Former Richmond footballer Kayne Pettifer wants pro boxing career after winning first fight Ron Reed
Herald Sun
December 14, 2014FORMER Richmond footballer Kayne Pettifer is keen to proceed with a professional boxing career after making a successful debut on Saturday night.
It’s fair to suggest, though, that it’s only going to get harder from here.
Pettier’s opponent was an overweight, 44-year-old Thai whose ring name is Terkiat Sitheppitak — his passport says Kiattisak Kuaruan — and whose record is so poor Victorian boxing officials said he probably wouldn’t have been allowed in the ring if he had not been fighting a complete novice.
Sitheppitak has had more than 100 outings in the martial art of Muay Thai but only nine boxing bouts, winning his first against another novice but losing all the rest, five by knockout.
Fighting at light heavyweight, Pettifer, 32, who has been working under trainer Sam La Bruna for several months, clearly won the first three two-minute rounds, fading slightly in the last, with all three judges calling it his way 39-37.
The 113 game goalkicker, who retired in 2007, was cheered on by a tableful of current Tigers, including Chris Newman and Dustin Martin, with Collingwood’s Dane Swan and former Blue and Lion Brendan Fevola also in the crowd and recently deposed world champion Sam Soliman in his corner.
“I enjoyed it — a great experience — and I’m pretty proud of myself,” Pettifer said.
“I definitely want to have another go. But it’s extremely hard — the toughest sport in the world.
“The transition from football is just so hard and I have a long way to go.”
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