By Ray Wheatley – World of Boxing

Australian Boxers that have achieved world ratings with major bodies in 2019 number eighteen with Andrew Moloney holding a WBA world interim title. Former world champions Lucas Browne and Billy Dib we’re active in 2019. Browne suffered defeat in England at the hands of Dave Allen. He rebounded in Australia with a stoppage win over John Hopoate. Dib lost to Amir Khan in Saudi Arabia inside the distance but defeated Van Thao Tran on points over ten rounds in December. Former world heavyweight challenger Alex Leapai traveled to England and was stopped in round ten by former WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker after giving the New Zealander a competitive fight. Australia’s biggest star is former WBO welterweight champion Jeff Horn in 2019 after winning the rematch against WBO#4, WBA#7 middleweight Michael Zerafa in the best fight for 2019 in December and now IBF#7 light middleweight Tim Tszyu has also become this country’s other pay-per-view star. There will be a Horn v Tszyu in 2020 co-promoted by Top Rank in what will be our biggest fight for 2020.

IBF#3 lightweight George Kambosos, WBO#1 super middleweight Rohan Murdock and WBO#2, IBF#3 light welterweight Liam Paro could feature in world title challenges in 2020.

Australian Boxing community is in mourning after we lost world-rated light middleweight Dwight Ritchie when he passed away in November after a sparring session with Michael Zerafa.

IBF#6, WBA#10, WBO#13, WBC#12 cruiserweight Jai Opetaia (19-0,15KO’s) scored an eight round stoppage over former WBA cruiserweight challenger Mark Flanagan in November and is scheduled to be in action in May 2020 in Sydney. Opetaia is a 2011 world amateur champion and a 2012 London Olympian.

WBA#3,WBC#11,WBO#9, light heavyweight Blake Caparello (33-3-1,13KO’s) scored a ten round decision over Regain Dessaix and stopped Reece Papuni in eight rounds in 2019.

IBF#14 light heavyweight Regain Dessaix (18-3,13KO’s) lost to Blake Caparello via ten round decision and suffered eight round cut eye stoppage to Mansur Elsaev in Austria in 2019

Former WBA super middleweight challenger Billal Akkawy(20-1-1,13 KO’s) was a chief sparring partner of Canelo Alvarez and he stopped Hugo Medina Perez in round one in Mexico but suffered a third round stoppage to John Ryder of a WBA interim super middleweight title bout in Las Vegas in 2019. Bilal will be re-establishing his career in 2020

WBO#1 super middleweight Rohan Murdock (24-1,17KO’s) outpointed Rolando Mansilla in December 2018 and was inactive in 2019 but is rated the top contender for the WBO crown at 168 pounds.

WBC#9 super middleweight Jayde Mitchell (20-1,10KO’s) was active in 2019 defeating Ibrahim Tamba by KO in round one in September and followed that with an impressive victory over former WBA world interim champion Stanislav Kashtanov on points over ten rounds.

WBO#4, WBA#5, IBF#13 super middleweight Zac Dunn(29-1,24KO’s) was active in 2019 by stopping Patrick Rokohi in two round in April and in June stopped Rafael Sosa Pintos in eight rounds.

WBC middleweight and WBO light middleweight challenger Dennis Hogan (28-3-1,7KO’s) lost a disputed twelve round decision to WBO light middleweight champion Jamie Munguia and was stopped in seven rounds of a WBC middleweight champion Jermall Charlo In 2019. Hogan rated WBC#12.

WBO#4, WBA#7, IBF#13 middleweight Michael Zerafa (27-4,16KO’s) scored the biggest win of his career when he stopped former WBO welterweight champion Jeff Horn In there contest in March but in the rematch in December Horn outpointed Zerafa over ten rounds in a controversial bout and the best fight for 2019.

Former WBO welterweight champion Jeff Horn (20-2-1,13KO’s) after winning the rematch against former conqueror Michael Zerafa in what was the best fight for 2019 in Australia. Horn will now meet Sydney’s world-rated Tim Tszyu who is the son of Hall Of Famer Kostya Tszyu. The Tszyu v Horn will be co-promoted by Top Rank.

IBF#7, WBO#12 light middleweight Tim Tszyu (15-0,11KO’s) was active in 2019 stopping England’s Denton Vassell in two rounds then outpointing Joe Camilleri over ten rounds followed by an impressive victory over IBF rated Dwight Ritchie on points over ten rounds. Tszyu stopped outclassed Jack Brubaker in four rounds in December. Tszyu is predicted to fight Jeff Horn in what will be our biggest promotion in 2020.

WBO#2, IBF#3 super lightweight Liam Paro (18-0,11KO’s) outpointed Italy’s Masilamlano Ballisai over ten rounds followed by a victory over IBF rated Fatih Keles on points over ten. In November South Korean, Hwang Kil Kim was outscored over ten rounds. Paro is ready for international honours in 2020.

IBF#3, WBO#5 lightweight George Kambosos Jnr (18-0, 10 KOs) scored the best win of his career in December when he outscored former IBF Champion Micky Bey in Madison Square Garden and now looks to receive a world title opportunity in 2020. George is promoted by Lou DiBella and managed by Peter Kahn. Trained by Javiel Centeno in Miami.

WBO#11, IBF#11 lightweight Jacob Ng (13-0,10KO’s) was active in 2019 stopping Glenn Enterina in six rounds followed by ten round points victory over Mexico’s, Ricardo Lara and Spain’s, Pueblo Fuego being despatched in five rounds with a third round stoppage over Thailand’s, Krai Sethaphon in November.

WBA#8 super featherweight Billel Dib(24-3, 11KO’s) stopped Filipino, Rey Juntilla in eight rounds and followed that with a clear ten round points victory over Carlo Magali in September Dib is chasing world title bout in 2020

Former IBF super bantamweight champion T J Doheny (22-1,16KO’s) is Australian based Irishman and captured the IBF super bantamweight crown by stopping Ryohei Takahashi in eleven rounds in January and lost the crown to Daniel Roman in April of unification bout. Doheny is back winning with a five round stoppage of Jesus Martinez In October.

IBF#12, WBA#12 super bantamweight Brock Jarvis (17-0,15 KO’s) stopped Philip Luis Cuerdo in round one in March and followed that with ten round decision over Ernesto Saulong in August. Jarvis is trained by Jeff Fenech who has predicted Jarvis will be a future world champion

Former IBF Bantamweight challenger Jason Moloney (20-1,17KO’s) scored stoppage victories over Cris Paulino in five, Goodluck Mremo in three rounds and world-rated Dixon Flores in two rounds in November. Moloney has targeted all the world Bantamweight champs

WBA interim super flyweight champion Andrew Moloney (21-0,14 KO’s) stopped Miguel Gonzalez in eight rounds, Selemani Bangaizi in two rounds and Elton Dharry in nine rounds to capture the WBA. Interim super flyweight title. It was reported that Moloney could be challenging IBF super flyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas in April or May on the Tszyu v Horn undercard.

Prospects:

Heavyweight: Dempsey McKain, Willis Meehan
Cruiserweight: Jason Whatley
Super-middleweight: Cesar Mateo Tapia
Middleweight: Mark Lucas,
Light-middleweight: Daniel Lewis,
Welterweight: Ty Telford
Lightweight: Kye McKenzie,Super Featherweight Bruno Tarimo

Leading female boxers active in 2019:

Louise Hawton (10-2-0) miniumweight
Shannon O’Connell(18-6-1) super bantam
Cherneka Johnson (13-0-0) Bantamweight
Lauryn Eagle (23-4-1) super featherweight
April Adams (11-2-1) super bantamweight
Deanha Hobbs (8-1-0) super lightweight
Malakay Moukaber (3-0-0) Bantamweight
Tayla Harris (7-0-1) middleweight
Ebanie Bridges (3-0-0) Bantamweight

Leading Promoters active in 2019

Angelo DiCarlo
Dean Lonergan
Danny Green
Will Tomlinson
Brian Amatruda
Matt Rose
Paul Nasari
Nick Midgely
Huss El-Achrafi
Brendan Smith
Sam Labruna
Jake Ellis
Peter Maniatis
Lyndon Hosking
John Ioannou
Rob Fogarty
Tony Tolj
Brittany Psaras
Jamie Myer
Steven Wijanco
Paul Keegan
Danny Dimas
Jason Steward
Steve Dellar
Nick Boutzos
John Scida
Anna Vogel
Kosta Scrapis
Shannon King
Cherie Waters
Kylie Mannix
Emma Browne
Adrian Lovell
Roxanne Goodman
Astrid Van De Sluys
David Walker.

Leading Trainers:

Alfie DiCarlo ( WBO#2 Liam Paro)
Graham Shaw ( 2016 Olympian Daniel Lewis)
Dave Hedgecock (IBF Champion Sam Soliman)
Martin Opetaia (IBF#6 Jai Opetaia)
Sam Labruna ( WBA#8 Michael Zerafa)
Arnel Barotillio ( Ebanie Bridges)
Jeff Fenech (IBF#13 Brock Jarvis)
Igor Goloubev (IBF#7 Tim Tszyu)
Glenn Rushton ( Jeff Horn)
Michael Akkawy ( Bilal Akkawy)
Brendan Smith (Steve Spark)
Angelo Hyder ( Andrew and Jason Moloney)
Gairy StClaire (IBF#3 George Kambosos)
Noel Thornberry ( Alex Leapai)
Tony Del Vichio ( Cesar Mateo Tapia)
Chris Carden (Rohan Murdock)
Mick Hargaves (Zac Dunn)
Stephen Ng (Jacob Ng)
Danny Withers (Aaron Lai)

Ring Announcers active in Australia in 2019:

Hall of Famer Jimmy Lennon Jr.
Ben Damon
Perry Cale
Dan Hennessy

Leading commentators:

Ben Damon
Barry Michael
Kali Meehan.

Leading referees:

Ignatius Missailidis
Les Fear
Malcolm Bulner
Brad Vocale
Justin Kennedy
Tony Marretta

Australia’s biggest Pay-Per-View fight:

A bout between football legends Paul Gallen v Barry Hall which resulted in six round draw.