12-23-2018, 05:59 PM
From sniggering to staring: Dave Light ready to take on boxing world
Mat Kermeen
Dave Light stopped Lance Bryant inside two rounds in Christchurch on the Joseph Parker undercard.
Dave Light used to laugh at professional boxing in New Zealand but four years on, he is fast becoming one of its hottest properties outside of Joseph Parker.
Light, 27, has largely flown under the radar of Kiwi sports fans - outside of boxing diehards - since turning professional less than 14 months ago.
But that changed with his two-round demolition of Lance Bryant on Parker's undercard in Christchurch on December 15.
The former Commonwealth Games silver medallist, now 11-0 as a pro, is on the cusp of the big time and will take another hefty step up against two-time world cruiserweight championship challenger Mark Flanagan (24-6) in Auckland in May.
Light, who is based in Auckland, can see the irony in being labelled a rising star of the pro ranks following his tirade against it back in 2014 at the Glasgow games.
Dave Light lost the gold medal bout to Canada's Samir El-Mais at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
The then 22-year-old, when asked if he would consider turning pro after claiming his silver medal, told Stuff pro boxing was "when you give up on actual boxing".
"You're cashing in on your talents and you're fighting bums and you're publicising it."
But Light, who has never been afraid to speak from the heart, says much has changed since he lost the heavyweight gold medal bout to Canada's Samir El-Mais via split decision.
"I used to bag the pros off hard back then," Light told Stuff.
"It's so easy looking at the other side and saying 'we're better than them' but when you actually have to do it, there's so much more to it."
Light, who grew frustrated and lost motivation with the amateur programme - largely due to a lack of funding, took two and a half years out of the sport before finding an inspiration for pro-boxing under former national super middleweight champion Isaac Peach.
Light and Peach previously trained together under Dr John McKay.
"There's so much more on the line with every fight. In an amateur fight, you take the loss, you take the experience and move on but in the pro's your record is so much more important," Light told Stuff.
Dave Light will face Australian Mark Flanagan (right) in at televised bout in Auckland.
He made his pro debut in November 2017, with 10 fights in his first 12 months.
If Light, already inside the top 50, can get by Australia's No. 2 cruiserweight in Flanagan, he has his eye on the No.1 - the world-ranked Jai Opetaia (16-0).
Talks have already begun between the Light and Opetaia camps.
The Flanagan fight, at the Auckland Boxing Association (ABA) on May 18, will be broadcast live on TV in New Zealand and on a pay-per-view platform in Australia. It will be for the new WBO Global belt. The winner will earn a top 15 ranking with the WBO.
The unbeaten Opetaia is rated as one of the best young prospects in Australian boxing. In the amateur ranks, Light and Opetaia clashed twice for a win each.
Opetaia is ranked No. 9 with the WBO. If Light can get a top 15 ranking and with the possibility of WBO champion Oleksandr Usyk moving up to heavyweight, the winner of an Opetaia and Light clash could fight for the world title as soon as 2020.
Light's trainer Issac Peach, of Peach Boxing who will promote the Light verses Flanagan fight, described the win over Bryant as a "statement performance" that proves his man his ready for the Flanagan fight.
"I think it shows that David's got the killer instinct and if Flanagan doesn't come prepared he's going to get knocked out," Peach told Stuff.
"It showed David's got world-class power."
Stuff
Mat Kermeen
Dave Light stopped Lance Bryant inside two rounds in Christchurch on the Joseph Parker undercard.
Dave Light used to laugh at professional boxing in New Zealand but four years on, he is fast becoming one of its hottest properties outside of Joseph Parker.
Light, 27, has largely flown under the radar of Kiwi sports fans - outside of boxing diehards - since turning professional less than 14 months ago.
But that changed with his two-round demolition of Lance Bryant on Parker's undercard in Christchurch on December 15.
The former Commonwealth Games silver medallist, now 11-0 as a pro, is on the cusp of the big time and will take another hefty step up against two-time world cruiserweight championship challenger Mark Flanagan (24-6) in Auckland in May.
Light, who is based in Auckland, can see the irony in being labelled a rising star of the pro ranks following his tirade against it back in 2014 at the Glasgow games.
Dave Light lost the gold medal bout to Canada's Samir El-Mais at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
The then 22-year-old, when asked if he would consider turning pro after claiming his silver medal, told Stuff pro boxing was "when you give up on actual boxing".
"You're cashing in on your talents and you're fighting bums and you're publicising it."
But Light, who has never been afraid to speak from the heart, says much has changed since he lost the heavyweight gold medal bout to Canada's Samir El-Mais via split decision.
"I used to bag the pros off hard back then," Light told Stuff.
"It's so easy looking at the other side and saying 'we're better than them' but when you actually have to do it, there's so much more to it."
Light, who grew frustrated and lost motivation with the amateur programme - largely due to a lack of funding, took two and a half years out of the sport before finding an inspiration for pro-boxing under former national super middleweight champion Isaac Peach.
Light and Peach previously trained together under Dr John McKay.
"There's so much more on the line with every fight. In an amateur fight, you take the loss, you take the experience and move on but in the pro's your record is so much more important," Light told Stuff.
Dave Light will face Australian Mark Flanagan (right) in at televised bout in Auckland.
He made his pro debut in November 2017, with 10 fights in his first 12 months.
If Light, already inside the top 50, can get by Australia's No. 2 cruiserweight in Flanagan, he has his eye on the No.1 - the world-ranked Jai Opetaia (16-0).
Talks have already begun between the Light and Opetaia camps.
The Flanagan fight, at the Auckland Boxing Association (ABA) on May 18, will be broadcast live on TV in New Zealand and on a pay-per-view platform in Australia. It will be for the new WBO Global belt. The winner will earn a top 15 ranking with the WBO.
The unbeaten Opetaia is rated as one of the best young prospects in Australian boxing. In the amateur ranks, Light and Opetaia clashed twice for a win each.
Opetaia is ranked No. 9 with the WBO. If Light can get a top 15 ranking and with the possibility of WBO champion Oleksandr Usyk moving up to heavyweight, the winner of an Opetaia and Light clash could fight for the world title as soon as 2020.
Light's trainer Issac Peach, of Peach Boxing who will promote the Light verses Flanagan fight, described the win over Bryant as a "statement performance" that proves his man his ready for the Flanagan fight.
"I think it shows that David's got the killer instinct and if Flanagan doesn't come prepared he's going to get knocked out," Peach told Stuff.
"It showed David's got world-class power."
Stuff