Injuries ended Ryan Breese’s promising footy career but now an Asian boxing title awaits
RYAN Breese revels in beating the odds. Chronic knee injuries prompted doctors to tell Breese his football career was over in 2010.
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RYAN Breese revels in beating the odds.
Chronic knee injuries prompted doctors to tell Breese his football career was over in 2010.
In 2011, he won a flag with Lilydale.
Footy has taken a back seat since then, though, as Breese followed his father’s fleet footwork into boxing.
When Breese, 27, steps into the ring at the Melbourne Pavilion in Flemington on Friday to fight for the vacant WBC Asian Boxing Council Continental super middleweight title, he’ll aim to beat the odds again.
The Box Hill North slugger will be giving away a wealth of experience to his Fijian opponent, Opeti Tagi, but little else.
“I’m up for the challenge,” Breese said.
“He’s pretty established. He’s got a lot more experience than me.
“I’m definitely stepping up as far as opponents go. It’s a much bigger prize than anything I’ve fought for already.
“I’m pretty nervous but excited too.”
That Friday will be just the fifth sanctioned fight of Breese’s pro boxing career, and number 28 for his opponent, speaks to his burgeoning talent. Breese claimed the state middleweight title in November and defended it in May when he beat Queenslander Shane Parry.
A win this week could be his springboard on to the world stage.
“If I win this it’ll open a few more doors for me,” Breese said.
“I’ll get a world ranking, which is pretty big.
“That’s not something I’d ever expected.
“I’ve got a few things in the pipeline for later in the year.
“They’ll be big stepping stones as well.”
Breese trains under his father Rick, a former fighter and himself the son of a fighter, at Shadows Gym in Eltham.
The electrician manages to combine full-time work with seven days a week of training.
His gym sessions are a minimum of 2½ hours.
“It doesn’t give you much time to relax,” Breese said.
“There are times after work where you don’t want to be going to training, but it’s always a good feeling when you walk out of a solid session.”
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