Bombs Away: Oganov Vs Bolling

By Mark McKenna: Sydney fight fans look forward to a smorgasbord of great action Thursday night at the Le Montage Bayside events centre with six bouts scheduled including two Super Middleweight title fights.

The undercard features an ppearances by Featherweight contender Billy Dib as well as big punching Cruiserweight Dominic Vea and Junior Welterweight dangerman Ranee Ganoy.

The Main Event features former World title challenger Jamie Pittman against Joseph Kwadjo for the vacant IBF Australasian Super Middleweight title.

The semi main event, however, is an intriguing match and could well be fight of the night.

‘ The Destroyer ‘ Victor Oganov , 30-3(28), returns after a seven month hiatus to challenge for the Australian Super Middleweight Title against unbeaten champion, 11-0(9), Michael Bolling , who trains out of Sutherland PCYC.

Oganov is coming off a five round loss to eventual winner of the first series of the Australian contender , Garth Woods. He scored two points victories to make the semi final before bowing out in a rough and tumble scrap not dissimilar to the Hopkins – Jones rematch this last weekend.

At 33, and without a signature win in his inactivity plagued career many may feel that Oganov is ready to be taken.

Bolling ,25 is taller ( 6’1 to Oganov’s 5’9 ) , eight years younger and a southpaw. Additionally Bolling has had twice the number of fights Oganov has had in the same time span - momentum is on his side.

Experience is definitely to Oganov’s advantage though , with three times as many bouts as the Sydney boxer.

I had the chance to speak to Brendan Cannon, Michael’s trainer about the upcoming bout and learn a little more about his star pupil.

‘We have had some great preparation for this bout – sparring world rated Sakio Bika and Kerry Foley finished up the main crux of our schedule last week and now the hard work has been done. Obviously anyone who stands in front of Oganov is going to get hurt so angles and intelligent footwork will be the key. Michael is also a great bodypuncher so we will aim to slow his momentum down. Oganov’s never been past nine rounds as well so Michael already has that advantage.’

Having watched Michael Bolling in sparring and on the mitts last week the first mental note I made was his excellent balance. Fundamentally, all the kit of punches you would want in a young fighter are there. Excellent bodypunching , an educated right jab and a unusually composed boxer , he doesn’t look likely to get flustered it Oganov turns up the heat. Brendan says his best punch is the straight left , but he has a useful uppercut that could also be an asset against relentless Oganov.

‘Michael’s big asset is his maturity. He is very calm. He won’t get flustered or phased by the occasion whoever he is fighting. He’s been a pro for just on two years but he takes it all in his stride as we increase the level of opposition. I use the example of Manny Pacquiao against Joshua Clottey the other week as an illustration of what a great professional does – intelligent, smart, composed , hands up and a master of his art. That’s the level we all aspire to.

Perhaps that maturity is due to necessity; working as a plumber as well as roadwork in the morning and gym work at night is a precarious balancing act.

‘It’s tough working full time , but we have it down to a fine art – it I see Michael looking a bit flat we have a few days rest an he is right as rain,’ said Cannon. “We have been in the gym pretty much non stop with a few days off since his last bout ’ ( a six round stoppage of tough journeyman Joel Bourke on March 6 )

Michael is relatively fresh to the sport , having dabbled in it since age 16 and having around 30 bouts.

’ He used to come to the gym in the Football off season to keep fit from around 16. His brother Paul was quite a good boxer and was probably a bit instrumental in getting him interested. Around 19 or 20 he started to take it seriously - he claimed the NSW state title and also the Arthur Tunstall trophy at the same tournament. The Tunstall award recognizes the best boxer at the tournament , so that wasn’t a bad launching pad to a pro career ’

Michael’s career should take off in earnest with an impressive win over Oganov on Thursday night.

Full card 8 April , 2010 - Le Montage , Lilyfield NSW PHONE : 02 9555 6199

12x3 Super Middleweight - Jamie Pittman V Jospeh Kwadjo - IBF Australasian Super Middleweight Title

10x3 Super Middleweight - Michael Bolling V Victor Oganov - Australian Super Middleweight Title

8x3 Featherweight - Billy Dib V Reynaldo Belandres

8x3 Cruiserweight - Domonic Vea V Anthony McCracken

6x3 Junior Welterweight - Ranee Ganoy V Decha Bankluaygym

4x3 Middleweight - Steve Casserley V David Wiremu

Around The Gyms: Blacktown Hit Squad Part 2 – Good Will Punching

In the previous edition of this series the Blacktown Hit Squad ( BHS ) was introduced as one of the many talent laden gyms present in the greater Sydney area. This edition focuses on its’ current rising unbeaten star, ‘Wild’ Will Tomlinson

In analysing the career of any up and coming unbeaten prospect there are a few key intangibles necessary to progress from a level playing field to the upper echelons of any sport.

The first necessity at a bare minimum has to be a solid work ethic.

The second is a conscious decision to sacrifice.

The third is natural born talent.

The fourth is an inborn ‘attitude ‘.

If these elements constitute the key parameters needed to get to the end of boxing’s Yellow Brick Road then Will Tomlinson is going all the way to the top.

I sat down with 23 year old Will after a training session as he discussed his upcoming bout, career aspirations and overseas trips among other topics.

Will is a quietly spoken fellow, easy going with none of the diva like histrionics you might expect from an exciting prospect who is currently 11-0-1 with 10 knockouts.

For most Australians he blasted into our collective consciousness on the Danny Green – Roy Jones undercard in December.

Facing 21-2-3(7) American Verquan Kimbrough, Will scored a sensational third round knockout over his statistically most impressive opponent thus far.

From the opening bell the heavy hands of Tomlinson were doing damage to Kimbrough ; by round two the Kimbrough was visibly on the retreat.

At the conclusion of round two Tomlinson shoulder barged his man, letting him know in no uncertain terms who the boss was tonight. Fans at ringside thought ‘There’s a page straight out of the Jeff Fenech Handbook ‘citing the tough man tactics of another fellow Gemini.

More solid jabs and short left hooks made their mark in round three before a devastating three punch hook-cross-hook combo ended the night.

It was an explosive performance that let the public know there is a budding superstar in their midst ‘the exposure that fight gave me was invaluable , no doubt ‘ Will opined.

The lone blemish on Will’s resume occurred in April 2009 against Filipino Junmar Dulog when a number of accidental head butts forced a technical draw in three ; Tomlinson’s trainer Lincoln Hudson voiced the opinion that Dulog didn’t look exactly distraught that the bout was over - ‘ he was probably happy he finished on his feet ‘.

Positives can be bought from that fight as being cut didn’t halt Tomlinson’s assault or alter his gameplan before the intervention.

Thus far remaining vertical has proven a hindrance to all except his most recent opponent Flash Villacura , a shifty southpaw veteran of over fifty bouts who took Tomlinson the full eight stanzas in February.

That bout can only be looked at as a positive ; fighters can regularly do twelve rounds in the gym but the psychological boost of knowing you can do 8 , 10 or 12 in a real bout can never be underestimated.

‘ It wasn’t one of my better nights – actually it was a shit fight ‘ said Tomlinson , voicing an obvious displeasure in allowing someone to go the full route – the hall mark of a born puncher.

Prior to the Villacura bout Queenslander Matt Powell represented his longest lasting foe , going five in a win which netted Tomlinson the vacant Australian Junior Lightweight Title.

It is easy to see why lasting the course is proving difficult for opponents for Wild Will.

A naturally thudding puncher with deceptive speed and strong as a bull he augments his own virtues with exceptional conditioning ; ‘ Seriously , If I say we are doing 10 rounds of sparring and then reduce it to 8 he wants to kick MY arse ‘ said Hudson.

That’s exactly the thought process needed to succeed in this sport.

Watching him go ten hard rounds on the heavy bag, throwing hard shot after hard shot his punching power or fitness isn’t in question.

Most punchers suffer defensive lapses due to their eagerness to inflict pain – Lincoln Hudson has been instilling feints, slipping and parrying in his pupil in repetitive drills to prolong his career

‘I am getting Will to relax more in the ring ; to stay loose. It’s something that takes time but we are starting to see results ‘

Training twice a day – conditioning and sports science in the morning and bag work and sparring at night is strenuous enough in itself.

Tomlinson also has the additional stress of being away from his birthplace while he prepares for bouts in Blacktown , away from his family , friends and girlfriend.

He was born into country Victoria – the small town of Bairnsdale , and relocated to Sydney in 2007 to begin his pro career.

‘ I didn’t really start getting serious about boxing until say , late 2006. After that things started to really start happening for me. I got a gold at the 2007 Oceania championships, and also competed in the World championships as well as other international tournaments. In Canberra in 2007 I met Fidel Turkel , who is my manager and turned pro under his management , training under Lincoln Hudson ‘.

‘ You have to make sacrifices to get the best out of yourself ‘

Will was adamant in praising Fidel as his manager; he has provided accommodation ad looks after his needs while he trains in Sydney - ‘ I couldn’t do it without him ‘ spoke volumes.

Having ‘ about 100 ‘ amateur bouts it was obvious to most that Tomlinson had an exciting search and destroy mentality that would yield far better results in the paid ranks.

Turning pro in July 2008 Tomlinson has managed a solid schedule of five bouts in 2008 and seven in 2009.

He hopes to have six this year ‘Perhaps for a minor title , IBO intercontinental , as well as a few defences ‘

Bout two for 2010 takes place in on April 14 in Perth on the undercard of Danny Green against Manny Siaca in Perth. The opponent is unbeaten boxer / puncher Chilean Oscar Bravo listed as 13-0(8)

‘He is a technically solid guy, and those are the type of opponents that are easier to train for. He is also unbeaten so doesn’t know how to lose. Doesn’t matter – I aim to annihilate him…probably around round six or seven ‘

Will doesn’t tell me this with any type of uncertainty; he is convinced in his own abilities and is simply stating his belief. If it sounds arrogant a little hubris never hurts in a sport as tough as this for any budding world titlist.

Perhaps that self belief is also due to the wealth of experience he has gained in sparring.

Domestically Will has done rounds with the best in the country – Billy Dib , Lenny Zapavigna , Lovemore Ndou , Solomon Egberime , Jackson Asiku and WBA Feather boss Chris John have all provided knowledge money can’t buy.

He also spent five weeks in 2009 in the USA training under the watchful eye of Cuban amateur coach Ismael Salas.

Among others he sparred with and spent just about every day training with were WBA Interim Feather champ Yuriorkis Gamboa and shock punching Breidis Prescott, who derailed Amir Khan in 54 seconds not long ago.

‘The experience there was incredible. Gamboa is just amazing, technically so perfect. Prescott hits like a mule and has a left hand that is unbelievable ‘

Another interesting sparring session was against all time great Shane Mosley, when Shane was here in Sydney last year.

‘We went about six rounds and he gave me different looks each round. Fast one round, lots of feints the next…what can I say , it was a great experience. Told me I was damn strong for a little guy ‘

I asked Will who his boxing idols were and not surprisingly Manny Pacquiao came up as a modern day influence and inspiration.

Also mixed in were Roberto Duran ‘for his aggression and attitude ‘ , Jeff Fenech ‘ for his incredible fitness and work ethic ‘ and Kostya Tszyu ‘ for his balance and coordination ‘

If Will can achieve even half of what ‘ Manos de piedra ‘ has in his career he will have done incredibly well.

It will be a fun roller coaster ride either way.

For more on Will go to : http://www.wildwilltomlinson.com.au