SPARK FIRES UP
BOXING: Steve Spark promised to steal the show, and the Toowoomba boxer backed up his words.
On the undercard of the Paul Gallen vs Lucas Browne bout in Wollongong, Spark made sure that if you haven’t heard of him before Wednesday night, you knew him now.
In his first bout at the welterweight level, Spark put on a masterclass against the highly-regarded Jack Brubaker, winning by unanimous decision.
Knocked down in the first round, Spark showed no signs of that effecting him, as he worked his way back into the contest.
From that point on he was the dominant boxer, landing numerous big shots on Brubaker and splitting him open.
It was more than enough to
get the nod from the judges, with one scoring it 80-72, and the other two 77-74.
“There’s a sense of relief. I’m a bit sore and tired, but I’m very proud of myself and what my team has achieved,” Spark said.
“We put everything on the table to step up a weight division.
“Besides the knockdown, I don’t think I lost a round. Sometimes a fighter can get caught cold.
“I knew what Jack would bring. Hes a far bigger man, but it just shows the calibre of fighter I am. I was determined to get the win and constantly reminded myself of why I’m doing it.
“That got me through the fight. So many people came down from Toowoomba, and I can’t thank them enough for their support.”
Spark has received a mountain of support across social media since the win, and the Toowoomba boxer believes the victory is his ticket to the big time.
“I knew that this would be the hardest fight of my career, and my social media blew up the morning after,” he said.
“This is my golden ticket. It was my coming out fight to show that a new star has emerged in Australian boxing.
“Everyone was saying it was the fight of the night. We’ve been putting in the work and waited for the right moment, and this puts Toowoomba on the map.”
As for his next move, he said he would sit down with trainer Brendon Smith to determine Spark’s path.
“We’re in the best possible position. I’m number one in two divisions, so a lot will be calling for the fights now,” he said.
“I trust Brendon with my life and he’ll make the right decision for me as we take another step towards that world title.
“I’m a humble man and I don’t let the success get to my head. We’ll get back to the job at hand and give the fans the fights they want to see.”