be in but the biggest problem Bredis has right now is that he is training in minus three degrees,” Lonergan said.
“When he comes to the Gold Coast after 24-hours of travelling he is going to get a massive shock.
“His camp realised this two months ago. He was originally going to come 10 days before the fight but is now coming 15 days before.”
More Coverage
Cook’s recipe for Olympic glory: Yatala Pies
Sydney 2000 gold medallist Natalie Cook reveals her unique recipe for Olympic success: Pies. Go inside for the full details.
Star Olympian forced into homelessness: The price our heroes pay for glory
Former Australian Olympic star Bronwen Knox has revealed the incredible sacrifice she made to keep her dream of becoming Australia’s first four-time women’s water polo Olympian alive. Details inside.