OUR NEXT BIG HIT
DEFENDING triple World Superbike champion Jonathan Rea again signalled he would be the rider to beat at this weekend’s Australian round after topping the timesheets during testing at Phillip Island.
Rea recovered from a crash on Monday to edge out Kawasaki Racing teammate Tom Sykes and Ducati veteran Marco Melandri, who was quickest on the first day.
Northern Irishman Rea has had power limits placed on his 2018 machine but showed no signs of slowing down, lapping consistency in dry, fast conditions. Last year’s runnerup Ducati rider Chaz Davies was 11th on Tuesday’s timesheets.
Rea has won five of the last six superbike races at the 4.445km coastal circuit.
Showers and winds are forecast for both race days, potentially opening up the door to contenders. Three Aussies have picked up wildcard entries for this weekend. Troy Herfoss was 16th fastest on his Honda CBR1000SP while Yamaha YZFR1M duo Wayne Maxwell and Daniel Falzon were 19th and 21st respectively.
The World Superbike opening round’s two races will be held on Saturday and Sunday. The supporting races also features the Australian series and the return to racing at age 48 of three- time WSBK champ Troy Bayliss. HE’S the heaviest puncher in Australia pound- for- pound and Bilal Akkawy has the power to be Australia’s next Jeff Horn according to the sport’s greatest Australian coach Johnny Lewis.
The trainer of six world champs will be in Akkawy’s corner on Saturday when the undefeated supermiddleweight tackles Italy’s former world champ Giovanni De Carolis at Club Punchbowl in Sydney.
In Akkawy’s most devastating performance he sent Brisbane- based former European champ Kerry Hope to hospital, with a jaw shattering barrage in 2016 that required surgery.
De Carolis says he has the “secret’’ to beating Akkawy and has assured supporters in Sydney he will end the youngster’s unbeaten run at 17 fights.
But Lewis says Akkawy is one of the hardest punchers he’s ever worked with and that he has the talent to follow Jeff Horn to a world title.
“He’s got great power and while he has relied on it too much in some fights, he has really put the work into his boxing skills for this fight,’’ Lewis said. “Bilal has been sparring with Jake Carr, a very good fighter from Melbourne, and his jab has been sensational.
“De Carolis will try to win the fight from the outside and it will be a big test to see how Bilal goes cutting off the ring against him. I’ve been helping Bilal and his team in the gym and it’s great to see him progressing to world class.’’
Akkawy, 24, is trained by his father Mick, who was one of Lewis’s top amateur fighters in the 1980s.
He admits De Carolis is a big step up but he is not overawed by the Italian, who lost his WBA world title to German Tyron Zeuge in 2016.
“He’s a seasoned champion but I’ve shared the ring with champions far more seasoned than he’ll ever be,’’ Akkawy said. “I’ve sparred ( former world champs) Sakio Bika, Daniel Geale and Anthony Mundine for starters so I know what to expect.”