Williams the comeback king
Wellington kickboxer TY Williams will put a horror four-year injury run behind him when he relaunches his career tonight.
Williams is squaring off against multiple New Zealand Muay Thai champion Tony Angelov on the card of the 75kg King in the Ring tournament at Porirua’s Te Rauparaha Arena.
It’s a remarkable comeback by the 30-year-old, the inaugural cruiserweight King in the Ring champion in 2013, whose promising career was derailed by a number of ankle injuries.
Williams required several operations before having his right foot rebroken in a bid to return to the ring.
That operation was a success and after 12 months rehabilitation he was back in the gym.
‘‘It’s been a frustrating few years but the ankle and foot are good and I’m ready to play giant killer again,’’ Williams said.
Williams is jumping straight into the deep end against Angelov, who holds a considerable height and reach advantage.
But he is unfazed by the challenge. ‘‘Tony is a multiple NZ champion and a beast, but I always fight beasts and I’ve trained hard. I’m ready to go,’’ Williams added.
It’s a night of comebacks in Porirua, with reigning super middleweight King in the Ring champion Victor Mechkov also returning after an 18-month hiatus.