KICKBOXING - Maloney kicks win but wanted knockout

Shane Hurndell Head1:
Josh Maloney sets high standards for himself.
The Hawke's Bay kickboxer's loud expletive heard by spectators at Saturday night's Excessive Force Fight Night at Taradale's Pettigrew-Green Arena after his 76kg class amateur fight against Gisborne's Ben Florance proves it. It wasn't because he thought he had lost his bout which he won by a unanimous points decision.
"I was pissed off that I didn't knock him out in the second round. Dion said he should have hit the canvas too," Maloney said, referring to his Zero Tolerance Gym trainer Dion Crouch.
Considering the 20cm height advantage and four-kilogram weight advantage Maloney, 19, was giving away SportToday would have been happy with the win had we been in his position. However, with Maloney eyeing a national title bout next year we can understand why the second-year fighter with just three full fights and three novice ones under his belt has set his standards so high.
Although Florance is the tallest fighter Maloney has fought to date, Florance was always going to find the going tough - such was the tremendous support for Maloney.
"They're all my old schoolmates from Napier Boys' High School," he said pointing to the most vocal section of the 540-strong crowd which was in party mode after his win.
"I left school two years ago but we still keep in touch," said Maloney, who is working as a fencer now after a stint in the forestry.
"Both jobs have been good for my fitness," he said as he had his first beer in four weeks.
"With mates like mine not drinking has been almost as tough as Dion's training," he added.
The crowd support Hawke's Bay Rugby Football Union fitness trainer Karl Bloxham, a clubmate of Maloney, got prior to his debut as a mixed martial arts fighter against Hamilton's Jayson Awa was almost as loud as Maloney's. Bloxham took just 25 seconds to end Awa's faint hopes of victory.
Awa couldn't continue after receiving a cut to the eye. With his enthusiasm and level of professionalism Bloxham proved he has a big future in the sport.
The son of former All Black hooker Ken Bloxham also proved he might be ready for a rugby comeback.
Bloxham's clubmate Easton Nicholas was also convincing in his mixed martial arts bout with the the towel being thrown in from his opponent's corner in the third round. Nicholas displayed an outstanding array of skills against Kayne Karu from the Arte Suave Academy of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
The main bout, a full Thai contest between the self-trained Jim Lange of Hastings and Luke "The Hammer" Leadbetter of the host club turned out to be an anti-climax. Leadbetter put Lange down with a powerful right kick to Lange's left leg in the first round. Although Lange continued on he conceded after having a closer look at his leg during the first round spell. Host club fighters won all but two of the nine bouts from which results were recorded. All four novice bouts, which results aren't recorded from, proved there are plenty more Maloneys and Bloxhams coming through the ranks. Natasha "Energizer" Bevan of the host club gave her all before being beaten by a split decision in her 54kg class modified muay Thai tussle against Manawatu's Angela "The Bullet" Bennett. Another bout which was won by a split saw David Kapoor pip Aidan Te Hiko of the Jackals Martian Arts Club.