Kickboxing: Hawke's Bay lads chase Oceania titles on home turf

Lucas McAdam (left) and Ropata Lewis complete a training session with trainer Andrew Banham. Photo/Duncan Brown

If confidence could be weighed Hawke's Bay kickboxer Lucas McAdam would take another 10kg at least into the ring at today's international event in Napier.

McAdam, 15, will take on fellow world champion Kane Singleton of Brisbane over five two-minute rounds for the vacant Siam Cup Oceania featherweight title in one of 14 bouts at the Young Gunz Five Muay Thai event hosted by his Jackals Gym in Onekawa.

"I'm ready. I just have to stick on his outside and react to what is in front of me," McAdam said as he pondered the full Muay Thai rules fight.

Although it will be his first bout against Singleton, Napier Boys' High School Year 11 student McAdam has done plenty of homework on the Aussie. He discovered he is a left-hander, a national champion and a world champion from last year's Junior World Championships in Thailand, which McAdam was forced to withdraw from with an injury.

However McAdam, who has been fighting for three years and training for seven, won two golds and a silver at another Thailand-hosted tournament in March which had world titles up for grabs. He won gold in the 14-15 years 45-55kg K1 rules division and in the Glory Kickboxing division for the same age and weight group and silver in the 14-16 years under-57kg Muay Thai division.

These results took McAdam's record to 10 wins, seven losses and a draw.

"I'm confident. I've been training hard for at least two hours every day since returning from Thailand. I run every day and I have six sessions each week with Andrew and Leighann," he added referring to trainers Leighann and Andrew Banham.

He is no stranger to fighting Aussies and in 2016 was beaten on points by Aussie Jacob Hill when they fought for the vacant South Pacific 45kg Muay Thai title. McAdam will be one of two Jackals Gym fighters chasing Oceania titles today.

National champion Ropata Lewis, 14, will take on Aussie Quinton Smith for the vacant 14-15 years 48-50kg title. This fight is also scheduled for five two-minute rounds.

"I don't know much about Quinton apart from the fact he is a three-time titleholder. I've been training just as hard as Lucas and I'm prepared for anything," Lewis said.

The Napier Boys' High School Year 10 student was a handy rugby player in his younger days and represented Napier East at Wakely Shield level in 2015 and '16 and also at the D and C grade levels out of the Napier Pirate Rugby and Sports Club. However, for the last two years kickboxing has been his priority.

That decision and three-and-a-half years of training before two-and-a-half years of fighting have paid off. His CV reads 12 wins and three losses.

When quizzed on Lewis' strengths, Leighann Banham replied: "Ropata has a high workrate. He uses his knees and kicks well and he is extremely fit. I believe he and Lucas have been well matched. You've got New Zealand champs against Aussie champs ... I can't wait."

The full card for today (doors open at noon and fighting begins at 1pm) is:

Ropata Lewis (Jackals) v Quinton Smith (Australia), Lucas McAdam (Jackals) v Kane Singleton (Brisbane), Ashley Nesbitt (Auckland) v Charlia Hodges (Sydney), Lfah Trego (Far North) v Mathew Lyons (Gold Coast), Emma Nesbitt (Auckland) v Rhya Henare (Taupo), Alec Paenga (Jackals) v Sonny Trego (Far North), Brandon Vella (Jackals) v Toby Smith (Palmerston North), Tyronne Te Rure (Jackals) v Darrell Nathan (Auckland), Soul Waltori (Far North) v Jack Caine (Palmerston North), Resha Waipouri (Far North) v Karlee Winiata (Palmerston North), Hayden Jones (Auckland) v Rico Henare (Taupo), Brad Morgan (Palmerston North) v Antonio Mailia (Auckland), EJ Delamere (Auckland) v Tristan Nathan (Auckland), Mary Jane George (Far North) v Molley Story (Palmerston North).

■ Hawke's Bay world champion kickboxer Patrick O'Brien won the WKBA national 95kg title belt with a unanimous points decision win against Waikato's Stephan Harrison in Hamilton last weekend.

O'Brien, who won the under-90kg 18-35 years division at the Unified World Championships in Italy last year, gained revenge for a previous points decision loss to Harrison with his victory at the Battle of the Waikato 10 event in Hamilton. The owner of The Lab Training Centre in Napier, O'Brien, said Harrison was on a win streak and had a convincing knockout win last month.