Rikki Naito and Jed Morris ready to stake their claims at Toowoomba fight night

A blockbuster fight night is set to take place in Toowoomba on March 15, with an undefeated Goondiwindi boxer looking to further stake his claim as a rising talent, while a former Japanese champion who now calls Toowoomba home has his sights set on surging up the WBC rankings.

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

A star-studded fight card has been prepared for the upcoming fight night at Rumours International on March 15 with Rikki Naito and Jed Morris looking to deal a knockout blow in front of their hometown supporters

Naito is a former Japanese champion who has swapped the bustling streets of Yokohama for the laid back lifestyle of Toowoomba.

“My hometown Yokohama is very busy with a lot of people,” he said.

“I like Toowoomba and the Toowoomba people, they are very friendly, everyone says “hi” and it is not busy so I like it - Toowoomba has a good lifestyle.”

Naito takes on Thailand’s Thiranan Matsali and has made a statement ahead of the fight, promising a knockout win as he attempts to return to the top 10 in the WBC rankings having previously reached as high as number seven.

Rikki Naito before walking out for a fight. Picture: Darren Burns.

“It is very exciting, I have worked very hard,” Naito said.

He refuses to settle on just returning to his peak ranking of number seven either, with sights set on reaching the reaching the holy grail number one ranking.

“With a lot of hard training, I want to get to number one,” he said.

For Goondiwindi’s Morris, the fight is about picking up where he has left off, having taken major strides in 2023 to now hold a 5-0 record as a pro.

“I am very excited, this sets me up for a good year,” he said

“I had a really good year last year and I am looking to keep the ball rolling.

“It (being undefeated) definitely makes you push a bit harder and there is a bit more of a drive to try and stay undefeated for sure.

“It doesn’t mean everything but it makes you work harder.

“I am just going to take it one fight at a time and I would love to eventually fight for a Queensland title or a state title of something by the end of the year - that is my big goal for 2024.”

For the man colloquially known “Goondiwindi’s favourite son”, Morris is eternally grateful for the support he has received from his family, who have been the cornerstone to his successful rise as a boxer.

“My family have driven and pushed me and helped me keep moving with it all and I can’t appreciate that enough,” he said.

Goondiwindi boxer Jed 'Gunson" Morris lands a punch during a fight at Pittsworth. Picture: Darren Burns.

On March 15, Morris will not only have the support of his family, but everyone in the Darling Downs as he is delighted to fight in front of his local fans.

“The support has been really good, each fight I have had more and more support coming from Gundy every time and the same as Toowoomba and it makes the wins feel a lot better when you can do it in front of your friends and families,” he said.

Morris is extremely dedicated to his craft and is also an advocate for the sport, as he himself has seen the personal gains it brings.

“We train every afternoon, every second morning, it is a lot of hard work and sweat that goes into the sport but when you get that win it is all worth it,” he said.

“Boxing has impacted me a lot, it gives lots of people something to focus on and it gives people some discipline who may not have had it to start with and it makes you grow as a person.”