Thai boxer ready for a redemption battle
Young Hamilton Thai boxer Rangi Haggie is looking to fight his way into the sport’s professional league.
But for now, it’s one fight at a time. And that continues next week when he and other Thai fighters will compete at an event in Hamilton.
Stormforce Gym, located on Vialou St, will hold an afternoon of competition fighting featuring local boxers.
For some, it means practising against new rivals.
For Haggie, it also means redemption.
At a fight in December, Haggie won against an opponent from Auckland by a slim margin. This time he wants to nail a convincing win.
Haggie’s coach, former fighter Norm ‘‘The Storm’’ Graham believes Haggie has the talent to win.
‘‘Every fight’s got its pressures, every fight can bring the best out of you or not.
‘‘I’m extremely confident that we will be able to do what we wanted to do the first time.’’
Haggie, 21, started fighting in 2012 at Huntly Kickboxing where he trained for two and a half years.
After a break, he began boxing at Stormforce full-time.
He has had 15 fights, and won 12 of them. He is also a two-time New Zealand Thai Boxing champ.
Thai boxing is a combat sport that uses stand-up striking and clinching techniques and is known as ‘‘the art of eight limbs’’.
‘‘You can do anything, really, as long as you don’t get carried away,’’ Graham said.
‘‘You need to be able to fight different styles. You need to have a lot of tools in the box.
‘‘You either win or you learn. It’s science, but it’s not rocket science.’’
A classic move could be the foot jab, or ‘‘teep’’.
Haggie’s fights are usually five, two-minute rounds, which are then scored by three judges.
The former Fairfield College student wants to one day turn professional.
‘‘That’s the goal. It’s something I’ve been wanting for a while,’’ he said.
The event will be held during the day from 1pm-5pm at Stormforce Gym, located at 23 Vialou St, Hamilton, on Saturday, February 18.
Tickets are $25 for pre-sale, $30 at the door and table tickets $40. To enquire, phone 021 2507722 or find Stormforce Gym on Facebook.