Pittsworth boxer Jackson ‘Stoneleigh’ Griffiths ready for title fight

A Pittsworth boxer is on the verge of greatness with the announcement he will be fighting for the WBC World Youth Welterweight Title in Toowoomba this March. See who he will face here.

The WBC World Youth Welterweight Title is set to be contested in Toowoomba this year.

Pittsworth boxer Jackson ‘Stoneleigh’ Griffiths faces a date with destiny as he prepares for a landmark fight in the Garden City.

Griffiths will take on Thailand’s Anuson Thonglueang for the WBC World Youth Welterweight Title in a blockbuster fight at Rumours International on March 15.

The 22-year-old pugilist has taken the boxing world by storm and boasts an impressive 12-0 record as a pro.

“I am very excited for this one, it is a big opportunity and a big test for me so I am really looking forward to it,” he said.

“It means a lot to me and the team to be able to fight for the belt.

Jackson Griffiths stands over opponent Frankie Srisang after a knockout. Picture: Darren Burns.

“I feel pretty proud and honoured to be getting in the ring, especially as a main event and all these kids are going to be looking up to me and I just want to be a role model for them and put on the best performance I can.”

Griffiths only took up the sport around five years ago and thanks his trainer Brad Smith, who has been the biggest driving factor in his supersonic surge through the world rankings.

“Originally I met my trainer Brad Smith and he was one of my fitness teachers and was into horses,” he said.

“So I ended up going out to Brad’s and riding some of his horses and sure enough he does a bit of boxing, so I asked him if he could train me and we went from there.

“We had a couple of fights and had an opportunity to turn professional quicker than I thought and here I am now.

“I just had an interest in boxing but when I first started I never thought I was going to turn pro or even thought I would make it this far.”

It was this strong relationship with his trainer that led to him adopting his name ‘Stoneleigh’, after the pair both grew up on the same road.

“It is a funny story actually, my trainer Brad, he grew up on the same road that I grew up on,” Griffiths said.

“One of the horses he named after me, so it was pretty unique to be able to come back and call myself Stoneleigh.

“It means a lot to be able to come off that road and hometown so that even when I am travelling all around Australia, everyone is going to know where that is.”

Having made such an incredible rapid rise through the sport at such a young age, Griffiths credits boxing to his growth as a person.

Jackson 'Stoneleigh' Griffiths with his belts at the official announcement of the WBC World Youth Welterweight Title fight in Toowoomba.

“The last four or five years I think I have grown a lot in my career and as a person,” he said.

“It has had an awesome impact on me, just the discipline and being able to get up and go for those runs and staying up late training, it just teaches you discipline and is unbelievable.”

The sport has provided him with unforgettable experiences as he has traversed the globe for various fights but for him, nothing comes close to fighting in his backyard.

“I have travelled to some awesome places, I got to go to Mexico with Steve (Spark), went to Cleveland, Houston, Thailand a few times, got to go to India and fought in Columbia and all of them have led to this moment,” he said.

“It is awesome to be able to go and fight overseas and even train over there, it is an unreal feeling, but there is no better place than fighting in your hometown, fighting in Pittsworth would have to be by far the best place I have ever fought.”

As for this upcoming title fight, Griffiths is as ready as he will ever be and is determined to continue to turn heads in the boxing arena but is under no illusions of what lies ahead of him.

“He (Thonglueang) is very crafty and a tough fighter, I have watched a few of his videos and studied him,” he said.

“He is going to bring a lot to the table - he is going to be very tough.

“I have never been one to predict anything but I am going to go out there and try my best and train hard over the next two months.”