Marc aims at heavyweight title
AFTER a hugely successful amateur career as a heavyweight boxer, winning all 15 of his fights, Marc Subramoney’s professional career has taken off and he is now eyeing the KZN title, followed by his ultimate dream, the South African heavyweight title.
But to get to his cherished dream, he will first have to overcome his next opponent, Congolese fighter Jean Lutete Kamba, at Sibaya Casino on May 26.
Asked what motivated him to take up boxing, Subramoney was frank with his answer: “I always loved to fight.”
Weighing in at 110kg, the 1.78m tall boxer from Crossmoor, Chatsworth, started training under the watchful eye of his uncle, former boxer John Marigadu, who fought professionally under the name John Lutchanna (Marigadu’s father’s name) and Derrick Vigiam at the Chatsworth Boxing Academy.
“I suppose fighting is in my genes as my late grandfather, Rocky Ramiah, was a champion boxer in the ’60s.”
Since entering the pro ranks in 2014, Subramoney has had five fights, won three, drew one and lost one. He added that while the sport was regarded for its physicality, it also required mental strength.
“No matter how prepared I am before a fight, there is also an element of nervousness. I need to psyche myself up before a fight. I prefer some alone time just before I enter the ring. Once you throw the first punch and take the first hit, then it’s game on.”
Subramoney said that while he looked to score points by throwing as many scoring blows to the body, he always looked for an opportunity to deliver the knock-out punch.
The 25-year-old pugilist said he favoured delivering blows with his right hand, but also had a powerful left hook, capable of dropping his opponent.
While he said weight control was not a big issue in his division, he trained twice a day to build his stamina. Currently ranked number one in KZN and third in the country, Subramoney has one eye on the national crown currently held by Kevin Lerena.
However, his assistant coach, Marigadu, says they want the provincial title first.
“We have had offers to compete for the national title but turned them down. He is the number one ranked boxer in KZN, so he should justify that ranking by winning the provincial heavyweight title first.
“This will help him gain the experience to go after the national title. He is still young and the experience he gains now will stand him in good stead for the future,” said Marigadu.
His trainer, Vijiam, who also seconds him in the ring, says that Subramoney has the class and technique to become a champion boxer.
“Besides my usual advice of reminding him to keep his defences up, I also study the opponent during a round and look for weaknesses that we can exploit,” said Vijiam.
He said there were no televised recordings of his next opponent to study, but he was trying to find out as much about the Congolese fighter as he could before next week’s six-round bout.