Kickboxing: Young fighter excited over next bout

BAY HOPE: Kelvyn Jones will be one of Hawke's Bay's undercard hopes at the Combat Kings Return of Legends event in Hastings next week. PHOTO/FILE

Here's a tip for Hawke's Bay kickboxer Kelvyn Jones.

One of several Bay fighters on the undercard for the July 4 Combat Kings Return of Legends event at the Hastings Sports Centre, Jones, should place a sign on his bedroom wall with the following words: My Fight Must be the Priority. Jones admitted he was just as excited about being a spectator for some of the main bouts as he was about getting in the ring.

"The feature bout is going to be insane," Jones, 18, said, referring to the national 85kg K1 title bout between Australia-based former Hawke's Bay fighters, titleholder Chris "The White Sniper" Johnson and Charles "The Heat" August.

However it is easy to understand why Jones is pondering the main-card schedule. His opponent, 25-year-old Daniel Russell from Helensville Thai Boxing, withdrew last night.

"It was one of a couple of undercard withdrawals this evening. It's tough but finding replacements at late notice isn't uncommon for us promoters," event organiser Patrick O'Brien said.

A part-time barman, Jones boasts a five wins, one loss and one no contest record. He isn't too worried about what will be limited swot time on his opponent, should one be found.

"I'll just go with what happens in the ring," Jones said.

The Hawke's Bay Combined Martial Arts fighter hopes the bout, which is scheduled for three two-minute rounds, will be one of at least four he has before travelling to Spain for the November 3-8 World Kickboxing and Karate Association Unified World Championships in Benidorm.

"Training is going well," Jones said.

"I'm putting in up to two hours five days most weeks and six when I can.

"I'm hoping by fighting in this event it will raise my profile a bit more so I can attract the final $3000 I need in sponsorship for my Spain trip," he said.

The Dan Penn-trained Jones qualified for Spain because he holds the North Island under-18 65kg class K1 title. He took up kickboxing in 2012 on a recommendation from his then Karamu High School counsellor as a positive release.

"I was struggling a bit academically and on the verge of dropping out of school. Taking up kickboxing was the turning point ... the discipline I got from the sport transferred into the classroom and I passed all my exams."

Former Tamatea premier rugby and league player Rick Kirikiri will also be on the undercard. He is the uncle of Zekial Watene, a Hawke's Bay youngster who died after a battle with cancer shortly after last year's edition of the event.

O'Brien said the fighter who displays the most heart and spirit will receive the Zekial Watene Memorial Trophy.

Promising Napier-based Wairoa Thai Kickboxing fighter Luke Meredith will take on Johnny Richard from the House of Pain Gym in Hamilton.

Other Bay kickboxers expected to feature on the undercard are Napier's Brad Kearns, Connor Small and Ryan Colson-Koster and Flaxmere's Frankie McIlroy.