Batman to climb back into the ring
Former New Zealand cruiserweight boxing champion James ‘‘Batman’’ Langton will step up a division in his comeback fight when he meets Isileli Fa in Hawera next weekend.
Langton has not been in the ring since he fought Mark Flanagan for the vacant International Boxing Organisation’s Oceania cruiserweight title in Melbourne in August, 2016, a fight that ended in a technical knockout loss for the New Zealander.
The defeat saw Langton take a break from the sport but he insisted it was never going to be permanent.
‘‘It had been three and a half full-on years, 16 fights, so I was just mentally and physically fatigued,’’ he said. ‘‘I just needed to take a step back and take a break.’’
The December 9 fight at the TSB Hub will be the second time Langton and Fa have met, the first going Fa’s way by majority decision.
That loss has always played on Langton’s mind and motivated him to get back in the ring.
‘‘That was really annoying and I’ve had a burning desire to have a rematch with him and the opportunity came up.’’
Langton was approached by new promoters Pro Box, who have put up a New Zealand heavyweight belt for the victor under their name.
While the scheduled 10 rounds might appear taxing first-up after such a spell, Langton said he had already gone that distance numerous times in his build-up.
In fact, he thought it would be beneficial. His plan is to try to take the fight as deep as he can, with Fa expected to weigh in close to 105kg, a 10kg advantage over Langton who is looking to improve his 10-6-0 record.
‘‘If he does weigh in at that then I’ll say that goes in my favour because I think I can take him into those late rounds and really go to work on him. My game plan is to wear him down, and hopefully my fitness will come through in the end.’’
The Colton’s Hawera Rumble will also features a number of other professional undercard fights.
Tarn Reid will take on Quinita Hati in a female bout, while Simon Julian will meet Kaino Kaino, the brother of All Black Jerome, in a middleweight encounter.