Episode 42 - Donald ‘Duck’ Jones

[Music] Hello and welcome to Casted & Connections. An initiative of Hands Up Casted & where a group of enthusiastic locals have come together to capture, preserve and share stories of people who have a connection to Casted & Connections team has the pleasure of interviewing Donald Jones. Who, although his connection may only be attributed to his high school years, we felt his recent success and story was too good not to share. The kid from Colrain, better known as Duck, has made a name for himself inside the ring, first as a decorated amateur fighter before turning pro in April of 2025. On December 6 of the same year, Duck was crowned the Australian Super Middleweight Champion in only his third professional fight after defeating Lockie Bubba Higgins by unanimous decision after 10-3 minute rounds. Without further ado, let me introduce you to Donald Duck. [Music] We've both these fighters hail from Victoria as we said Bubba Higgins from the Mornington Peninsula. They couldn't be further apart though. Donald Jones comes from Colrain, almost 350 kilometres to the west of Melbourne just near the South Australian border. It was out that way. In fact, just over the border in Mount Gamary, mate, he's pro-Dubu in April. A second round TKO went over the Indonesian veteran's well-embraced lead. And in July of this ring, he's a decision that epitomped Ty Worm. He's had only six rounds of professional boxing, almost 100 rounds less than he did before. It's a big step up for him here tonight, but as a promoter, Wilton was said earlier, he's confident that he's got the game planned that can win this fight. Decorated amateur, he fought the likes of Paulo Kusso and Clay Waterman. And a rear-ready injustice to pro-fight, he is fighting for the national strap. The Upo-take of that lead. Duck, thanks for joining me, mate. And welcome to Captain Stunn Connections. Thank you very much for having me. I don't know how you feel sitting here listening to that. It gives me a bit of a goose bumps. Yeah, that's so cool listening to and I guess knowing now the Super Middleweight Champion, how does it make you feel? No, it still makes me feel incredible listening to that and just knowing that I'm managed to win the Australian title is still. Pinch myself sometimes? Absolutely. Now before we do, Procedede was interview. Matthew, thanks to Wil from Wildfire to Jim and their promotions team. They've kindly allowed us to use the audio throughout the podcast. So yeah, thanks so much for allowing that and make sure you get along to one of their events, they're great fans. So the title fight itself, how did you feel going into the fight? Obviously there was a fair bit of talk and information around it only being your third pro-fight. How did you feel going into the fight and what were I guess your spirits and all lead up? I just put in all the work I possibly could, make sure I was as well prepared as I possibly could be, going in there knowing that I'd done everything I could to walk out of that ring with the belt. And the commentators early on, like they were talking around the 10 round fight and it was going to be an issue. Did you ever at all have a doubt about your fitness and I guess the standard to go the full distance or were always confident that that wasn't going to be an issue? When it was first announced and knowing that I'd only done four rounds in an actual contest, it was on my mind, but by the time the night come and I was doing 10 rounds, you know, multiple times on a weekend. I'd even done a couple of 12 or 13 rounds. I knew that I was fit enough to go the rounds. And at all, I guess you did you gain confidence by the fact I believe you had fought Bubba before as an amateur, is that right? No, no, I'd spard him. Spard him like a state training and that like we never ended up fighting because he turned professional, you know, before he'd went into elite miles. So I spard him when I was in the youth and he was in the youth and I was in a late. So yeah, he turned professional at about 9/20. I think it was. So you never got the chance to fight him in the amateurs. So was there much prep progress going into his side of it? It was more focusing on you and your fitness and your fighting tactics rather than he was always a bit of both. I was definitely a little bit of both. We knew that he was his strongest point was in that mid range. So the idea was that I was either going to be trying to bear on his chest a little bit or I was wanting to be out at that long, long range, not just sort of sitting in the distance that suits him best. And when I guess as the fight unfolded, how quickly did you decide which one to be whether it was in title further back? Because it looked like and the commentators will continually say, you know, I can't believe the pace of this fight has gone. They've got to wear out. It can't keep going on these, but it did the whole 10 rounds. I guess hammer and tongue and he's just thrown. Throw him over there everywhere. So at what point and I guess how did you adapt during the fight to know what was the best for you to be able to get the result? Well, as at the start, as you said, we went out and I know I just sort of wanted to get get going a little bit excited as you get. Yeah, he hopped that ring and sometimes you just get a little bit too excited, but just sort of yeah, as it went on just decided that, you know, I was laying in the better shots not getting hit as much. Big left hand there from Jones. But in the right clubbing right, he is turning off on Baba Higgins. Good shots. Baba comes back, but it's Jones doing the better work. Jones just will not be denied. He is punching hard. He's punching accurately. And Higgins is wearing many, many headshots. It's starting to turn I think, but I'm not sure how much more of this Higgins can cop. He needs to do something different like that. That would be the different thing you need to do. Well, Jones just really seemed just to walk through him and get throwing. As you said, he won't be denied. He's a man on a mission. When I was staying a little bit longer, staying at that long range, but sometimes you can't stay there all the time. Yeah, definitely both landed some shots. I was just lucky enough to land a few more and throw a few more. I guess in a stark comparison, your second pro fight, it was quite different. It was quite scrappy, wasn't it? Whereas the fight with Baba was quite open and, yeah, he was both landing and throwing plenty of punches where the others are there as a fairbidder, holding and getting in and trying things like that. Yeah, absolutely. It's just how it goes sometimes. I don't know. Sometimes you hop in there and I didn't know anything about Tywall when I was hoppin in there. All I knew was he had an MMA background. I think he was three wins one loss. I only want to be in three wins, no losses, something along their lines. So I didn't have a clue what was coming towards me. At least when I fought Baba, I knew the person that was plenty of footage of him. I knew he strength, his weaknesses. You could prepare for that. Where Tywall, there was no preparing for, it was unknown. I didn't know what I was getting with him. That makes total sense. So in terms about the preparation, mate, so how far out did you know that the fight was coming? What does preparation look like week to week? Are there strict diets, your training regime? What does that sort of look like in the lead up to the actual fight? Yeah, so I found out about the fight. It was probably about 12 weeks out that I'd be fighting on that day. So I just started preparing then I didn't realize at that point it was going to be against Baba or it was going to be for the Australian title. But I think it was about maybe eight or nine weeks out that I found out that it was going to be for the Australian title against Loughie Higgins. So I was already preparing up three or four weeks before that just trying to get as fit as I could be. And then when I found out that I had to go 10 rounds, so the training changed up a little bit to make sure that my fitness was going to be good to do 12 rounds. If you're getting ready to train for a six round fight, which is what we're first talking about, rather than a 10 round fight, it's a big step up. And in terms of the actual, I guess preparation work, like what goes into the fitness like a year at the gym three times a week, three times a day. What are some of the exercises and things you're doing to make sure you are at peak fitness? Yeah, so I'll train 12 to 13 times a week is what I was trying to do. Sometimes work gets in the way and you might miss a session here or there. That's why I always aim for 13 and hopefully I'll get 12. Yep, that's fair enough. And is that a combination of some boxing, some running, some weight, things like that? Yes, I'll do two weight sessions a week. I do a conditioning session, which a lot of ply metrics and there is a little bit of weights involved as well and some, some sprints on the treadmill. Then I'll do three, three runs. I do a Pilates class and the rest is all boxing. Yeah, it's a lot of, obviously a lot of work goes in, but there's got to be a lot of discipline to make sure you are continually staying that level. I'd imagine. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, I ask my mates, they don't see me very often when it gets the fight camp, I just crawl under my rock and put my head down and do the work. Yeah, fair enough and the results are paid off, so well done mate. Back to the fight itself. When I was watching both the title fight and also the fight against Ty, it made me small watching you walk out, you've got the biggest grin on your face, you've come, you know, knows to know each other, you're still small and whether the other blokes like trying to death steer you down. Obviously there's a clear enjoyment from you and yeah, it just made me small to see that the differences between you and the person you're fighting, they were like super serious and you were like sort of having a laugh. Like, let's go. I'm ready. Absolutely not yet. Yeah, well, some people go in there and they think that they're going to intimidate you by, you know, staring you down, yelling at you, sat you from the other side of the ring, where I hope in there, I couldn't care less what you're doing. The only thing I care about is the punches coming towards me and as long as I'm well prepared hop in in there, I'm hop in in there to have a good time. I don't do boxing because for any other reason other than I enjoy it. Yeah, no, that's awesome. As I say, yeah, it made me small and I thought that's awesome. What about your boxing song, Johnny Cash? Is there a story behind that? Yeah, there is a bit of a story. So between my nan that's passed away now, she absolutely loved Johnny Cash. So whenever I was I lived with nan for a couple of years, doing my apprenticeship before I managed to get my license. So I'd always listened to it with her and then also my good mate Mitch Clark that has passed away now as well. He always had, he loved Johnny Cash. He had one of Johnny Cash's songs as he's a walkout song and he also had Johnny Cash junk years and other one of his songs. So it's a mixture between the two. Yeah, I couldn't really pick on what I wanted to have as a walkout song and I just I heard that one one of my mates suggested Jackson Emirates and I just went, yeah, I think that works out well. Yeah, just a beautiful story and we'll touch on Mitch a little bit later in the podcast. Obviously not your typical walkouts. I went on first and I said, oh, okay, that's, but yeah, it's cool. I like it and the story now makes makes sense. So when obviously you're doing the prepping stuff, the way in and the cutting weight, how difficult is that to make sure you get to wait before the fight? Yeah, so from about nine weeks out, I normally start watching what I'm eating and trying to make that cut. And I've tried to get so a week out. I'm going to be 79 kilos. They're about so it's about three kilos off what I have to jump on the scales that on the Friday. And I'll do a fiber cut and you know, normally takes about another kilo and a half off and then I can sweat that last kilo and a half because you got the 24 hours to put the water weight back on and we jump back in the ring at about 81 kilos. Yeah, so it's a lot of work just, you know, making sure that you're in a calorie deficit and also making sure you get enough protein to keep your muscle up. Yeah, imagine my partner, she helps me with all that. That's for sure. Yeah, the way that I was making weight throughout the amateurs was I'd just make it no matter what. I'd just keep cutting calories. But now I'm doing it with making sure I keep the protein up. Not just worrying about calories so much at making it so when I get there, I'm feeling a hell of a lot better and a lot stronger. Yeah, yeah, a bit more structured. So what weight are you currently when before you start cutting Donald and what do you cut down to? Normally sitting about 84 when I start cutting. I was just over that this camp I was 84 and a half and then I'll get down to 76.2. Nice one. Like when I say I'll get down to that. As I said, I'll jump back on the scales the next day and I'll be over 80 kilos. So if you can't now the fiber, the fiber is just fluid and then I'll do a sweat as well, which is a little bit more water. So then as soon as I have the water, have some fiber, you know, you hold that weight pretty good. I remember a jockey by the name of Tom Logan once telling me that when he used to cut weight to get on the horses, he used to go and get rotten drunk on a Friday night and then sitting the bath and sweat until he got under. And that's how he got he cut his weight. So typical jockey, hey, I'm glad to hear that you're a little bit more provisional than that. Obviously through the 10 rounds mate, at what stage in those 10 rounds did you think I will one? I'm clearly on top, but two that you might have had a hand on that belt that's sitting in front of us. To think that I was thinking about having the hand on the belt, not until the last bell went really. But I started feeling comfortable, I went out in that first round and I felt I started feeling comfortable by the end of that first round. I was thinking I'm landing my shots and that I feel like I'm stronger. And I felt like I know that I can do the 10 rounds. So I knew that it was going to take a lot to take me out at that point. And were there any particular shots of bubbles that really rock during your thought or Jesus, I've got to wake back up here and get back on or you always felt sort of in control that for now. I think you just have to look at photos from there. There was definitely a few shots in there. But in particular, there was one right hand that I walked into in that 10th round just getting a bit of a de-paisen that got me a little bit knowing, oh, I've got us a smart now. But yeah, nothing too bad. But yeah, there was definitely shots there. You don't want to, they're little globs. You don't want to get hit with them if you don't have to. That's for sure. 100% what was the trainers saying to you in the corner each round where they giving you some pump up a voice or they telling you at all you're in front or were they just keeping you keeping your head down and. No, they definitely told me I was in front after about or probably the fifth round I said, you're in front, we don't want you doing anything silly, keep it going because it always only takes one shot. You know, knock down and you've lost a couple of points. It doesn't take long to get them back if something bad happens. You just keep making sure that I was staying prepared wasn't getting in displacement. Yeah, that was the main thing that was sort of saying and just sort of saying don't sit there and trade with him. Sort of make sure you're changing your ranges and then get out is because you landed them shots at range. So you don't need to worry about getting in close too much. Have you watched your fought back here? Yeah, I have. I just before Christmas, I watched it back once. That's the only time I've watched it back. I've listened to it because everyone was going on about the commentators. So I did listen to it. I just had on work. I just had my phone sitting over there and had some headphones in. I listened to the commentators just because everyone was saying, oh he's going to gas. He's going to gas. Like they were ever I was saying the commentators are going this someone needs a telling that it's a 10 round fight and stuff like that. That's good. Do you watching it back? Do you have a favorite round or do you have a favorite moment within the fight? No, I wouldn't say have a favorite round or a favorite moment. Actually, favorite moment would probably be getting my hand raised. Barry Michael, Ben there to present about with Will and that's all amazing. But I think it was just the whole night was great. I'm just hopping out and just getting to spend a heap of time with friends and family that come like, you know, because it's a long way down to Melbourne. Anyone that comes down, I'm like more than appreciate that. There's one bloke did training with years ago. Name's Andy down in Warnable and I hadn't seen him in probably maybe five years or something before an exhibition down in Warnable and the last year and he goes, can I come to your fight? I was like, is that sure? Like, message me, let me know. Anyway, he come along and he's come to the last two. He just loves coming along and he's just off on his own. That's good. It's fantastic. It's something like that. That really makes it quite special and makes it small. What did the night look like after it? Were you gassed or did you get out and have a beer with the boys and your, and your, and imaging and what what happened after? Yeah, we sort of just went out the back for a bit, you know, spent a little bit of time with the coach in that first and then sort of we all met up at Crown after a big fight like that. The adrenaline's going that hard and I have caffeine gels, which, you know, I only have maybe three or four times leading up to the fight. I never drink coffee or anything like that. So pretty much the caffeine just has me up all night anyway. So say I don't drink much. So, you know, I only have, you know, maybe half a dozen and I'm pretty cut. You know, it's just it's good to go out and have a couple of drinks and, you know, with the older people that have come down like my next fight, I won't be able to do that because I'm going to have another fight very soon after. But I definitely do. I just I feel like everyone comes out to see me. I feel like I need to spend some time and. I'm a bit of, yeah, mutual respect back to them. Yeah, yeah, that's awesome. And speaking of respect, mate, quite clearly, you and Baba had a high level of respect for each other. You can see after every round knocking gloves and things like that. Is that just a unwritten rule of boxes that when you get in the ring with each other, there's automatic respect for each other or do you gain respect from a fellow boxer? No, I think anyone that hops into the ring, they deserve respect. It's not an easy thing to do. But we're saying that sometimes, you know, something happens in the lead up to it and you're not going to give them as much respect. No, I think most people in boxing have a fair bit of respect. It's, you know, it's always, everyone loves seeing the story of the bloke that's not showing any respect. And they're the ones that get beaten or knocked out like everyone loves seeing that. Yeah, absolutely. Well, that maybe nearly runs out the title fight. I guess, as you mentioned, the commentators had plenty of things to say. What they did say a number of times is this could be the fight of the year. So well, under you and well under Baba obviously is a big part of that as well. But I guess you mentioned that your favourite point was when you're hand-fondly got raised. What was the first initial emotion and how did you feel then and has that changed in the last month or so? As you might have seen me jumping up and down like a little schoolgirl, I was over the moon just, you know, I just felt like all the hard work that I'd put in was all worth it after after that. You know, many years of training and that and to get finally getting Australian title was, yeah, absolutely amazing. That's so good, mate. So we're going to just digress back a little bit and I guess talk about your journey to become a pro fighter. So as a kid, what are some of your earliest memories when you're a kid round home? I'll probably go around the bikes just riding bikes with my brother and more his mates than mine. I was still too young. I didn't caught up in a barb-eye fence out the back of cool tarts place and stuff like that. Like, they're probably some of the earliest memories I have. Do you remember what happened between you and I when we were younger? Yes, I do remember that. As I recall, Isaac and I got into an argument about something. We're in the bedroom as I used to always come over and stay in your place when I was younger. And then I know I got into an argument about something and you heard the commotion and come in just to see what had happened and you said, "Oh, what's happened, duck?" And I just ran out, yeah. You just, you know, went, "Shit, what the hell are you here and just punch me in the side of the face and my eyes swelled up that big or wasn't funny?" And if I remember correctly, you'd broke a knuckle or two. Yeah, well, I think your memory is probably better than mine, duck, but I reckon most of your story is correct. And if I recall correctly, it might have been a hot wheels track to the face of me, brother, and you are dead, right? I didn't know how to react when you were coming at me and I feel what I'd try and throw one and definitely come off second best with the two broken knuckles, as you mentioned. And I tell you one thing for sure, I won't be trying to hit you ever again. That's for sure. So we'll move into schooling in Colrain, primary school. What are some of the memories from your school days? What sort of kid were you in the classroom or how did you go with the teachers? Yeah, most of the teachers, I sort of got along with it, but I was, you know, I was easily fired up and if someone pushed my buttons, I wasn't afraid to, you know, get in a fight with them and stuff like that. That's for sure. Now, I don't know whether this story is true or not, and maybe you can either knock it down or agree to it, but I once heard that maybe you had a bit of a running with a policeman and your foot might have seen his private parts. Yeah, poor Roger McCleur, detective Roger McCleur at the time, I think he might have been. He was off duty at the time, but we're on school camp and I had one of my little buddy, angry, you know, boy things, I'd be going off and he just tried to come out and settle the situation down and I don't know. I don't know, he might have went to grab me or something like that and yeah, I just kicked him. Definitely, you know, definitely wish I hadn't done anything like that because, you know, he was, he was there just being a teacher doing the right thing. He had nothing to do with him being a police officer or anything like that, but I tell you what there's been a couple of times when, you know, he's, you know, just like breathos and stuff like that. And he's been there and you know, you just go, I wonder if he still remembers that. He's good luck. I've spoken to him many times. I've had a whole heap of respect for him and he is a great man. Yeah, great story. I love that. I was going to say, do you know the story about me getting to the boxing club? I'd love to hear it. So I was an angry kid. I shut the school down and I was, what do you mean shut the school down? They all went to lockdown because I'd cracked the shits and I'd, you know, gotten a fight. And anyway, they all was running the market. And you know, I've taken off. Anyway, they went, all right. He needs to work out something to do with anger management or he's going to end up going to Jovey not shout Jesus. And, um, anyway, Sergeant Keating from Colourane, he was the one that took me to mock us in the first place to start boxing. Yeah, right. There you go. I sort of led you on a little bit of a garden path. I actually knew that because I caught up with Mocka last week. And I asked him a few questions about you. So we're about to listen to what Mocka said about the first time you enter the gym in a few other bits and pieces. So I'll give you a chance to reply back to him once we have a listen. So what are some of the first memories you had of Donald Jones? The first memory of Donald Jones was when we were training my night was a hot summer night. Jim was full and next minute local copper on the name of Sergeant Rowan Keating turned up and he said, "I had someone be interested to meet you." And I goes, "Have you just been in any war scene by how this young lad by the collar?" And he's got two options. Mocka, you either come, zero and learn about the facts of life. So he's always going to go to a boys home. We'll see how he goes. The right decisions this one. Well, that was. He's still. He's going to go to a boys home. I think he's about nine when he got to eat. And what's he now? 28. So fair journey. Absolutely. Very long time. So from, I guess, the first time he walked in and then subsequent visits after was he always attentive and willing to learn or without challenging times? He started as a mischievous little lad and he just used to bumble around the gym for 12 months and that and not long later another lad turns up from Belmoura, was Barry Clarkson Mitchell. So I think for two years him and Mitchell's a mature scheme and little bogus. They were in the gym. They didn't always do what they told but they were always part of the program, the process, the training and a lot of bander. Things tweak. It's like anything. If you're there long enough you pick up things and you learn a style and the seed gets sowing and away you go. And that's what happened with Donald's part of the story and it was actually Mitchell's part of the story too. Both connected and did like each other for start. It was Dr. What was his team? It was his turf and Mitchell comes along and what are you doing on my turf? Are you either both in that version, you sons to me? Yes. Still, Donald still is. And so after a couple of years his school started to develop and the way they both went and I counted. I went a big team then. And they were the pups on the team. And what did sort of training week look like for them like how many times a week? Well, it was always twice a week if not three or four depending on a high tournament song because I'd seen your fighters in and they were just in the mix. And turn up as I say. They'd be hiding me on the ring or they'd be hiding somewhere or you'd go to 40 A. Will they be hiding me on a tree? What are young lads of like in the day when they're on the journey on the bus? So we'd duck specifically I guess boxing saved his life. Boxing. Boxing saved his life. Well, I did. It's a fact everyone knows that the community knows that and my family. I remember when he first come around sitting up at T1 and they went to school with him. So they had buttered there for a while and brothers and sisters. That's how they ended up. He was a little. Well, it's now angel at school. That's for sure. And he didn't want to be there. And was he's journey. Yeah, that's journey's going to wherever he is now through here. The gym, the soul of the car and community, the family and everyone else supported him. So as a obviously he's been a young buck first coming in at what point did you know that he was going to be a serious boxer? He always had determination. He first bowed in the man. He had that want to do it. But the same thing is saying that everyone else wanted to do it. So sort of all gels in together. And then we fought. We won some. We lost some. We actually, he's had a good amateur career. I think he's won nine state titles, taking him to probably eight. I'm guessing around eight, he probably tiered eight or more nationals. And we've just just done him. I missed out on a fuel and we robbed of a couple. That we missed out on one or two. The oceanics we should have been to that. We thought we had that. But you know, you come from the bushes always harder. Everything is. Yeah, yeah, yeah, against it and the big smoke. You know, out of all that, we'd go anywhere in Melbourne or wherever in Australia. I had respect because you know, everyone knew. All those fathers were, you know, condition, school full enough. You know, we're at many, many nationals and many state titles. And I think Katie Riddle, Katie Barcher, Riddle, she, she won 11 state titles and she ended up winning Australian title. Yeah, all through little Jim and Carl, right? Yeah, I'm a believer of Triever. An event like duck in his title fight when he talking at the end, you know, still obviously credit here because you know that's where he's learned everything and grown up. Yeah, it is. And you know, the skills are still there like he's sharp. He's just when he can bum around in the in the gym at Triever when it's actual fight day. He goes to another level. And that's mainly point scoring. Yeah, classes. And as I said, he's like, no, not outpunched by any means, but just school for school for trade. And it appears to like really learn quickly. So like when he's boxing, it's someone learns what way to get around and like, no, probably knows beforehand, but like can quickly adapt to a situation. Yeah, well, suppose you get a look at that too, you've been doing it since you're eight years old. Yeah, I think he's wins a total 20, I just 20 years of school. And you know, just being around boxing. And we had Roger Nate was a big part in fitness for us as well as, you know, say four years, four years of him before we were away. And we always, man, Roger spoke about getting duck a killer punch. And we never found a killer punch, but he was always consistent with numbers and that like Mitch Clark. He had a sleegemmer. Yeah, he was born with South ball strong boy and very powerful. And he was, he was about power and power and very good skills too. But ducks got that he and speed. Yeah, you can change the numbers up switch. You learn to switch from all for South, all for North South also. Yeah, and that comes with his time and experience. Yeah, as I said, just 20 years in the making. Yeah. And as I said, we should have once cut the national titles, but it's part of the journey. Yeah. And I guess that's like you mentioned before about the journey and I guess there's a boxing side, but then what it actually does for you as a person. Yeah, well, through, you know, the likes of the gym ducked on the apprenticeship. Yeah, probably well, you know, and probably well to fit it out the back of his workshop, you know, the likes of gym for us. That's the top. Yeah, it's, you know, given back. Yeah. And then he's got to trade through the gym and most of them who come through the gym, not only to send in and up with a good trade. Yeah. No, not a butcher like myself, better trade. Yeah, no, which is still important. Yeah, they are. They're all good skills, good trades and they all own their homes. I guess just now back down to duck and like he's title fighting stuff. Like how proud we are watching now and that you've played a massive part in that journey and attributed to his success now. Well, very proud, as I said, he's a, he's a, he's a, he's a Sunday me. So, you know, in the journey, journey is actually that's, that was there. It was both, it was, it was vacant, Australian title and it was there for one on the win. So when duck had the skills to be a class, he meant, and certainly a class team. You know, yeah. But different circumstances, I guess, with that belt being there for the taking, wasn't it? Oh, totally. Yeah. So, yeah, now that next step is defending it. Yeah. Yeah. So, different set of challenges again, I guess. Yeah, well, mentality was. Yeah. Oh, that's not what you'll step up for it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's only committed. Yeah. And as I say, it goes back to me, Sergeant Graham, Keating, morning, in by the colour. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, you imagine the train, the transition from a kid in an, an orn, an orn, an orn, a kid. Yeah. And to where he's got now, he's, he's got his house, he's got a good trade. He's won the Australian title. He's had the whole journey through his amateurs, as far as we could go. And, uh, uh, it's a lot of things. I've seen as much adversity as anyone else. Well, we've been there, journey. Yeah, but we've, um, we've been there for years. It's not a state we haven't been in and forward. Yeah. That's for sure. Yeah. To be a pair of us. Yeah. Yeah. And, and, and, and also, Keating Reddle as well. So, he's been really one of them. William, as, as the malls, the most, both of us. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's a, all together. You know, you know, the train. Yeah. And that's so, uh, the future is there. I wouldn't predict it, but there's, um, a lot of, a lot of, uh, school for fighters out there. A lot of tough fighters, but, yeah, as far as schools, I think, um, ducks as good as any of them. Yeah. As I said, power boys, strength boys, physically and fitness boys and school for boys. Totally. A lot of folks out there were power punches. Yeah. And he's just, you make sure you have catch one. Yeah, he's right. That's up to him in that. You know, it's up to him, but, you know, doors will open big time. And I'll definitely, like I'll ask him when I catch up with him next week. But, um, do you know the reason, like, around the delay to go pro? I think I read something that people will like when you go pro sooner. Yeah. Well, we thought, I think we were, I'm guessing you got to the last nationals just. You know, I didn't make the cut, but, um, someone pulled out. So he had the box off for that spot. Yep. And that was his last nationals and he made, that was in Perth. He had a bit of a break after that and, you know, he's, the break's done him good. Yeah. Yeah. He recognized the passion or something. Yeah, well, certainly, he recognized the passion. He's got what everyone tries for. He's got that, that belt, you know? Yeah. Yeah. All right. So, you know, he's got to finish on, on duck specifically and, um, yeah, any message you want to leave him or. Oh, he, he, he's not done. Yeah. He's, he's here to cut more ease. Yep. We have for someone to take his title. Yeah. He's too quick. Yeah. Too sharp. Go on your deck. Yeah. I see. Go on your machine. That's what I call him, the machine. All right, machine. All right. Thanks for that, Smokker. I appreciate your time. Go on your game. Well, what do you think about that, mate? No, it's good. Got a lot of time for the man. He's done the world for me, you know that. Um, yeah, I've, that's what I need to say. He's, yeah. He's helped so many people through that gym. It's, uh, incredible. Yeah. Yeah, I could see just when he was talking about the gym itself, but then like you and then the relationship with Mitch and, whether some things we got, not recorded that he was telling me and, yeah. Um, yeah, he clearly very, very proud. So hopefully you know that. And I think you do. And, um, in terms of the gyms made, obviously, um, grown up at Mokkers and, and I guess learning you tried there. And then obviously now with Peninsula boxing, what are the sort of some of the differences between the two gyms and, um, yeah, how do you say it differently now? Um, it's just a lot more active fighters, sort of my weight down there. Um, that's for sure. And it's just, um, just a bit of extra, you know, knowledge that's in a different part of boxing, sort of, you know, I've spent 20 years with, with Mokker. Um, it's a bit like, you know, you're, you're there playing football and if you keep, you know, the same coach the whole way through, you sort of, you're missing out on a few of the other little bits and pieces that, you know, might help you get over the line. And I was just, uh, that was sort of the main, main reason of, um, changing over was just to get out of there and just learn from someone else because it's starting, you know, you get told the same stuff. And sometimes it takes, you know, someone else to say the same thing that Mokker was saying to me for it to click. Yeah. Yeah. So, um, how did you land on peninational boxing and like, how's it work from a logistical point of view and things like that? Um, well, Marcus has been the state coach for boxing Victoria for many years. And, um, yeah, he, when he, like I spoke to him and said like I was, um, you know, thinking about moving on from Mokker and like I'd sort of need a bit of a game plan. I sort of went, I'll have, um, I'll just have a go. I said, and there was, uh, what's the word for it? There's no raising reason in for so much. Just a relationship you developed. Yeah. He's got so much experience there and someone that I knew rather than sort of going somewhere different and, you know, find your feet with how they, they move and how they do things. I sort of already knew how Marcus had done things and stuff like that. Um, also managing Katie. So it was already close to the gym as well without, um, without being too close to, you know, there would be, um, you know, I didn't want to go to someone else that was close with the gym because I didn't want to make things awkward between Mokker and them as well. So it was just trying to, trying to find how that had worked and stuff like that as well. Um, and with how does it work traveling down there, um, leading up to fights. I'll, you know, take the odd Friday off work and I'll head down on the Thursday and I'll stay there for three days. And I come back and I do make sure I get my strength and conditioning my runs in all that type of stuff during the week. And then, um, you know, it's not every Friday, but leading up to a fight, you know, maybe every second Friday and then I'll try and get some more rounds elsewhere in between. And, um, yeah. Marcus has always sent in through other programs for me to work on and stuff like that and just some other little skills and drills to do. Perfect. Um, Mokker mentioned about the national titles, nine time state champion, he said that's pretty impressive. Um, so I guess, um, the difference between being an amateur boxer and an pro boxer mate, how would you describe the differences and what have you noticed that that is a bit different? Mostly the rounds. So, you know, something go out there and you can, you sort of don't get tired as much. If, you know, because you get to the point, you're doing three through the rounds quite easily and you can do that at a very high high work rate. Um, and it's less chance of, um, you know, other things coming into play like in the pros, you got a longer period of time like the whole way through the amateurs, everyone was always saying, you'll make a great pro. Why don't you go pro? But I was always striving to get that, that Australian title like that was what I wanted to put the green and golds on. And I knew that I could always go pro at some point or another. It didn't matter when it was so much for me. Um, so that was the main reason why I was sticking it out. What was the turning point when you decided to actually go pro in the end? Um, I'd say that the time I decided to have a pro fight was just because Sam Dwyer over in Macambia was having another professional card and I thought it would be a bit of fun. So I decided that, yeah, I have a pro fight. If I liked it, I'd go from there and, you know, I could have a couple or a few. I wasn't sure how many I'd have, but I just thought it'd be silly if I didn't have at least one after having an amateur career that I'd had. No, that's fair enough. So, um, what was your amateur record in the end? I think it was already had like 80 fights or something. Yeah, it was about 80 fights. Um, I'm not sure how many wins it might have been. I know it was a bit over 40 wins, I think like say my first 10 fights, I think I won two. So, um, I was always, uh, because I was quite a heavy boy or a big bone does my muse to say. Um, I was always fighting older kids. So I remember my first first state title I went into was against fellow called, um, the final was in against Ben Jago. And I think he was, he was either 16 or 17 and I was, I think I was 14 fighting against him. So like when you get to that age, there's a, you know, a lot of development that's, you know, between 14 and 17 year old stuff like that. That plays a big part, but it's sort of it also, you know, makes you learn and you know, it keeps your hungry. Yeah. Um, so Mocka mentioned that, um, you've probably got robbed of a couple of titles. Did you think the same, same thing? Uh, there's, you know, there was one, especially it was against Clay Waterman and, um, I remember hop now the ring and I was just sort of like, oh well, like, she happens to. Yeah. So I was like, oh well. And then as I was hopping out like the state like manager come up and he was like, we're going to challenge that like we just want to replay it and that because in the, he, Clay dropped me with one and I definitely lost that round. But then in the last round, there was a real soft eight count. They weren't happy about it. And he was also, um, I think it might have been duck in his head or something like that. Um, something that he kept doing and they were going to, they were like, he should have been taken a point off and that would have been the, because it was a split split decision between us. And, um, yeah, they were going off about that. So yeah, definitely that one. And there's been a couple of other ones where I fought different people and then like people that had stools there. Um, I remember gripper stock. There are ways that are he for the events like he coming out to me as I was walking out, he seemed to walk out the door and chased me down and he goes, here, come in here and I want to give you some socks like I feel like you are pretty hard done by with that decision. Um, there was just a few little things like that. Like, you know, things don't always go your way, but you know, everything happens the way that happens for a reason. Yeah, for sure. So, um, do actually before I go to that, can you give a quick rundown to around the scoring system and the point system for people that don't know boxing that might be listening today. Is there a quick brief rundown of how that works? Yeah, well, there's a few different, you know, ways that they score, but the main one is clean shots like landing. Um, you know, it's boxing. That's the main main thing that actually matters. But then it will be also like controlling the ring. You know, if I'm in the center of the ring and I'm pushing the pressure, I'm going to get points for that. Like, you know, if it's a close fight and the one in the center is normally the one that's pushing the fight there. They're determining when, when you're engaging so much. So you'll get points for that as well. And, um, yeah, they're the, they're the main ones. There's all like, you know, other little bits and pieces, but they're the main ones. Yeah, fair enough. Um, so you mentioned that what you wanted to do was where the green and golden, didn't quite get to that final step in terms of a national. Do you feel like you gave it everything you can or is there a level of regret that you haven't got that but now you've obviously gone to the pros and you won't have that or. No, I, um, I feel like I gave it everything I could through them. Um, and I feel like as everyone always said, like I was always more suited to becoming a professional boxer. I was just me being pickheaded in my own mind, not wanting to listen to anyone else like because, you know, there's a difference between, you know, going out there and running a marathon, a half marathon compared to running 100 meter sprint or, you know, 1500 meter run like it's, you know, got a train differently. You got to, you know, it doesn't matter how good, you know, the best marathoner is if he starts training for 100 meter sprint, he's going to be coming up short a lot of the time and vice versa. Yeah. So when you say people said and that you're more suited to the pros, what do they mean by that? Why do the wider people think that and why maybe are you more suited to the pros? Like my fitness, as you've seen with the last fight, I stuff like that and sort of just being that pressure fighter that's, you know, there and just push him, pushing that tempo where you're sort of you can hit and move a lot more with the amateurs where when you get to the pros, it's a lot harder to do that over the around sort of you start smaller gloves, you start wearing them down a little bit more. Yeah, no, awesome. Right earlier, we said we'd come back to Mitch Clark. His name's been mentioned a few times throughout the podcast. You and him had a close relationship. Tragically, Mitch lost his life in 2022 due to a trucking accident. And also unfortunately, this was just four months after Mocker's gym lost Adam McClure in a car accident. Adam was a driving force behind getting Mocker to start the boxing gym about 20 odd years ago. So dark. What do you remember both about Adam and Mitch and how did their passing affect the gym and more importantly, how did it affect you? Mitch and I both started boxing at Mockers boxing club at a similar time. He was nine and I was eight, just a couple of little fat angry hits. We didn't overly get along at the start. To be honest, we're pretty happy to fight each other in the ring out of the ring. We didn't matter whenever we seen each other. We just wanted to fight. We were very competitive with one another. But as time went on, we become good mates always just as competitive. But yeah, sort of really got along with each other and always always spend time with each other, whether it was in the boxing ring or not. He was like a big brother to me. From teaching me how to shoot, take me fishing. I used to go over to rope with him and his parents, Jody and Barry. I have a lot of precious memories that I'll be holding onto for life, that's for sure. I remember getting the phone call off Mockers saying that Mitch had passed away. I just tried to put it deep down and not show any emotion or anything like that. I was very hurt as you can imagine, losing your best mate in an instant like that. I remember it all come out. It was the day before he was funeral and I was trying to iron my suit pants and I ended up melting them. That really was breaking point for me at that point. I just yelled and screamed and put my shoes on and I just started walking. I probably walked 10-15 Ks that night just trying to cool off and just understand what had happened and make sense of it in my own mind. It was only five months earlier we lost Adam and Mitch was saying he's too young, he's got a young family. It's stuff like this shouldn't happen. Four months or five months on we'll deal with it all again with Mitch. If there's one slight silver lining out of everything that that would be that a few of Mitch's really good mates. We've sort of all connected up and we try and get together at least once a year and just really have some good memories of Mitch and have a good time together. We've really made some strong friendships up from that loss and I'll be further grateful for Mitch for getting us to all become good mates with one another. It's people that I wouldn't have met if it wasn't for Mitch. If I did meet him it wouldn't be the same friendships that we have today. Adam was the best boxer in the gym when we started out. He was the one that everyone looked up to. He was the most respectful, hardworking person. You'd know he was just an absolute inspiration to me. I remember if Adam would go out and he'd throw a double jab and I'd be watching him as I'm doing my shadow sparring and I'd be throwing a double jab because Adam throws double jab. I'd wash at night or he'd make little sounds when he was shadow sparring so I'd do the same thing. I'd make sounds and I was shadow sparring and just stuff like that you'd always look up to him. He was just about the best role model that a kid could ask for growing up one to be a boxer. Even after he stopped boxing I remember he'd take me to state trainings and stuff like that when my goal was unable to come down. I'd go out to his place on a Sunday or a Sunday and we'd train together and he'd cook me dinner and sort of just show me things to avoid and things to have for me to make weight and stuff like that. Even now if I'm having a bit of a down day or something like that puts some of his songs on and it always picks me up that little bit makes me feel a little bit happier. Definitely a couple of big figures in me growing up and becoming the person that I am today is because of them too. That's for sure. What I made is not really short to say. I guess anyone who has lost someone close to him and you've had two people close to you lost but anyone does know that it can be a very challenging time. We thank you for being so honest and open with us and our thoughts go out to the Clark and McClure family and big thanks to Mitch and Adam for helping turn you into the great person that you are today mate. It's a credit to them and it's a credit to you so well done getting through such a difficult time. What do you think is next for you mate? Obviously you mentioned you've got a fight coming up very soon but what's on the horizon do you think for dark? I've got a fight in Mount Gambia on the 7th of March. There's another local boy Ethan Curry who will be on there as well, Beuffy. That's always great fun. It's a big thing, always catching up with beef and stuff like that. Also my partners have in her pro day, we're on the same night so it will be a special night for me. It's always one that a few more of my local friends and stuff like that can get to as well. Yeah there was a heap of us there last year and it was just a great night like it's always one of the most favourite ones. Will you be a corner and a few partner? Will you duck? It's going to depend on what's happening through the night. Yeah she'll have markers in there as her first and it will just depend like you know if on if I'm fighting you know before her definitely if I'm fighting after her well it depends on how big the gap is between when she fights to when I fight whether that yeah whether I'll be in the corner or not or whether she'll be in the my corner like she's always in my corner as well so. Yeah and do you not find that out until like real close to the event or what at what stage you know what that might look like or I fight. Hang up Sam and you know got into him you could probably give me a rough idea but it's one of them things where. With still this far out at this point fights can fall over other fights can be added you know someone else from the same gym. As someone else might end up on the card banner replacement fight so the orders got to change then so there's no use putting out a card now saying this is going to be the order that's going in it's better off just leaving it will find out what the order is when it gets a bit closer Sam might give us a rough time when it's going to be on but if not there's no use putting out a card because it's a much in change yeah it's not it's not you know you go down for a hit a cricket or a bit of football or something like that if one person pulls out the whole fight can be off yeah one person pulls out of a footy match well there's still buddy you know 20 other ones that are going to be out of yeah play the game yeah yeah well that that will be a very special time anyone that's listening and would like to get a ticket how would they do so no the best way is to probably connect up with Ethan or me or even my partner image and depending on you know just someone that you close to that you knows fighting on there like it's just a way of helping helping us out by you know next time they're putting on a show and we want to hop on it they're more inclined to let us out on to their cards and stuff like that if you know they know that we're being bringing a crowd because the promoters there he's he's you know trying to make some money out of it I think Sam's lost money on the last two cards but he just loves does it because he loves it but you know just stuff like that it just helps us you know find more fights to come up with and stuff like that awesome so yeah reach out to either dark image or beefy and if I was let me know and I can get in touch with duck for you if you want a ticket with your fights in the mount mate obviously it's another profile but not for the belt I'm presuming no no it's a six rounder it's against the Fiji and champion light have you got a great so he's coming down to super middle what challenge do you think that'll pose well you know band Fiji and he's going to be he's going to be strong that's for sure I haven't looked too much into him as it's only just coming out I was sort of holding off you know because you get he even names thrown around the place on who you're going to end up fighting so I just sort of sit back and wait until you know it's all signed and at least then I know who I'm going to be fighting and stuff like that like last time for my pro day boo I had three opponents was it hard to prepare yeah that's it so I had I can't remember who the first one was now and then I had an Englishman and I think it was 15 days out I end up with the one that fight against you know yeah all right that's also mate and then I guess moving on from after after March sheffield is there much else on the horizon or you just sort of go to wait and see what falls your way yeah well there's talk of a another fight night wildfire putting on another fight night I think they're talking about having on the 30th I think that's that might be the sad days around but it's the last sad day of March and that will be a title defense yeah but I'll say I'm not going to say too much about that I don't there's a couple of names been thrown around who and who I might fight but we're saying that I haven't haven't got any papers to sign or anything like that yet so there's no saying that that fight won't be after Easter yeah so are you concerned at all about the length of time between the March 7th fight in the mountain maybe if that other fight is going to be also in the march is that is at a concern for you at all or yeah well of course it is it's one of them things where you hop in there and you're doing boxing anything can happen but Sam's always there's always great helps out and if he can so yeah just I'll and it's the local show that everyone can get on in and watch so it's one that I you know I have free special spot in my heart that's for sure yeah and yeah obviously being made more special with image and making her proud to be a bulls well so we definitely wish her luck and hopefully all pins it well now do I tell us about the title belt itself then does that how does it come up to someone challenging you for that belt how long can you hold it for without taking a fight or is it basically you're just standing by the promoter and you're going we'll just taking taking a challenge from someone well when I signed the contract to fight for it said when I won the belt I'd have that for eight months and I'd have to do a title offense in within eight months but if I was challenged I had four months from when I was challenged to have a fight and they have to be someone within the top 10 rankings and that's in the ANBF the Australian boxing Federation I think it is National Boxing Federation and yeah so it's just dependent on that and I'm not sure who they'll put me up against at this point in time but yeah time will tell so do you actively look for those so that I guess that time doesn't laps and you've been able to try and defend it or is that the gym's job or is it will that wildfire job how does that work yeah well I just leave all that up to Marcus is also my manager as well so I just leave it up to him to decide on what's happening there with all of that I just worry about training and you know the when it comes to getting told who I'm fighting and all that then I'll knuckle down and sort of concentrate on who I'm fighting against at that point. Yep. Do you feel like they're going to come thick and fast yeah like obviously you've got that maximum time frame do you think people are going to come at you a bit more frequently and so I want to crack it? Well I'd imagine that they will consider and have only had three professional fights I'd imagine that they will be but time will tell I haven't got told much about any of it I don't as they know I'm not too worried about anything to do with that I just worry about who I'm fighting when I'm fighting. A small lad I'm in the ring and get ready to go absolutely always going to have a good time. Duck you may not be a cast and member specifically but we've absolutely loved having you on cast and connections and really glad that you're able to share the journey with us and yeah we're all behind you and we'll look forward to seeing you on March 7th and then keeping that that belt from many use to come. Thank you very much our cast and always had a you know a special little spot in the heart as well. You know John wave up there at school we spent plenty of time in his office that's sure. That's awesome mate thanks very much for your time I appreciate it. Thanks mate. Thanks boys. We hope you've enjoyed today's episode of one of our homegrown heroes jump over to one of our other episodes to continue the cast and connections journey with us. Please don't forget to follow our podcast and share it with your family and friends thank you for listening. [Music]