Boxing: Only one fight matters to middleweight Jackson

Tauranga boxer Gunnar Jackson is fighting for the WBO Oriental title tonight. Photo/File

Gunnar Jackson is primed for a key fight in his boxing career tonight.

The Tauranga middlewight takes on Samoan champion Afakasi "Pele" Faumui for the WBO Oriental title in the Triple Thriller event organised by Inga Tuigamala in Auckland.

The show may have lost a little lustre with New Zealand's highest-ranked boxer, Robert Berridge, pulling out at late notice against fellow Kiwi light heavyweight Adrian Taihia but for Jackson's team only one fight mattered.

Jackson's last fight with Faumui ended in a controversial draw, which Jackson believed he had won, so there has been a sense of payback at Jackson's training base at TGA BOX Health & Fitness.

His trainer Chris Walker says Faumui is a tough opponent with a good record but Jackson has trained well for the bout.

"Gunnar is going well and we are looking forward to a good performance from him," said Walker.

Jackson's last fight was a rushed trip to Australia to take on former world champion Anthony Mundine in January.

Although he lost the contest, Jackson went the distance in a fight that proved he can match it with the best around.

"The main thing he got out of that was it buffed up his confidence tremendously," said Walker.

"He was able to fit it with a two-time world champion and he held himself quite respectably."

Walker said he received interest from overseas after the Mundine fight.

"We got an option to fight on a pay-for-view card in Australia against Jake Carr, a very promising up-and-coming Super Middlewight, but we ended up turning it down just for the fact the timing wasn't quite right with this show.

"We already had this fight pencilled in but it was postponed from a month ago."

Walker is hopeful Jackson will get to fight in Tauranga later this year.

"If he can win [tonight] that will get his belt back and put him in the top 15 and then the plan is to defend his belt, which is how you get up the rankings.

"We are looking at Tauranga for his next fight but he has to get through this one first."