Shaun set for big fight

Eighteen-year-old Kings Billabong boxer Shaun Jackson is on the rise. He’s gearing up for one of the biggest fights in his career this weekend, against Queenslander Kalob Gray, in Melbourne. Shaun sat down with Angus Dearlove to go through fight preparation and where he’s going next after the Gray match. Picture: Louise Barker

BOXING is more than a sport, it’s a lifestyle.

There’s much more than what you see in the ring.

Shaun Jackson knows this as much as anybody.

An amateur boxer, Shaun is preparing to take on 2018 under 19 national title holder and Australian representative Kalob Gray in Melbourne tomorrow.

It’s one of the biggest fights he’s faced in his short career to date.
But he’s had his feet up all week.

Why?

Take a football team for example – in grand final week they would be training hard to ensure they are match hardened and steeled ready for the big match.

But a combat sport like boxing borrows more from a jockey preparing for a horse race.

Making sure his body is in the best shape it can be, and at the right weight, is more important to people like Shaun.

So last week was his last hard training week, this week has all been about lifestyle.

“Come fight week you get a massage, go to the chiropractor, relax, go to the sauna most nights,” he says.

“I make sure my weight stays down, eating healthy.

“I’ve just got to watch my weight mostly.”

That’s easier said than done, like most people would say in life in general.
“It’s probably the hardest part, all the training is definitely hard but keeping your weight down with all the different foods, keeping water weight down, it’s hard,” Shaun says.

“You’ve got to do everything, you can’t half do it.

“You’ve got to be fully into it.”

Shaun has boxed for six and a half years.

Including a successful trip to the United States last year where he won three out of four fights, Shaun has only lost three times so far – although he admits he hadn’t had as many fights as he’d like.

Shaun says he doesn’t know much about tomorrow’s opponent, or how he’ll stack up.

“I know he’s one of the best in Australia, he’s a south paw and a real slick fighter,” he says.

“He’s pretty skillful, and well known.

“I don’t know until I fight him or not, he might be good against other people but I might be able to hold him back, be smarter than him. I won’t be able to tell until the fight.”

This will be Shaun’s second fight for the year, which doesn’t seem like much however by comparison this time last year he hadn’t fought once.

Shaun’s previous fight was at the Daniel Geale Testimonial earlier this year.
“I got the win there, which was good,” he says.

“It was against a much older opponent, he had 37 fights and is 25 years old.”

Warrnambool-based coach Rudy Ryan plays a big part in Shaun’s career, it’s through him that he is getting more fights and more chances to prove himself.

And being 18 and able to support himself more helps too.

“Now I’m starting to get fights and now I’m old enough I can travel more, drive to places and whatnot,” Shaun says.

“Now I’m starting to fight the best in Australia in my weight every fight I get is a bonus for me to see if I can match it with the best guys in Australia.”

Getting time in front of the coach outside of regional Victorian sparring days once a month takes a bit of effort, so Shaun is left often to his own devices in Sunraysia.

“It’s up to myself back here at home, just training in the backyard with a few other guys,” Shaun says.

“Being able to train myself, coach the other guys, keep my fitness and hard work up and just work on skill with Rudy when I see him every could of weeks.”

After this fight Shaun has a trip to New Zealand in July for the Christchurch Championship and Auckland Championship with a regional Victorian crew on the cards.

“I had a guy training with me from New Zealand, there’s plenty of guys around my weight there – there’ll be plenty of competition,” he says.