Undefeated professional boxer Max Reeves will take on rival Mark Smith for the Victorian Light Heavyweight Title in less than two weeks.
The Gippsland Regional Sports Complex will transform into a world-class stage once again for Wildfighter Unfinished Business, in which Reeves, from Stratford, will face Werribee’s Mark Smith for a second time; their previous bout cut short after an accidental head clash left Reeves with a broken nose.
“Training has ramped up, and we have headed to Melbourne for sparring and whatnot; everything is going pretty smoothly,” Reeves said.
Facing the only opponent he has yet to defeat in the ring and with the Victorian Light Heavyweight Title on the line, you would think Reeves would be feeling the nerves; you’d be wrong.
“Having it at Sale makes me less nervous,” Reeves said.
“It just feels more comfortable; being in front of, knowing most of the people in the crowd, just makes it a bit easier, I reckon.
“It’s always an awesome feeling fighting at home.”
The pressure is on Reeves to continue his hot form after two consecutive Round 1 knockouts of opponents Robin Hazelman and Leo Grant.
“People probably expect something like that [a Round 1 knockout], but if it comes, it comes,” Reeves said.
“I’m just focused on putting in eight hard rounds, and if it happens, it happens; if it doesn’t, it doesn’t.”
Former super featherweight world champion and Wildfighter Gym owner Will Tomlinson says he can almost guarantee it won’t be another 30-second fight for Stratford superstar Max Reeves when he takes on rival Mark Smith at the GRSC on Saturday, March 25.
“Mark Smith is the only person Max has been in the ring with before and hasn’t beaten; their last fight ended in a fourth-round technical draw,” Tomlinson said.
“The referee stopped the fight because Max had a broken nose that came from an accidental head clash; before the stoppage, it was a very, very close fight, if anything Mark Smith was maybe on top of him, so this will be a very challenging, competitive fight for Max.
“I could almost guarantee it will not end in the first 30 seconds like his last fight did [in Wildfighter Round 10, at Bairnsdale Aquatic and Recreation Centre].”
As his fight against Smith approaches, Reeves is training six days a week, two times a day, focusing on peak physical fitness and developing a winning game plan.
“Yeah, training six days a week, twice a day,” Reeves said.
“I get up and go for a run before work, then down here to the gym [RU FIT] to train in the arvo.
“Just going with the game plan of what I have to do.”
With his height advantage and strengths in boxing at length, will the local boxing star continue his undefeated status when he meets Smith in the ring on Saturday, March 25?
The question will be answered, but not before Bairnsdale’s undefeated boxer Blake Wells takes on former Australian champion Tej Pratap Singh in the semi-main event.
Less than two weeks out, Wells is auspicious.
“Training is going really good; I am just full-time training at the minute,” Wells said.
“It’s usually running or sprints in the morning, a bit of strength work during the day and boxing in the afternoons, and I do that five or six times a week.
“I am feeling good, still a way out, so there is still plenty of hard work to go, but I feel good; I am always excited for fights, so I can’t wait for the night.”
Fighting at a catchweight between middleweight and super middleweight, Wells has had to drop an extra kilogram for his bout against Singh in Wildfighter Unfinished Business.
“I’ve got a dietician now, which makes it a bit easier,” Wells said.
Ranked third in Australia in the super middleweight division, undefeated, 7 and 0, Blake Wells is one of Australia’s brightest super middleweight prospects.
“By the end of the year, I want to be number one in Australia for my weight class,” Wells said.
“Then try and get rated in one of the world boxing organisations, so top 50 in the world, hopefully.
“I am excited to see how far I can get; I want to keep trying to get better and keep progressing; a world title is the end goal.”
Fitness and smart boxing are what Wells will be drawing strength from when he meets Singh in the ring.
“My opponent is a busy guy; he just sort of walks straight at you and tries to throw a lot of punches,” Wells said.
“So I think if you box smart, keep him at range, your pretty right.
“I’ve been really working on my fitness, and I think I have a reasonably good boxing IQ, so I always try to fight smart.
“I’m really looking forward to the fight, putting all the hard work to use and showing everyone what I can do and what I have been working on behind closed doors.”
Wildfighter Unfinished Business’ semi-semi main event at the GRSC features Paul Carroll’s newest recruit Viliami Liavaa and former IBF middleweight champion Sam Soliman.
Boasting a star-studded fight card with the likes of Reeves, Wells, Singh and Soliman, also featuring local amateur boxing talent, Wildfighter is set to be bigger and better than ever when it returns to the Gippsland Regional Sports Complex on Saturday, March 25, for Wildfighter Unfinished Business.
